Our reading from Job today asks a question and
then, a few verses later, answers it. "Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?…
Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is
understanding" (Job 28:20, 28). That’s about as straight forward as
scripture gets. No parable, no allegory, no prophetic vision, no dreams in need
of interpretation, just a question and an answer. Don’t we wish it was that easy
all the time?
And yet, is this really an “easy” situation? Is
it really “easy” to fear the Lord when the world offers us so many other
options, so many gods and idols clamoring for our attention? And is it really
all that “easy” to turn away from our sinful inclinations? No, these are not
“easy” things to do; they require constant effort on our part and an unwavering
devotion to God’s will. What we do find, however, is a road map, a source of
direction by which to travel so that we know what is expected of us. And we
know that God is engaged in the effort with us, for we have Jesus Christ as Lord
and the gift of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
The question and the answer are there and while
they do not make life simple, they do provide us with a direction to travel, a
guiding star if you will. God has not left us to flounder, God is giving us
what we need.
Prayer: Lord, continue to guide us
and to direct us in our living that we may serve you all the days of our lives
and that we may have peace and reconciliation with our neighbors
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