Words of Wisdom

Words of wisdom.  The Book of Proverbs is a book full of wisdom statements.  There were a couple that stood out to me today.  For example, “Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s emotions, thank capturing a city” (Proverbs 16:32).  Do we look at patience as being that important or valued?  One works, studies, and strives for power, but patience is described as better than power.   The next one is somewhat combined with another.  We read, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).  This does not just speak of happiness during happy occasions, but one can have a joyful heart even in the most challenging of circumstances.  This evening’s message was on learning to rest and trust in God in all seasons of life because God is in them all, not just the enjoyable ones.  And, there is much to learn in each season.  The Apostle Paul described it as learning to be content in whatsoever state he was in (Philippians 4:11-13).  I’m still learning this one, but to walk through each season with joy is possible when we know God is in that season.  The other prover that seemed to relate was, “A person’s spirit can endure sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?” (Proverbs 18:14).  May we continue to recognize God’s presence and grace in the most difficult times.