Daily Reading: 15 February
(from www.christianaid.org.uk)
Something to shout about
Something to read
My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures— then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
- Proverbs 2:1-5.
Something to think about
As the worn-out dad of a typical three-year-old, Greg Pembroke began compiling a blog and then a book entitled, ‘Reasons my kid is crying’. Alongside photos of a bawling toddler, he writes captions such as ‘The milk was in the wrong cup’, and ‘The slide is not slippery enough’. The scenarios resonated so strongly that parents around the world began to send him their own examples of their young children in meltdown over apparently trivial desires.
Most of us grow out these exaggerated displays of emotions, considering restraint and emotional regulation to be signs of maturity. But the writer of Proverbs encourages his reader – ‘my child’ – to be as exuberant in expressing their desire and longing for wisdom. Crying out and raising our voices might seem an unusual way to go about a grown-up spiritual search for insight and understanding. But perhaps the idea challenges us to be as wholehearted, determined and even public in our quest for God and for wisdom, as a small child is passionate about their desire for absolutely anything.
Something to do
What does seeking wisdom mean for you at the moment; is there an aspect of your faith you’d like to better understand and apply? Time to go public, in whatever way is appropriate for you. Tell the family WhatsApp group or your friends on Facebook what it is you’re seeking, and see what responses you get.
Something to pray
God of wisdom, thank you that you love to share insight and understanding with those who seek you. Help me to be fervent and wholehearted in my desire to hear your voice and learn your ways. Amen.
Today’s contributor is Rev Claire Jones