As the rain and snow

“It was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering… Since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely… he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:10,14-18

In order for Jesus to supernaturally accomplish what He did for man, He had to put on natural flesh, and be made our perfect ransom through suffering. The Founder of our salvation is also its Finisher. Our heavenly Father became our earthly brother so He could do for us what we couldn’t do ourselves, and we are most blessed because of His gift. (Hebrews 12:2)

Because of Jesus, we are saved. Because of Jesus, we can suffer knowing it will be redeemed. Because of Jesus, we are freed from slavery to fear. Because of Jesus, we have hope in facing death. Because of Jesus, we are helped in temptation. Because of Jesus, we look forward with confidence to a day of eternal joy.

“He will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
    ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’” Isaiah 25:7-9

It is vital to our faith that we retain a high view of God, and a grasp of the condescension He made on our behalf. Because He is God, He could, knowing no sin, become an unblemished sacrifice for sin, accomplishing perfect justice and atonement and so impart the finished work to us. The One who holds all wealth became poor, the One who reigns in highest heaven stooped to humble Himself on a cross- all for love, all for our eternal benefit. (2 Corinthians 5:21; 8:9; Philippians 2:5-8)

In response and gratitude, how can we can become like our brothers in order to reflect Christ for our brothers, and bring many to glory? What privileges or conveniences are we willing to forego, what rights lay down, in order to illumine the gospel for those who do not grasp its worth or meaning? Where would we serve, whom would we go out of our way to love, to further God’s kingdom work in our neighborhood, community, workplace? (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

“Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.” ~Henry Van Dyke (1907)

Lord, create in me Your passion, willingness, and humility to lay down my life for the sake of my brothers. (John 15:13)

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” Titus 1:1-4

“I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Philemon 1:6

Paul’s salutation to Titus discloses the certainty of his identity and raison d’être. He opens the letter as a gate to reveal that he knew his God, and he knew his calling, and the aim of his letter was to open up and further that purpose for his young protege. His life goal was to live out and share the gospel for the sake of the faith of God’s children, a worthy endeavor and calling for every believer.

Sake: Purpose; motive. Advantage; good. Personal benefit or interest; welfare. What does it mean to live for the sake of the faith of God’s own? Paul knew it entailed teaching the truth so they could understand, encouraging godliness, establishing hope, exalting God for who He is, and blessing with grace and peace. He also knew that sharing a common faith engenders bold and effective sharing of our faith, so more and more know what life in Christ means and provides. He sharply rebuked, practiced tender mercy, developed the immature, and built up the weak. He spent himself for the spiritual good of others, and preached to the end that they do the same, for the sake of faith which builds up the church. (Romans 14:1; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Ephesians 4:12-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:11,14; Titus 1:13)

How clearly do we understand our purpose in Christ? If we struggle with an identity crisis, have we loosened our tether to the One who called us to Himself and saved us to bear lasting fruit? Are we habitually turning in on ourselves instead of to our Master? Do we tune in too often to the voices around us, the culture’s buzz and beckon, and neglect regular reading God’s word to hear His voice of truth? (John 15:16)

What do our days and activities and expenditures and conversations tell about the ‘faith-sake’ of our living? Whose benefit drives us? Are we more concerned with our own bodies than the Body of Christ? Do we make our many choices based on selfish temporal advantage, or others’ eternal welfare?

Would we open wide the gate of our hearts each day and invite the Lord in to spread His fragrance, ignite our minds, and impassion our efforts for the sake of faith? What habits, mindset, or tendencies need godly correction, restoration, or re-creation, in order that our faith, and others’, may flourish?

Lord Jesus, thank You for every good thing You are and entrust to me. May I plan and serve and work and live for the sake of the faith of Your people, and exalt You in doing so.

“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations…

The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds…
The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
 The war horse is a false hope for salvation…

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love…

Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.” Psalm 33:1-11,13-18,20-22

Shout, praise, give thanks, make melody, sing, play skillfully, adore His righteousness, justice and love, fear Him, stand in awe His works, trust His plans and counsel, rely on His strength, wait for Him, hope in Him, be glad in Him, trust in His holy name. Behaving befittingly has everything to do with God and little to do with us or our props.

No need to work for likes, to win approval from stranger and friend, to decide what the majority decide or do what the majority do. Our call to be holy and live uprightly has standards beyond the parameters and expectations of our culture. God’s behavior stands out like an exquisite surprise beauty in the dark, and so must ours.

How ready and willing are we, against societal and mental pressures, to be counter-cultural? To praise when others criticize? To trust in peace when others fret and wrangle? To welcome and smile when others furrow and frown? To love with generosity when others hate with vitriol? To give when others hoard, to serve when others demand? To show compassion when others dismiss as unworthy? To assuage when others incite, to bless when others curse? (Romans 12:14-21)

And how willing are we to ask the Lord to change us? To convict us of sin, and cleanse us from its imposing tentacles? To transform our loves and perspectives to mimic His? To order and direct our steps rather than bless the ones we take without regard for Him?

Father, keep me transfixed with You. Help me live vibrantly and differently from the world, that the light I shine in a crooked generation reflects Your graciousness and glory. (Philippians 2:14-16)

“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:9-18

No suffering was wasted in the life of Paul. His own infliction on others was arrested and used by Jesus to illustrate the gospel of freedom he would proclaim the remainder of his days. Paul also suffered greatly himself, as God foretold, deserted by a former fellow worker whose affection turned to the world, opposed and accused by another, abandoned, and harmed. God would teach him absolute dependence on His grace and strength, and through Paul’s witness and letters, those lessons live on. (Acts 9:1-4,16; 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; 12:9-10; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24)

In the middle of a betrayal or abandonment, we are prone to assume the worst and view our situation as unredeemable. Emotional embers grow cold, hope is arid, and our outlook can be bereft of any expectation of flourishing. But Paul never gave up his call, his mission, his understanding that God would indeed work all these things for ultimate good. He named his hurts and betrayers and left them (along with some gracious forgiveness) for God to handle. Yes, there were heartaches, disappointments, even annoyances in his work, but His Lord was more real and significant than any of them. He chose to live on higher ground where his Helper and Rescuer, through all that transpired, deserved glory forever! (Romans 8:28)

Where have we felt betrayed by one who once shared our passion, yet has turned to another ‘love’ that we know will not satisfy? Have we been deserted at work, or in a friendship, for other priorities, and left to manage on our own? What disappointments niggle at our contentment, and have shrouded our thankfulness for the good God has brought and the ministry He has given?

“My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught a joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” ~Johnson Oatman, Jr (1856-1922)

Lord, may I learn through every hardship that You are enough and ever-present. Stabilize me on the high ground of Your praise.

“I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning...

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Psalm 30:1-5,11-12

“A song at the dedication of the temple,” says the introduction. David only prepared for the temple before he died, so what inspired this song? Considering his life to this point, his long experience with God from childhood through sheep-tending through Samuel’s anointing through being crowned king, his psalm reaches back and beyond human measures with divine hope. God’s promises to him were true and would remain, the temple would be completed, His saints would always have reason to praise His name. “His favor is for a lifetime.” David’s glory would indeed silence never.

When we live ‘drawn up’ with Christ, we see all from His vantage point. Foes and darkness and death are below, and we are bound up high in the heavenlies with the Savior, spiritually healed and restored. We own an eternal perspective, with fear, and need, and anger, and sorrow limited and momentary, swallowed up in the victory that is ours forever. We know and live in the joy that is present and surely to come. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

This divinely-elevated perspective gives way to extolling our God. Weeping may tarry, mourning in the sackcloth of sadness or shame or regret may linger, but the sun will rise! Dancing of soul and gladness of heart will break through the night in morning joy! Jesus, the bright morning star who lives and sustains and intercedes for us, is coming again! (Romans 8:34; 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 2:28; 22:16,20)

When dark clouds of fear or loneliness, loss or uncertainty, desperation or confusion, hang heavy, remember what is coming, and stand on the ramparts to watch. When weeping tarries, look to the first glint of morning. (Psalm 130:6; Habakkuk 2:1; Revelation 21:23)

“O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.” ~Horatio Gates Spafford (1873)

“The sun shall be no more
    your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
    give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.” Isaiah 60:19

Lord, give me eyes to see Your morning in every night. Turn weeping to rejoicing. Loosen my tongue to sing Your praise and thanks forever, O bright morning star, and receive the laud due You!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?..  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35,37-39

“I bow before the Father,.. that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may have strength to comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14,17-19

Paul knew how far God’s love had to go to reach him, a reviler of the Sovereign and persecutor of His church. He knew the horrors of punishment and hardship, having endured natural and manmade troubles beyond imagining, so he speaks from experience when he attempts to describe the measure of God’s love. It was real beyond real to him, unfathomable to comprehend, yet ever and palpably present to hold and uphold. It had chased him down, and delivered him from spiritual blindness. Its lavish, personal grace reached to the depths of his depravity and carried his faith to the heights of heaven. (Acts 9:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 11:22-33)

Paul knew what it was to be uprooted from religiosity, worldly fame, and hatred of God’s people to be rooted and grounded in love, and how this supernaturally changed everything. He knew God’s love was undeserved, yet boundless and wondrously freeing. He knew His love was vast and strong enough for every tribulation, every physical and mental enemy onslaught. And Paul desired that His people know, and understand, and trust, and spread, this love. (Romans 3:10-12,23-25)

What keeps us at arm’s length from living in and out this amazing love of God? Do we focus more on what we don’t like about ourselves, frustration over what we do, or anger or shame for what we have done, than we do on God’s grace that reaches through all the muck to us? Do we come up short in understanding because we measure His love by our standards, deeming it conditional and fickle with feelings? Meditating on these passages elevates our thinking and adjusts our nearsightedness to gaze at our Savior. No matter what trouble, seen or unseen, we are tightly secure in Christ Jesus.

What prejudices, hurt, or wrongs remembered (and nursed) are keeping God’s love in us at a distance from others? If we are unwilling to love those around us, it is vital we ascertain whether we have humbled ourselves before Christ’s saving love on the cross. If we, like Paul, recognize that it is by grace that He extends love to us, we will welcome the opportunity to have Him love through us, even those who are distant and hardest to love.

“O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe, 
that in thine ocean depths its flow 
may richer, fuller be.” ~George Matheson (1842-1906)

Lord, may Your boundless love that keeps me flow through me in lavish measure, to Your praise and glory.

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord… You shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days.

“When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord… a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma…

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord…

“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work…

“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation… And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God…

“On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord.” Leviticus 23:4-6,8,10-11,13,15-16,24-25,27-28,34-37

The predawn sky was a feast for the eyes, a thick palette of greys giving way to fiery pink orange. Early wind blew smoky tufts along as it wafted an intoxicating scent of gardenias, pungent and regal white. All senses are captivated by beauty, and delicious, and fragrant, and cool breeze, but the repast of sight and soul set out by God are intended for far more than our own pleasure. (Psalm 19:1)

The system of feasts instituted by God- unleavened bread, firstfruits, weeks, trumpets, atonement, booths- points to Him, not us, and the end of each is remembrance, gratitude, and surrender. Each culminates in His delight and honor. God pronounced these feasts vital and significant in the rhythm of Israel’s life, and appointed their celebrations to be continued in order to solemnly remember His name and provision through the years. Each had a cost, a preparation, a careful deliberation, as each composed a pleasing aroma to the Lord of all.

How do we view our calendar of opportunities and bountiful possessions? Is life centered around my regular- even thoughtless- pleasure in food, friendship, and favor, with little attention to their Giver? Have my senses grown accustomed to overload, without appreciation, taking no time to refrain from toil, to rest, remember God, and rejoice? What heavenly delights I would enjoy if I feasted instead on my Lord! (Isaiah 58:13-14; James 1:17)

Lord, keep me relishing the splendor of Your holiness, and offering a continual sacrifice of praise for the bounty You give, and are. (1 Chronicles 16:28-29)

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD… So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God… You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Leviticus 18:2-5,30; 19:2

The nation of Israel was birthed in a foreign land, when Abraham was called out of Ur in his native Mesopotamia to a land I will show you. After an initial pause in Haran, Israel’s patriarch trekked forward in faith toward Canaan. This initial planting was a picture of God’s plan for them: to cut ties with the world they knew and be bound to Him, belong to Him, follow His ways, and bear holy fruit. Theirs was to be a vertical identity and allegiance in every horizontal movement they made. (Genesis 11:31-12:7)

We, too, live in an unholy criss-cross world. God calls us, from above, to come out from the world and be separate from its unholy ways of thinking and behaving. Practically, we are to remain in the world, but not be of it. We daily encounter pressures and movement, we enter and exit places and conversations, decisions and challenges, all on a horizontal plain. We are attracted and opposed, pushed and pulled, and it takes resolve to keep our compass heading in the right direction. It behooves us to stay connected vertically and keep attuned to our heavenly Lord’s voice. He is LORD, and He calls us to be holy. (John 17:14-16; 2 Corinthians 6:17)

Where are we headed today on the horizontal? Left or right, east or west, work responsibilities, familial and friendship duties, service for country or community? In every place, people and statutes and customs strange to our Lord, and foreign to His uprightness, will do what they do and say what they say, and their magnet may be strong. We must be vigilant to acknowledge who is actually LORD, and to walk with Him. Walking in His Spirit secures us against gratification of the flesh, and keeps us in step with Him. Remember, He is LORD, and He calls us to be holy. (Galatians 5:16-25)

“May the mind of Christ, my Savior, 
Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow’r controlling 
All I do and say.

May I run the race before me, 
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus 
As I onward go.” ~Kate Barclay Wilkinson (1859-1923)

Father, You are holy. May You be enthroned on my praises and in all my doing as LORD of me. Help me live with a vertical mindset and heart affection in every horizontal push and pull, so You are glorified as supreme. (Psalm 22:3)

“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses…

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:3-12,17-19

Cravings come in many shapes, sizes, and proclivities. Paul had known well the fleshly satisfaction of impeccable credentials, a good argument, winning for his cause, and the heft of throwing around his authoritative weight. But God interrupted his life bent, and every craving that was stoked by conceit, competition, or a hunger to be recognized was transformed. His energy and passion did not wane, but were supernaturally redirected. All that was once driven by self was now enveloped in an insatiable craving for his God, and for proclaiming and living out His gospel. (Acts 8:3; Philippians 3:3-8; 1 Timothy 1:12-14)

Using falsehood to support our position, fomenting controversies, friction, and dissension, and indulging empty, harmful desires are signs of disordered affections. It’s vital we recognize our unhealthy cravings and name their root: pride, shame, self-will, the pleasurable embrace of false teaching. The God who convicts is able to correct us from the inside out, to curb fleshly appetites by reordering our physical, social, and spiritual propensities.

Fleeing such cravings that distance us from God brings us into a wide place where faith can grow and contentment can flourish. Eschewing jealousy and argument to pursue righteousness and godliness reorients our joys, and we learn to take delight in our heavenly hope and our unseen Savior.

Where have we wandered away from our first love of Jesus? Would we deliberately avoid those places, in conversation or recreation, that stoke anger, friction, or untoward cravings, and pursue a more constructive, eternally meaningful path? (Revelation 2:4-5)

Lord, help me let loose of everything that corrupts, and run steadfastly after You. Correct my cravings toward godliness, eternal treasure, contentment in You, and all that is truly life.

“Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
    she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
    from the highest places in the town,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
    To him who lacks sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
    and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
    and walk in the way of insight…’

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life…

The woman Folly is loud;
    she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
‘Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’
But he does not know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” Proverbs 9:1-6,10-11,13-18

Because the devil parades as an angel of light, it takes God-given discernment to recognize his wiles and distinguish his voice. Folly mimics Wisdom in strategy and language, and each has her superficial allure to the simple and needy. Only the trained heart and careful ear hear the subtle differences in their motives and promises. (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

It is Folly who targets the simple, preying on their vulnerability in attempt to seize on their lack of foresight. She promises a sweetness in her shade, her undercover seduction, knowing that sin tempts with its temporal pleasures, and disguises, or hides altogether, its biting consequences. Every ‘hit’ with temporary physical satisfaction awakens desire for the next, and more, so the stolen and secret become an entangling, destructive habit. Those without the Holy Spirit are easily tricked by Folly. (1 Corinthians 2:14; Hebrews 11:25)

Wisdom also recognizes those who are short-sighted and lacking sense. She, however, sets an inviting table with uprightness, order, precision, and delectability. She appeals to the simple to leave their limited vision and foolish ways behind to come to her feast. By her nature, she doesn’t settle for mediocrity and a life of simmering in the stew in sin. She elevates desire, delivers insight, calls the simple out from complacency to grow and develop as God’s children.

So what about us? Do we settle for stolen advantages and secret ways that get us nowhere good? Or do we want to think biblically, to understand God’s truth and recognize spiritual error? This presents a life-long determination as well as a daily mindset, and our will sets our direction and commitment. If we would yield to the Holy Spirit and resolve to examine God’s word, He will hone our ability to distinguish folly from wisdom as we go along our way. (Deuteronomy 4:6; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 5:13-14)

Gracious and worthy Father, spur me on to maturity in my will and thinking. Teach me to discern Your best, and grant me courage to choose it always over the foolishness of the world.