MC: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job

In a world bombarded with information, what we long for is knowing how to live well-what the Bible calls wisdom. Meditate on the Wisdom books of the Bible to hear the source of wisdom-the God who made us. In these meditations we will hear the established wisdom passed down from earlier generations. These nuggets of wisdom are found in the book of Proverbs. A proverb is a traditional saying, and as such, proverbs are didactic, optimistic, practical, and conservative. Ecclesiastes contains a different kind of wisdom, built on the wisdom of Proverbs, but which asks what happens when proverbial wisdom fails. Ecclesiastes looks at the mysteries of life. It is reflective, speculative, pessimistic, and creative. It asks the hard questions, like how does life make sense? It explains that often, it doesn't. Plans fail. Fools triumph. We must trust God especially when things don't make sense. That deeper spirituality is put to the test in Job. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." This is a repeated theme in Proverbs. Job experiences a deeper fear of the Lord, one based on trust alone. By meditating on the ordeals of Job, we are brought closer to a God we might not like and do not understand. The only God we have. Meditating on these books will at times be a joy. At other times, meditation will be a challenge. Wisdom does not come easy. But it is a marvelous gift of God.

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