Good evening, folks.
My granddaughter, Samara, has expressed some disappointment at not being able to read some of the devotionals that I was sending to her dad. That prompted me to ask her if she would be interested in taking on a personal devotional routine with me where she would read a chapter of Proverbs each day and be prepared to process some of my thoughts that I would send her each day. She agreed with the plan. So now I have some revived motivation to reengage with this discipline. Having a granddaughter with an interest in the things of God is huge for me. As we carry on, you are welcome to listen in. But if you’d rather not, please let me know so I can modify the recipient list with your wishes.
My plan is simple. I’ll just copy below my daily personal comments to Samara, followed by the short devotional essay. We’ll see how this goes.
You will notice that I identify myself as “Tua.” That’s from an island language (Roviana, Western Solomon Islands) meaning “grandfather.”
May the LORD add His blessing—something we all desperately need.
Love, Dad/Ray.
PS: I’ll welcome any feedback. Thanks.
Good afternoon, Samara.
I received your response to accept my earlier proposal to carry on a devotional exchange with you using the unique book of Proverbs as our focus. That means I had better get on with putting forth some ideas for you to consider. In so doing, I hope this doesn’t become totally one-way. That is, I hope you can be free to respond with some of your own ideas and even ask any questions that may arise so as to make sure we are engaged as effectively as possible in communication.
OK—ready—set—let’s go!
Love, Tua.
ITwo metaphorical women are presented in this chapter who represent and symbolize the two basic courses for doing life—two attitudes of choice as faced by all people everywhere. The first woman is WISDOM. She is by far the best—representing the absolutely best attitude for doing life. She is the entire scope of God’s will for your life. Yup!—she has it all and is eager to share her treasures of wisdom and knowledge with anyone who will seek her and listen to her—including you.
I quoted above the basic appeal she makes to all mankind. “’Let all who are simple come in here!’ she says to those who lack judgment.” I’m convinced that we are all simple and lack judgment if left to ourselves. None of us naturally knows how to do life successfully without proper instruction. I’m so very thankful that our Creator has not left us to just flop and flounder here like fish out of water. He has graciously provided all the resources of wisdom and knowledge that we need—if we will only seek them above all else—seeking HIM above all else (Matthew 6:33).
But watch out! The other woman is also seeking you and your attention. Her name is FOLLY (She’s the opposite of WISDOM). Yet her appeal is deceptively much the same. She calls to the same people, “Let all who are simple come in here!” (v. 16). It’s just that her aim and motivation are to ultimately deceive and destroy you, not to benefit you and make your life better. She looks so good, sounds so good, smells so good, feels so good—but please, Samara, don’t believe her! It’s all a big lie!—the very same lie the serpent put to Eve in the Garden. Furthermore, be aware that the “she” of FOLLY can also take the form of a “he.”
The last verse is a solemn warning concerning those who choose to follow FOLLY and all her fun without repentance: “But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave” (v. 18)—and they are barred by their own choices to ever make heaven their ultimate home.