The Wisdom of Women (4-19-2020)

“The Wisdom of Women” Devotional for Sunday April 19, 2020 Opening Scripture: Colossians 2:2-3 Living Bible This is what I have asked of God for you: that you will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love, and that you will have the rich experience of knowing Christ with real certainty and clear understanding. For God’s secret plan, now at last made known, is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the mighty, untapped treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [Provided by Frances Walters] For today’s devotional I will be drawing on the Sunday School lesson in our quarterly Bible Scholar book. I also sought out the wisdom of some of the women whom I could get in contact with here in our church and I will sprinkle in their own kind of proverbs, nuggets of wisdom they have kindly shared to supplement and flavor our study of Proverbs. Wisdom Speaks Openly, Publicly In Proverbs 8 Wisdom is personified as a virtuous or righteous woman who stands in a prominent place to get people’s attention. And she speaks to them guiding them in things like reverencing God, avoiding pride and arrogance, walking on the path of righteousness and justice. Certainly we have known women who have shed the light of their wisdom on us. Some are well known and famous and have spoken up publicly before cameras and even in front of large numbers of people. One such woman that some of you might be familiar with is the great poet and writer, Maya Angelou. She said simply but beautifully: "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." Not So Public but More Impactful Although some women, like lady wisdom in Proverbs speak very publicly, many more speak to their kids and grandkids and other family members – sometimes softly, sometimes loudly, but in a private face-to-face, person to person manner. They also speak with their actions and not just words. These daily statements and actions are probably far more influential on the hearers than the more famous celebrated voices. Here’s an example from Sister Georga Fox: “Focus on today. God will take care of tomorrow, and he knows how to get you there.” I wish my parents had taught me that little pearl of wisdom. I would not have wasted hours and hours over my life focusing on what I worried the future might bring. Spiritual Wealth Lady Wisdom says wisdom is more precious that rubies. This description tells us that wisdom makes us spiritually rich and maybe even materially rich. Although I have never been financially wealthy, I have been blessed with fountains of spiritual wisdom from others over the years and that has made my life fulfilling and joyful. Lady Wisdom Speaks Hard Truths The Sunday School lesson says that the immoral woman speaks seductive words to ensnare the innocent, but Wisdom speaks truth that is neither deceitful nor harmful. “What you see is what you get.” I would imagine that many of you have had to be truthful like Lady Wisdom in your dealing with others, especially your children, speaking straight-forwardly and honestly. My wife is one such woman. I remember when we first got married, I was sometimes embarrassed by her willingness to say it like it is. In my family of origin, of French ancestry, we were much more diplomatic and careful in what we spoke, but I have come to realize that people including me appreciate Helen’s frankness and honesty along with her sense of humor and practicality. Proverbs expresses the forthright way Lady Wisdom speaks her sentiments in Proverbs 8: 6-9: [The Message] “You—I’m talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets! Listen, you idiots—learn good sense! You blockheads—shape up! Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well, I’m telling you how to live at your best. My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth— I can’t stand the taste of evil! You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth; not one syllable will be twisted or skewed. You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds; truth-ready minds will see it at once. Although the Message version might seem a bit harsh, at least it gets the attention of the listeners which I think was the intention of Lady Wisdom. Perhaps these words from Sister Cindy Grimes put it a bit more gently but just as truthfully: “Children respect your parents with all love, understanding and kindness… and let love always be your guide.” Cannot we see this statement in action with Sister Cindy who has taken care of her parents with such great dedication? Sister Cindy speaks through her words, her song, and actions. The Wise Person The Sunday School lesson speaks about the characteristics of the wise person. I really like the first quality mentioned, namely, the wise person has a teachable attitude. She or he is willing to listen to wise counsel. Wise persons are always impressed, the longer they live, with how much they do NOT know and are always eager to learn more. I remember my tenth grade Texas history teacher telling us that the reason Texas pioneer and leader Stephen F. Austin was so successful was that he listened. I have to say that all the truly wise people I have known have been good listeners, willing to learn from others what is the better or best way to do something or to say something. These days it seems that many people are eager for the whole world to know what they think, what they feel, what they eat, where they go, and almost everything about their lives. Facebook and other social media is full of that kind of thing. Is it not refreshing to be in the presence of someone who is silent enough for you to get to say what is on your mind and heart? And isn’t it helpful when they comment thoughtfully about what you’ve said, letting you know they really listened? The Wise Women One of the things I love about this church is the wise women here. We might not have deaconesses but we have sterling examples of women who regularly show us their wisdom by their singing and playing musical instruments, by their clapping, shouting and affirmations, by their teaching of both adults and children, by their kindness, by their leadership on church Boards and other responsible positions, by their hard work for the church, and by their silent listening. How blessed we are by their feminine presence and wisdom. I think the women here make us whole, compliment all the male energy, and point us toward Jesus and his strong, gentle and loving heart. The Sunday School lesson for today makes this statement: “The complexities and challenges of life demand that we seek the wisdom of God in His Word every day.” Although I get involved with all the “important things” I need to do on any given day, when I do not take time to read the Word, to seek spiritual nourishment from others, especially my spiritual teachers, I feel less-than. The more I fail to do seek spiritual inspiration, the more empty I feel. I once had a poster that showed a man walking on a wooded path with his small son and the caption said, “Take Time.” I loved that poster. I have come to realize that I need to walk daily with the Word made flesh and The Word of the Bible. Then I can grow up, like the little boy on that path with his father, to be a mature, whole Christian man. Prayer Father, thank you for our women, for their wisdom and guidance and for all the ways they demonstrate wisdom in what they do and say. Thank you for your Son Jesus, the essence of wisdom - spoken with and through his life on Earth. Send your Spirit to give us wisdom and perseverance to endure the suffering of these dark days, especially our medical and care-giving professionals. Keep them and us safe from harm. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen