Bible Pages
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When world events are swirling as they are these days, it is hard to know what to write about, especially when the words won’t be published for several weeks. It can be out of date in a heartbeat, rendered irrelevant through events brought on by an ill advised word or rash decision of someone who does not count the true cost. Bill Keane had it right when he said: “Yesterday is past, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God., which is why we call it the present.”
My devotional reading has taken me recently into the Proverbs, that Book of Wisdom which has something for almost every season and every station in life. By definition a proverb is “... a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought.” From the Biblical point of view, and observing that “Every human needs wisdom for living, and every healthy society hands its wisdom on to the next generation” The New Interpreter’s Bible describes Proverbs as “... a literary anthology of Israel’s traditional wisdom, gathered from diverse spheres of life.” and asserts that, “The book’s purpose is to help people become wise and godly.”
Some of the sayings that grabbed my attention this time were: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” [22:1] “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” [15:1] “The wicked earn no real gain, but those who sow righteousness get a true reward.” [11:28] “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” [9:10] There is much to ponder here in these brief verses.
There are proverbs from other traditions too. One of my favorites is a 4th-5th century CE Sanskrit Proverb, attributed to the poet Kalidasa, entitled "Look to this Day."
Look to this day, for it is life,The very life of life.In its brief course lie allThe realities and verities of existence,The bliss of growth, the splendor of action, the glory of power -For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision.But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happinessAnd every tomorrow a vision of hope.Look well, therefore, to this day.
As a person of faith, one of the things I like about this particular proverb is that it redeems a day from being routine. A day is “the very life of life.” Nice! That offers a perspective that can help a person from being overwhelmed by what comes at them in some days, because it reminds the faithful person that each day is a gift from God. It offers a realistic view of life which overcomes regret over the past or worry about the future. It concentrates a person's attention to the very fullness of life found in each day, which makes our response something over which we have some measure of control - all this while wisely connecting us with our past and our future.
Spend some time with the proverbs. Find the ones that speak to you and learn their wisdom. And let me commend this Sanskrit proverb to you, recognizing that, no matter what happens on any particular day, each day is an offering to us from God. If you read it attentively, with Christ as your companion, I can assure you that your perspective of life will be transformed, and that you can find a fuller measure of hope, joy and peace.
The Rev. F. Richard Garland is a retired clergy member of the New England Annual Conference. This post is republished with the author's permission from his Facebook page.