Friday, April 08, 2011

Raising the Standards- Proverbs 8- Day 8

I never will forget being given a hard time by my boss when I was a student intern at Briarwood Presbyterian church in the early 80's. He had worked with a few 'boys' out of my high school and he liked to goad us a little about 'being from Banks'- playfully insinuating that we were just some rag tag, blue collar, red necks.

He teased me about my wrinkled pants- "You came to work today in your pajamas?"
He laughed about where some of us lived - "You can take the boy out of East Lake but you can't take East Lake out of the boy."
He'd get tickled at our inability to pronounce things and our ignorance of 'culture'.

You have to believe me that: A) This was all in good fun and B) He was training us how to walk with kings and peasants without losing dignity ( He was just an old reformed Berry redneck himself).

But I never will forget when he had kind of set-up for me to take a former Miss Auburn out to dinner. It was  nothing romantic, and I don't remember how it all worked out- but I was supposed to pick her up, take her to dinner, and take her home. You have to also know that I was living with some of the guys I was working with- so they were sort of spying on me, ready to report all the mess ups- this was Banks taking out a high society lady with Mountain Brook pedigree (I don't know if she went to Mountain Brook, but people in B'ham would get the analogy).

I knew what I was getting into- but I dressed up in my best ironed clothes, put on a starched shirt- picked her up- opened the car door, had a nice dinner, took her home, prayed with her, and said 'good night'.

The next day at work, my boss knew all the details- 'Jaybird, that is just amazing what a woman will do to raise a boy's standards!"

Years later, John Croyle, used similar language when he met my wife- 'Jay, looks you done out kicked your coverage' (football lingo- all the former players got it).

The point of this story is the thrust of Proverbs 8. We have had close and detailed descriptions of the prostitute who leads to death and destruction steadily throughout the first 7 chapters. He have seen her, heard from her lips, observed her tactics, and noticed the twistedness, deceit, and perversion that is a part of her ways. Here, she is not mentioned at all.

Instead, this beautiful chapter fully shows the sweet lady, Wisdom, in all her splendor. This chapter moves me to tears when I see how pure and elegant Wisdom is portrayed here. She steps on the stage and the pollution of sin is melted away. This chapter contains not even a hint of anything impure.

She calls out to us.
She wants us to learn from her: prudence, common sense, and nobility.
She wants NO PART of wickedness- she only utters TRUTH.
ALL the words of her mouth are righteous.
Her teaching is better than silver.
Peace and prosperity is her heritage- ENDURING WEALTH.
The fruit of the relationship is better than gold.
She is with the Lord- He is her possession- She is HIS delight.
If you find her: you find life- the Lord's favor.

Why would you not want to possess such a woman? This is another woman you could have in your life that even your wife would approve!

Don't you see now why to miss out on this beautiful woman brings such agony?

"He who fails to find me INJURES himself and all who HATE me LOVE death".

This beautiful and tender lady: Queen Wisdom- calls out to you today.

The first step in acquiring her is to be born again in Christ- the Spirit of God in a man sees and hears wisdom's call.

No comments: