Insight required

God has placed a premium on the responses we undertake. One of those 'premium' responses is listening. To those who listen, he speaks into their lives and helps them to grasp knowledge. Those who are too intent on just handling things without the instructions he brings, they hear, but they don't listen. Another 'premium' response God values is that of integrity - being truthful about what we don't know and then seeking to gain that knowledge is one way of revealing integrity in our lives. I often do crosswords, but there are times when the hints given just don't even make sense to me! It always amazes me when I see the answer key and see such a simple answer I never even considered. If I just plunged ahead, saying I understood the hints even though I clearly did not, it would not end up with the letters I need for completing the rest of the puzzle - the integrity of the puzzle is damaged. God doesn't place a premium on "faking it" or "just making something fit" - he places a premium on integrity.

Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good; impatience will get you into trouble. Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord. Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn, and you will prosper. (Proverbs 18:2-3, 8)

As we have been studying these verses over the past couple of days, it appears there is to be evidence of a person actually valuing themselves by the actions and attitudes they exhibit. To acquire wisdom is to love oneself - valuing yourself enough to actually admit you don't know it all and then to quiet yourself long enough to actually "get" some knowledge which you might apply to the situation at hand. People who cherish understanding will prosper - those who overlook it or think it is not important will know much unrest in their lives. Most of the time we think scripture doesn't support the "love of self", but in truth, when we love ourselves enough to learn at the feet of Jesus, this type of "self-love" is perfectly right. It shows we value the Creator enough to sit at his feet long enough for him to show us how this whole created life is supposed to work.

To acquire wisdom, one is determining to get it as their own - not being content with second-hand knowledge, but desirous of getting it for yourself. When we approach knowledge this way, God is delighted to give us exactly what we seek. He gives us new or additional character traits and abilities. We then hold these new truths as something we will cherish - hold dear, keep or cultivate with care and affection. When we cherish knowledge (learning) - we are taking what we are given and then allowing it to get deep into our brains, enough so that it affects our emotions and bolsters our spirit.

Wisdom is the ability to discern inner qualities and the relationship between these qualities - some call this having insight. We need to see that insight is something grown, not given. It needs to be taken in, find deep root within us, and then it becomes useful to us. Knowledge is superficial - wisdom has deep roots. Understanding is the ability to grasp even the hidden meaning which comes as a result of what we have come to learn over time. I like the last verse we are studying today - we do ourselves a favor when we learn all we can. Learning all we can depends upon a right frame of mind, determined commitment of heart, and an openness to act as we are instructed. Remembering what we learn is sometimes the biggest challenge! Just sayin!

Let me show you something....

Truth be told, many of us are more concerned with a list of lessons we have amassed during the time we refer to a "living" life. What we need to be doing is asking God directly for lessons that would help us "live" life. Sometimes I think we approach things the first way - making mental note of what we learned FROM the moments we just finished living rather than making heart notes of what lessons God wants for us IN those moments. We get focused on it from a 'historical' perspective more than we are focused on it in the 'present' perspective. We might just be missing out on some of what God has for us in the 'living'.

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response. (Psalm 119:33-34)

Most people know that I am a planner, so I value the "notes" and "plans" - the agendas, outlines, and even the doodled notes all help me to 'organize' my life. I think our psalmist was kind of that way, too. He was organized in his thoughts, skilled in the direction of his troops, and a great "commander" of his armies. You don't get people to follow you if you are haphazard about everything in life! Yet, we find him asking God (Jehovah) for some "plans" - the 'organized' instructions as to how he should proceed in life. Herein is a great truth - 'plans' are not 'well-planned' until they are aligned with the ones God has for us.

He looks to the one who is unchangeable in his promises, reliable in his expectations, and consistent in his justice. The "list" he hopes to hear God give him is first and foremost one that is consistent! It doesn't change tomorrow and then be something totally different the next. He is looking for something we refer to as "standards". The standards that God sets for living are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He knows he can stand on them - counting on God's consistent justice to evaluate his progress in life by those standards he has already established for "living" life.

When we are more focused on making the MENTAL notes of what we learned from living life, rather than getting the HEART notes of what lessons God wants for us to glean in living life, we get things backwards. Our purpose in asking for God's "list" up-front is to ensure that we might live IN the insight God gives us. INSIGHT is much better than HINDSIGHT! Insight is the ability to see (to discern) the true character of what life is dealing us - then making the right decisions based on what we know. Insight doesn't mean we know it all from the start, but we come to appreciate what God is doing as we are walking through it.

The goal of having such knowledge is obedience! Life is complex - there are really no "easy days". If we seem to be sailing through life, we are probably just oblivious to the dangers all around us! I have traveled through some pretty rough storms - snow flying so wet that you could barely clear the windshield, or dust rolling through so thick you could not see your hand in front of your face. In those times, I relied on those things that I was taught beforehand about driving in those conditions. It was in the lessons learned BEFORE the conditions arose that I was able to traverse THROUGH the conditions. I had INSIGHT. That is really what obedience is all about - learning the lessons before we have to put them into practice! We get INSIGHT by allowing that "sight" to be built deep within us through times of taking "in" God's Word, allowing it to affect our "planning" for life. When we face the "conditions" of life, we are better prepared for how to respond TO those conditions - obedience is the result.

One of Mom's favorite expressions is, "Listen to me!" It wasn't spoken often, but when it was, I knew that she was telling me something that would actually serve me well later in life. God gives us teachable moments much in the same way - times when he specifically says, "Listen to me!" In those moments, we need to have the heart response of gaining the insight he so longs for us to have. It will be that insight that gives us the foresight to miss the bumps and obstacles that our poor planning put in our paths. Yep, we learn from our mistakes, but wouldn't it be wonderful to learn how to avoid them BEFORE they have an opportunity to be made? When God inscribes his lessons for life on our hearts, our ability to LIVE life well is much better than any "mental notes" we might make along the way! Just sayin!

I need an illustration

Scripture defines happiness as finding wisdom and gaining understanding - "happy is the man..." who embraces both.  In seeking wisdom so as to find and in gaining understanding so as to not let it go, we are actually placing ourselves in a position to enjoy well-being and contentment - because we are in an atmosphere of good fellowship!  Wisdom and understanding affect our lives by bringing contentment - even in situations when it would otherwise be difficult to find it.  They also give us a sense of well-being because we can stand assured our course is pre-designed or pre-defined by someone who sees the big picture.  There is also the sense of being brought into a place of fellowship and intimacy with the one who does the designing and defining! These surely describe happiness better than most of the ways the world determines to define happiness for me!

Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don’t for a minute lose sight of them.  They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive.  You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip.  You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.  No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound.  (Proverbs 3:21-26 MSG)

We are frequently reminded in this Book of Proverbs of the "value" of wisdom - it profits us more than silver or gold.  Profit is a return on investment.  As many would say, you have to spend to see a yield on your investment.  You take a little risk with whatever it is you spend, but your hope is based on the probability of a good return.  There is an advantage to the investment - much like there is an advantage to seeking wisdom - our return is to both gain understanding and to truly enter into a place of contented happiness.  Some of the "returns" which comes with seeking wisdom are defined as eternal life, riches and honor, being guided down delightful paths, and satisfaction as we pass over these paths.  

Our part is to embrace wisdom - to allow it to be an enclosure for our hearts and minds.  An embrace is something which encloses something within its grasp.  When we seek wisdom so as to embrace it, we are desiring to take it in without questioning, in a ready manner. One sign we are embracing wisdom is the evidence of it in our daily lives.  When there is a lack of contentment, maybe we just need to seek a little more of wisdom.  Where there is a lack of direction, maybe we need to sit in the embrace of wisdom a little longer. There are a lot of things poised to tear us away from wisdom's embrace, so we must guard our time in her clutches, for this is precious time indeed.  Wisdom is really not a "thing" as much as it is a person - Jesus.  We are to seek him so as to embrace him tightly.  We are to desire his embrace above all others - no other satisfying in quite the same manner.  

As we travel down this path we call "life", we have a lot of choices - good planning and insight help us to make the right choices when the paths seem to split off, affording more than one way to travel.  Good planning sets out a course before the first leg of the journey is even undertaken.  An architect spends a great deal of time preparing the blueprints of the building long before the ground is even broken to begin the building!  There is forethought and wisdom in the choice of placement of the building - even the selection of the lot on which it is built will affect the architect's choices about how the building will be "postured".  Why would we think we could just build our lives apart from the divine design already "drafted" for them?  We need to plans he prepares in order to have the construction turn out as designed!

Wisdom looks to the master architect (Jesus) to provide the design - defining the "posture" of our lives.  Insight gives us the actually "see" the design as it unfolds.  Insight also describes the investigation of what is below the surface - for understanding what lays beneath often determines the stability of the structure.  Insight gives us perspective - wisdom gives us the design. Architectural plans come to life when an architectural illustrator takes the images of the designer and displays them in graphic detail as they will be when finished.  What I cannot see in the "plans", I can gain insight into when I see the illustration before me.  I may not see the intricacies of the design with the illustration, but it gives me a perspective to see how the pieces fit. I still need the plans - but the illustration helps me know where I am headed.

Truth be told, we sometimes are a little guilty of veering from the plans, or even working outside of what we have insight into.  We want to take short cuts with the "building" of our lives.  I don't know about you, but just about every short cut I have attempted to take when I am constructing something costs me something else!  Try to speed up the process by using a drill to screw in the screw instead of a screwdriver and I might just strip the head of the screw, drive it in too fast and split the wood, etc.  The "time" it takes to actually take "all" the steps, in the right order, will save us greater heartache down the road.  These steps are predefined by the one who holds the plans. Insight into his plans helps us see clearly the need for each step.  Just sayin!

Trail Buddies

Trails - as we travel through life, there are sure a lot to choose from, right? Have you ever chosen a trail which was just too hard for you?  You know, the one that taxed your endurance, left you aching when you finally reached the end, and just generally was way too much for you?  I have!  In real life, the trails we can pursue abound - choosing the right ones is as important as choosing the right traveling companions to "hike" those trails with you!

So now you can pick out what’s true and fair, find all the good trails!  Lady Wisdom will be your close friend, and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.  Good Sense will scout ahead for danger, Insight will keep an eye out for you.  They’ll keep you from making wrong turns, or following the bad directions of those who are lost themselves and can’t tell a trail from a tumbleweed... (Proverbs 2: 9-12 MSG)

This morning, as I look out onto the Shenandoah Mountains, I see mist covering many of the trails and a general peacefulness to the view.  What looks so serene may actually be riddled with all kinds of hazards I have no clue actually exist in those wooded areas and rocky places.  Things like black bears, snakes, and poisonous plants.  They don't seem to just jump out at you and have little signs saying, "Avoid me".  Instead they blend into the surroundings and seem to almost taunt you to allow them to catch you unaware.  This is probably why God pays such close attention to giving us the best traveling companions for life's journeys which are riddled with hazards we often don't see until we are fully upon them, or engulfed in their irritations!

Four traveling companions:  Lady Wisdom, Brother Knowledge, Good Sense, and Insight.  Let's call them the SWIK Team (Sense, Wisdom, Insight and Knowledge).  

- Lady Wisdom:  I have told you before, wisdom is more than knowledge - it is the knowledge of what is good and true, but it is also the just judgment to use it as you need it.  It doesn't take much wisdom to look upon a black bear, hungry and intent on feeding, to avoid it!  On the other hand, to see a little squirrel who skitters to you for a few nuts doesn't seem that ominous, right? But...even "cute" squirrels carry deadly diseases!  The importance of Lady Wisdom being along on our journey is for us to know what to do with the input the other traveling companions actually give us along the way.

- Brother Knowledge:  Nothing escapes us more than acquiring ALL the knowledge on a subject.  Whenever we think we have, we are only deceiving ourselves, as knowledge is an ever-increasing, ever-developing thing.  This companion along our journey is there to bring us awareness of the facts, truths, and principles we might discover.  What we do with those is the direct result of how well we listen to Lady Wisdom!  Brother Knowledge is our teacher - Lady Wisdom is our counselor.  

- Good Sense:  Some call this sound, practical judgment.  William Temple, the last Archbishop of Canterbury, once said, "The first ingredient in conversation is truth, the next good sense, the third good humor, and the fourth wit." Considering this a little closer, I think he was onto something there.  Most of the "hazards" we come across in life are often a result of our very own words, are they not?  We come smack-dab into the path of some pretty ominous situations just because the words we have chosen led us down those paths. As Temple stated, the value of the conversation (the words) is not just in the speaking of them - it is in the closeness they maintain to the truth, the evidence they reveal of sound / practical judgment, and the delight of being able to laugh at oneself in the process.  Not every conversation we engage in is as well planned as we'd like, but maybe if we had these traveling companions along on the journey down that path, they might be!

- Insight:  This is the ability to apprehend the true nature of a matter - some call this being intuitive.  In this instance, I think our traveling companion known as Insight is really the ability to make rapid and direct connection with truth and fact.  The idea is of immediate apprehension.  Most of us apprehend the facts, but it takes a little while, right?  When Insight is our traveling companion, we have a much better chance of getting things the first time, instead of having to hear it over and over again!

These are just a few of the companions we can choose to take on the trails we pursue in life.  We determine our companions in the journey.  The journey may not be totally under our control, but who we take with us is!  Just sayin!

Inscribe on!

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.  Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response. 

(Psalm 119:33-34 The Message)

As I began to ponder this next section within Psalm 119, David's heart began to become quite apparent to me.  He was not concerned with a list of lessons he would have amassed in "living" life.  He was asking God directly for lessons that would help him "live" life.  Sometimes I think we approach things the first way - making mental note of what we learned FROM the moments we just finished living rather than making heart note of what lessons God wants for us IN those moments.

I am a planner - goes without saying for those of you that know me - so I value the "notes" and "plans".  I think David was kind of that way, too.  He was organized in his thoughts, skilled in the direction of his troops, and a great "commander" of his armies.  You don't get people to follow you if you are haphazard about everything in life!  Yet, David is asking God (Jehovah) for some "plans".  Anytime your Bible puts GOD in all capital letters, the translation of the name being used is Jehovah.  When David is asking to be taught lessons for living, he goes directly to the "unchangeable one" - Jehovah.

He looks to the one who is unchangeable in his promises, reliable in his expectations, and consistent in his justice.  The "list" he hopes to hear God give him is first and foremost consistent!  It doesn't change tomorrow.  The standards that God sets for living are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  David knows he can stand on them - counting on God's consistent justice to evaluate his progress in life by those standards he established for living life.

When we are more focused on making the MENTAL notes of what we learned from living life, rather than getting the HEART notes of what lessons God wants for us to glean in living life, we get things backwards.  David's purpose in asking for God's "list" up-front is  that he might live IN the insight God gives him.  INSIGHT is much better than HINDSIGHT!  Insight is the ability to see (to discern) the true character of what life is dealing you - then making the right decisions based on what you know.

The goal of having such knowledge:  Obedience!  Life is complex - there are really no "easy days".  If we seem to be sailing through life, we are probably just oblivious to the dangers all around us!  I have traveled through some pretty rough storms - snow flying so wet that you could barely clear the windshield, or dust rolling through so thick you could not see your hand in front of your face.  In those times, I relied on those things that I was taught beforehand about driving in those conditions.  It was in the lessons learned BEFORE the conditions arose that I was able to traverse THROUGH the conditions.

That is really what obedience is all about - learning the lessons before we have to put them into practice!  We get INSIGHT by allowing that "sight" to be built deep within us through times of taking "in" God's Word, allowing it to affect our "planning" for life.  When we face the "conditions" of life, we are better prepared for how to respond TO those conditions - obedience is the result.  

One of Mom's favorite expressions is, "Listen to me!"  It wasn't spoken often, but when it was, I knew that she was telling me something that would actually serve me well later in life.  God gives us teachable moments much in the same way - times when he specifically says, "Listen to me!"  In those moments, we need to have the heart response of gaining the insight he so longs for us to have.  It will be that insight that gives us the foresight to miss the bumps and obstacles that our poor planning put in our paths.  Yep, we learn from our mistakes, but wouldn't it be wonderful to learn how to avoid them BEFORE they have an opportunity to be made?

When God inscribes his lessons for life on our hearts, our ability to LIVE life well is much better than any "mental notes" we might make along the way!  Let your response will be, "Inscribe on, God!"  

Won't you be my neighbor?

"I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.  The Fear-of-God means hating Evil, whose ways I hate with a passion—pride and arrogance and crooked talk.  Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out."

(Proverbs 8:11-14 The Message)

When I went through Bible School, my professor taught us that "Wisdom" in the Proverbs is really a reference to a person - not just something to be gained.  I had never really considered that before, but I came to realize that he was right.  You see, Wisdom is really referring to Jesus.  The more of Jesus I have replicated in my life, the more wisdom I begin to possess.  From that perspective, I'd like to "unpack" these verses a little.  Wisdom (Christ) produces certain other "characteristic traits" within us - sanity, knowledge, discretion, insight, and virtue are but a few of these traits.  Whenever anyone tells me that they want more Wisdom in their lives, I rejoice because I know they really mean that they want more of Christ's character to be reproduced in them!

Wisdom's "neighbor" is Sanity.  To really understand this, we need to understand what "wisdom" really represents as a character trait.  It is the ability to know what is right and wrong - but most importantly, it is the ability to take the right action based on that judgment of right and wrong.  Another term for this is insight or discernment.  Sanity is the soundness of mind that leads to the soundness of judgment that we exercise when we are living by wise choices.  So, now it makes sense how "Sanity" is the neighbor of "Wisdom".  

According to our writer, Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street from Wisdom and Sanity.  Knowledge is more than just an awareness of the facts that we get from examining something closely.  When we think of knowledge in the spiritual sense, we are referring to the ability to comprehend or discern a matter, the intention of heart, etc.  Knowledge has a neighbor - Discretion.  We all have a free will - we can choose to act as we please, or be influenced by the neighbors we keep!  When the ability to comprehend or discern is cultivated from a spiritual perspective (seeing things as God sees them), it makes sense that we will choose to act with a good judgment.  That is what we call discretion.  

There is a neighbor on the block that is pointed out as not "belonging" in the neighborhood.  That neighbor is "Evil".  Do you know how we serve the "eviction notice" on Evil?  It is by developing a good relationship with the other "neighbors" on the block (Wisdom, Sanity, Knowledge, and Discretion).  The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom.  Evil has some children in its house - Pride, Arrogance and Crooked Talk.  We have to make a conscious decision to not allow those "children" to influence our lives.

Wisdom has some children, too.  They are "Insight" and "Virtue".  Insight is a rather "gifted" child.  Insight has the ability to apprehend the "true" nature of a matter and to make decisions based on that comprehension.  Virtue has a strong "moral" character - exhibiting the uprightness of character that God desires to see in each one of his children.  I think these are the "kids" I want to have hanging out at my house, influencing my life!

Just wanted to invite you to evaluate who your "neighbors" are today.  If you find that you are in the neighborhood of Evil, being influenced by Pride, Arrogance, and Crooked Talk, it might be time to move!  We truly are influenced by the company we keep.  Wisdom cries out, "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Outed by Insight

²¹ A wise person gets known for insight;
   gracious words add to one's reputation.

(Proverbs 16:21)

It is no secret to some that I frequent the social networking crowd better known as Facebook.  I like to play the games, find joy in reading about what is going on in the lives of my friends, and laugh occasionally at a well-posted joke.  I also find that there are nougats of truth that people sometimes share that make me pause for a moment to consider those words that have been posted.  They evoke thought, but sometimes they also evoke emotion.  We would call this "insight" - the ability to connect with a truth in such a way that in sharing it, that insight impacts the lives of others.

Insight is really the ability to apprehend the TRUE nature of a matter and it is almost always because the individual has what we'd term an "intuitive understanding" of the subject.  They may not have even had to "study hard" to really "get" what it is that they are sharing - there just seems to be a "connection" with the object of their understanding.  I know that I often prayed for ANY form of insight in my calculus class!  That was just one of those math classes where you had to either "get it" or you just simply did not!

Life is kind of like that sometimes.  In some moments you simply "get it", while at other times there is almost a constant struggle to find any meaning, making the idea of "connecting the dots" just plain incomprehensible.  Insight is the ability to "penetrate the surface" - being able to see the true character or the hidden truth.  People who have insight sometimes make others uncomfortable - because they think that individual is able to "read them like a book"!   

The ability to discern truth - ferreting out the insignificant from the facts - is sometimes frightening for someone who is constantly trying to hide behind the falsehood of a well-kept facade!  Yet, in moments of despair, where does that one who is hiding behind that well-kept facade often turn?  You got it!  To the one who has insight.  Why is that?  It stems from understanding the second part of the verse - because they are known for their gracious words.  The person of insight can bring "truth" to the surface, but does it in such a way that there is "grace" in the truth.

That is probably why we are drawn to these individuals and to their words so often - because they are filled with grace!  Grace is simply unmerited favor - being able to connect truth in such a way that even when "blame" might be called for, grace is extended.  Surround yourself with these type of individuals and you will learn much.