Read Proverbs 8:32-36.
While we may think of wisdom as a quality like cleverness or intelligence, the figure of Wisdom we encounter in Proverbs is portrayed as divine. In the New Testament, Paul even refers to Jesus as wisdom, writing that Christ “became for us wisdom from God” (1 Cor 1:30). In today’s passage, Wisdom invites people to open themselves to her, saying: “Happy are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorposts” (8:34). What does it mean to watch daily for God’s wisdom? How do we wait at her doorpost?
Unfortunately, the concept of watching and waiting can feel difficult in our current society. When was the last time you actually paused and waited for something? Whenever I find myself waiting at a grocery store or bus stop, I am quick to pull out my phone to respond to a text or read the headlines. I am not waiting so much as I am distracting myself. But this text challenges us to wait as a preferred action, not reaction, and receive wisdom in the wake of Christ’s birth. Wisdom tells us,“Those who find me find life; they gain favor from the Lord!” (8:35). As we seek God’s wisdom in this season, let us watch and wait for the wisdom that leads to life in Christ.
Pray
Holy God, in this season of Christmas, teach us how to wait. Help us to put down our devices and to give our full attention to the miracle of the incarnate Christ in our midst. Instruct us in your wisdom, that we may walk in your ways forever. Amen.
Sarah Rutherford
Alum, United Campus Ministry in Aggieland (College Station, TX)
Words for Waiting 