MAY 28, 2015
I’m Stumped
I am
afraid that . . . your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and
pure devotion to Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3 niv
Read:
Proverbs
30:1-4
The riddle stumped me:
What is greater than God—and more evil than the devil? The poor have it. The rich
need it. And if you eat it you will die.
I missed the solution by allowing my mind to be distracted from
the obvious answer: “Nothing.”
That riddle reminds me of another test of wits that would have
been far more difficult to solve when it was originally posed. An ancient wise
man named Agur asked: “Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has
gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has
established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s
name, if you know?” (Prov. 30:4).
Today, we know the answer to those questions. But sometimes when
we’re in the middle of the questions, worries, and needs of our lives we may
lose sight of the obvious. The details of life can so easily distract us from the
One who answers the most important riddle: Who is One with God; more powerful
than the devil; the poor can have Him; the rich need Him; and if you eat and
drink from His table, you’ll never die? Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Father, in the details and distractions of our spiritual
journey, it is so easy to look right past You and Your Son. May we see You
today in a new and fresh way.
Focusing on God helps
us to take our eyes off our circumstances.
INSIGHT:
The book of Proverbs contains many pithy sayings that promote a wise approach
to life. Living by them does not guarantee that life will always go smoothly,
but taking their advice will help avoid unnecessary problems. Proverbs 30 is
slightly different in that it is prefaced by a reflection on the wisdom of the
Lord. By introducing the Lord in the beginning of his reflection, Agur
acknowledges that he has not “mastered human wisdom” (v. 3 NLT) and suggests that all wisdom is from the Lord.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
