Proverbs 8:34–36: “Blessed is the man who listens to me, / Watching daily at my gates, / Waiting at the posts of my doors. / For whoever finds me finds life, / And obtains favor from the LORD; / But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; / All those who hate me love death.”

June 12th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Blessed (happy) is the person who obeys wisdom’s instructions, because obedience always leads to life and disobedience always, ultimately, leads to death.

There have been multiple cases of mass suicides of pilot whales on the east coast. There have been reports of as many as 100 whales at a time throwing themselves onto dry ground, a strange self-destructive behavior that continues to baffle marine biologists. When these huge mammals beach themselves, they usually do it in a follow-the-leader fashion. Many attempts have been mounted to try and turn them back to the ocean, all with limited success. But even when pushed, pulled, and forced back into deeper water, many repeat their death surge, lunging back onto dry ground. In a way, human beings mimic these whale behaviors.

Our sinful choices lead to very self-destruct behaviors. Our Heavenly Father has given us a sea of wisdom to live and thrive in. However we often act in an illogical manner, seemingly obsessed with a desire to break out of the safe ocean of wisdom He has created for us. Instead of remaining in submission to God, we throw ourselves onto the dry ground of disobedience. Sound stupid? Every time we sin that is what we are doing. The wisdom of God is found in Jesus Christ, who is the source of joyous, age-abiding life. Anyone hating wisdom is acting as if they love death. God confronts us, just as Joshua confronted Israel, with the demand: “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Josh. 24:15).

“LORD, we choose life. Help us to stay safely in Your pools of wisdom this day.”