Wisdom and Waters
"Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?... At the entrance of the portals she cries out ... 'when [the LORD] made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race" (from Proverbs 8).
I love storms. I'm especially enamored with those that adorn the horizon on the beach. Don't get me wrong; I don't cheer on hurricanes. As a native Floridian, I've experienced my fair share of those. But seeing a "regular" storm rolling in shore does something for me. I think it's the display of raw power and beauty in the skies and sea that generates such awe in me. But this always pushes me to consider other things ... like the one who's behind it all.
Who is this God who made this awesome world of storms and shores? Clearly this a God of power, beauty and wisdom. And it is the last of those attributes that our Old Testament lesson from Proverbs highlights.
Wisdom is personified in this passage in feminine terms as one who was with God from the beginning during the creation of the world. God brought forth all that we see through this Lady Wisdom who was there with him as a "master worker."
I love this passage because it's a reminder that in wisdom God created all the intricacies of the world. And now this Wisdom calls out to us, God's people, offering her knowledge, insight and counsel.
I don't know about you, but I so need this. Life is challenging and complicated. We can't know what the right decision is in every circumstance because we don't know all things. But the wonderful reality is that God does. He established it all from the beginning, and in Christ (who is called the wisdom of God in the New Testament) all things consist (Col 1:17). And now this God who has all wisdom and knowledge at his disposal, offers it to us through the Scriptures and the personal guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Friends, we don't have to navigate the challenges and complexities of this life alone. So call out to God. Call out for Wisdom who calls out to you. God delights to grant this request.
Fr. Darin+