Friday, December 10, 2021
Joy and Proverbs
Folly
The Book of Proverbs is more than mere adages we repeat in moments of confusion or stress. They are universal metaphors that serve as anchors in a bewildering and sometimes tumultuous world. Many resources are available to understand these maxims and during this second week of Advent we will focus on the surprising power of the proverbs to reveal God’s truth to us. If this week’s exploration of Proverbs calls you to search for more ways to encounter joy, click on the word Joy in the categories cloud in the blog’s right hand sidebar and choose a reflection, or enter the word Joy in the blog search bar. Today we find joy in folly.
During this second week in Advent we continue to share simple verses from Proverbs that bring us joy in surprising ways.
Verse 15:21: Folly is joy to the senseless, but the person of understanding goes the straight way.
God says: False joy is present everywhere and it parades itself as serenity and wisdom. False joy is expressed by those who deny the truth that stands before them, or by those who close eyes and ears to the pleas of the poor and abused. False joy constructs bubble worlds and faerie castles of perfection to protect yourselves from reality. This false joy is folly and it is practiced by those who trust themselves more than they trust me, and by those who put aside prudence. When you find yourselves among fools, place your trust in me and move forward with caution and mercy. Rely on my wisdom rather than your own. Walk in the way my son has shown you. Allow my Spirit to abide in you and respond to her voice. When you clothe yourselves in prudence you not only resist folly . . . you allow your actions to speak in a way that words cannot. And you provide a lesson for the foolish who are ready to be transformed in me.
Use a Bible Concordance and look for Jesus’ words about prudence and folly.
Tomorrow, joy in the Good News!
For more information about anxiety and joy, visit: http://riselikeair.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/anxiety-joy-a-journey/
Image from: http://ilifejourney.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/are-we-wise-or-foolish/
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