Take the Proverb-a-Day Challenge

I spent last weekend with a group of men from Maple Ridge Alliance Church at Camp Stillwood. We sang, we ate, we prayed, we played floor hockey, and - do I dare mention it? - we ate some more. I was the speaker for the camp and we looked at what it means to walk daily with Christ, or to live the Spirit-filled life.

We considered two verses that are invitations from God:

Luke 11:13 – If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven not give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

While I can't say that I've discovered an etymological root between the Hebrew word for wisdom and the filling of the Holy Spirit as described in the New Testament, they both refer to the ability to live out what we believe.

The Hebrew understanding of wisdom is not quantitative head knowledge, but rather heart knowledge, or know-how, or the power for living. Wisdom is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the application of knowledge to our daily lives.

In the same way, it is not enough to know about the Holy Spirit, but we need to experience His power for living as we face the challenges and tests of life.

This is summed up well in Ephesians 5:15: “Be careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” This is followed by the command in Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

I want to extend an invitation to anyone who would follow this blog: Read a Proverb a day during the month of October. I’ll post my comments about a single verse or passage between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. of each day and invite you to jot down your comments about that verse, or another which spoke to you. I will look forward to hearing form others who are taking the challenge. I believe that we’ll see that there is an amazing correlation between the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:22-23) and the wisdom described in the Proverbs. Will you join me in this adventure?