MIDWEEK MEDITATION

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
    and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

Proverbs 27:20

Life is next. 
 
We are hardwired to want more. From our earliest memories when candy was the greatest thing we could imagine, to our grown-up career, relationships, experiences, and achievements – we want more. 
 
It is never enough.
 
No matter how hard we chase after contentment. It always remains just a step ahead. That is the problem with life being next. It is never now. Proverbs teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and those who find it experience rest and satisfaction. They experience enough. 
 
It starts with aligning our perspective with God's. When we are willing to call something good because God calls it good, we open ourselves up to a new way of looking at life. When we meditate on why that is actually better than maybe our hearts or friends tell us, we see why God's way is better. It is in that place that we can experience the joy of enough. 
 
Life is now. 
 
Meditate on your life. Is it next or now? Are you viewing things from God's perspective? Do you have enough?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32

Anger is often misunderstood. Some run from it, others run towards it. Why would God make such a strong emotion? Because there are times that we need to be strong. There are times that we need to rise up, to protect others, and to fight for justice.

Proverbs doesn’t say, “Whoever has no anger…” but “Whoever is slow to anger…” Part of having wisdom is knowing how to control our anger instead of letting our anger control us. If we don’t, we may find ourselves addicted to anger or manipulated by others who are looking to use our outrage for their agenda. 

The person who is slow to anger is better than the mighty because anger under control gives power to overcome. 

Meditate on this question: Who is controlling your anger?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
 Proverbs 11:24

This truth is hard for us to believe. Why? If you believe that money will pave the way for your happiness, your security, your relationships, then why would you ever give it away? Wouldn’t you want to get and keep as much of it as you possibly could? How can one give freely and yet grow even richer? How can the person who holds back end up holding less?
Because God is generous with those who are generous. 

Your ultimate happiness, security, and relationships stem from more than money and self-effort. When we mirror the generous heart of God, with eyes to see what we can give instead of what we can take, we discover that we are enriched because of it. God is generous with those who are generous.

Meditate on this question: How generous am I in my financial giving, and what does that say about what is going on in my heart?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
 Proverbs 22:13

The lion isn’t real. 

When we can’t face reality, we often turn to our imagination. We imagine all manner of reasons why we shouldn’t go outside of our situation and make the changes we need to make. We justify situations, actions, and inactions to ourselves and others even when the reasons don’t add up. In Proverbs 22:13, instead of naming the problem that keeps him from working and contributing to the community, he deflects: there is a lion outside. 

But the lion isn’t real. 

Reality is hard to face sometimes. But the path of wisdom means dealing with reality as it exists, not as we wish it would be. Take a few moments to meditate on this cautionary proverb. Are there areas in your life that you are unwilling to face? Can you name the lions in your life for what they really are?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it. 
 Proverbs 22:6

Each of us was set on a path. 
 
Whether it was a parent, extended family, or a legal guardian – the people who raised you shaped much of how you view life. Their influence set you on a trajectory. For some, that trajectory led to a healthy view of life and an accurate view of God. For others, you were set to go down some dark paths. For most of us, it was a little bit of both. 
 
It requires wisdom to look back at the path we were set on, and to evaluate it based on God's Word. When we join together with the family of God, we can find healing and grace. We can be set on a new path that leads to life. 
 
Take time to consider how your upbringing set your view about God. Does that image reflect the God of the Bible?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
    incline your ear to my understanding,
that you may keep discretion,
    and your lips may guard knowledge.
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil,
but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
    sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps follow the path to Sheol;
she does not ponder the path of life;
    her ways wander, and she does not know it.

 Proverbs 5

When God created Adam and Eve, He created them as sexual beings. It wasn’t an afterthought or a mistake. It was part of God’s plan and He called it good. 

It still is good. 

But even good gifts used the wrong way can wreak havoc in our lives. God intended this gift to be something that drew people together physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Our sexuality is about so much more than having sex, and sex is about so much more than physical actions. 

Wisdom is knowing how to embrace and contain our sexuality in such a way that we can thrive. Take time this week to stop and consider what thriving sexually looks like in your life based on God’s design.

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

 Proverbs 27:17

You were wired for relationships. 

In His wisdom, God designed all of humanity to flourish in the context of community. A life lived in isolation, physical or virtual, doesn’t match the design. 

True friends will help you be at your best and support you when things are at their worst. They are involved in your life and are willing to speak truth in the context of love even when it is hard or inconvenient. In short, true friends are a rare gift from God. 

Do you have friends like that in your life? Do you walk with the wise? It takes time to develop and courage to be honest with what is going on in your life. It’s worth it. 

Take a few moments to meditate on this: Are there friends in my life who see me for who I really am and encourage me to live wisely?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

Whoever trusts his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.  Proverbs 28:26
 
The heart is deceitful… Jeremiah 17:9

Addiction comes in many forms. We are surrounded by it, tempted by it, and suffer because of it. The compulsive need to return to the addiction fights against our better judgment and lulls us into thinking that we will find happiness, or at least relief. 
 
It is a lie. 
 
Our hearts can fall in love with destructive things and our minds can trick us into believing what is false. When our losses pile up and our pain increases, we are tempted to think that we need to fix it on our own, believing in our own strength to set things right. 
 
Our mind, our heart, our strength. 
 
Only a fool trusts solely in their own mind. We need wisdom from above and support from around us. 
 
Meditate on this question: Who knows and speaks into the difficult places of my life?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Proverbs 10:11

Your words have a lot to say about you. They can bring life, peace, and hope to those with whom you come in contact. They can also tear down friendships, erode trust, and sever lives. Words can give life as easily as they can take life. 
 
A wise person is one who starts from the inside out. Those whose hearts are shaped by the character of God overflow with the grace of God and become like a fountain of life in a desert. Those who are wicked may hide their vicious thoughts for a time, but eventually what is concealed will be revealed. 
 
From the heart the mouth speaks. 
 
You have an incredible power in your words. How have you been using that power? What is the wake that you have left behind you? Has it led others to life, or has it brought about pain and sorrow? 
 
Meditate on this question: What do my words reveal about my character?

MIDWEEK MEDITATION

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Proverbs 1:7

Those who would seek wisdom must begin here. Each of us is faced with the same question of: how do we make the most of our time here on Earth? There are many different paths you could take and a thousand choices each day that push you in one direction or another. How can a person know which way is best?
 
The fear of the Lord. 
 
True wisdom starts by acknowledging God and His place in the universe as well as in our lives. When we recognize that God knows and desires what is best for our lives, then our path becomes clearer. When we are willing to value God's truth over our opinion, the path of wisdom opens up to us.  
 
Meditate on this question throughout the day: Do I appropriately fear God? 
 
Lord, help me to seek you in all things. I want to be wise and live well under Your guidance. I acknowledge that You are God, and I am not. Please help me to remember that throughout the day.