Scripture Notes: Reality Check (Proverbs 1)

The first chapter of the Book of Proverbs gives us a sharp reality check. The author, traditionally King Solomon, tells us exactly what we need if we are going to truly flourish in this world and, more importantly, find favor with God and live within His will. 

The first thing Solomon does is invite us to get our priorities right. We need “wisdom and instruction” that lead us to “righteousness, justice, and equity” (Prov 1:2-3). We must learn prudence, knowledge, and discretion (Prov 1:4). We have to listen and discover how to work out difficult ideas and sayings using our reason (Prov 1:5-6). And how do we start? Solomon tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov 1:7). We start with God. We pray to Him; we worship Him; we revere Him; we listen to His word; we humbly hear the wise people God places in our lives to instruct us. We submit to God, knowing full well that God is God, and we are not. That is the beginning of wisdom. 

Solomon does not stop there. He continues with a warning, urging us not to consent to the enticement of sin. He presents a vivid picture of what that temptation looks like and how sin appeals to our desire for wealth and recognition and belonging. But in the end, it only brings us misery. It catches us in a trap. So, as hard as it is, we must say no. We must not be fools who refuse to listen and scorn wisdom and good advice. We must not hate knowledge and turn our backs on the fear of the Lord. If we do, we will get exactly what we deserve: we will eat the fruit we have planted. 

We all need this reality check at times. We all get caught up in our own ideas and our own ways, and we try to make reality conform to ourselves rather than the other way around. But conforming ourselves to reality is wisdom, especially when we realize that God is our highest and best Reality.

Scripture Notes: Set Apart (Galatians 1)

As St. Paul opens his Letter to the Galatians, he establishes his authority as an apostle. There is a major problem in the Galatian Church (some so-called evangelists are trying to draw Gentile Christians away from the Gospel and into a doctrine of their own devising), and Paul needs to make the truth very clear. He has been sent by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the actual Gospel, the reality of Christian faith and life.

Paul recalls how he once persecuted the infant Christian Church. As a zealous Jew, he thought he was doing the right thing, trying to stamp out this new movement that seemed to him to be so horribly off course. But then Paul met Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus, and everything changed. Paul explains that “He Who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me” (Galatians 1:15-16). Paul realizes that God has chosen Him, has set him apart for a particular mission. And Paul accepts. He throws himself into the life Jesus has given him. He becomes as zealous for Christianity as he was against it, perhaps even more, for now he knows the truth. 

Paul did not chase after Jesus. In fact, he persecuted Jesus as he persecuted the Church. Jesus chased after Paul. And He caught him. For Paul has been set apart for God. He has free will, of course, to accept or reject, but he chooses his mission. He says yes and receives the Gospel to spread to the world. Paul knows exactly how blessed he is to be set apart.

Scripture Notes: Ups and Downs (Psalm 30)

Psalm 30 is a song of ups and downs. The psalmist, likely King David himself, speaks of his confidence in prosperity. Nothing can move him, he thinks. He has God’s favor and is, therefore like a “strong mountain,” firm and stable. But then comes the crash. God seems to hide His face, and David is “dismayed.” His enemies close in around him, and he feels like he is about ready to go down to the netherworld, mourning and grieving and weeping.

But David does not fall into despair. He does not give up on God. Instead, he prays. He reaches out to God in his pain and bewilderment, crying for help. He is not afraid to ask God, “what profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit?” He cannot praise God there, he believes. So he begs God to hear him and be gracious to him, to be his helper, to raise him up from the depths. It is a heartfelt prayer of trust in God’s love and mercy. 

And God responds. He raises David up, turning his “mourning into dancing” and wrapping him in gladness. God saves David from his enemies and dries his tears, comforting him and restoring him. David, in turn, breaks out in praise to God. “I will extol thee, O Lord,” he proclaims. His soul reaches out in praise and thanksgiving forever, and he encourages others to join him in this grateful worship. 

For David has a new perspective thanks to his ups and downs. God’s anger, he explains, “is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” There are ups and downs in life. There always will be. There are times of suffering and pain, but these are designed to lead us to God, to imitate David in crying out to Him in prayer, and to allow Him to raise us up as He chooses, trusting in His love. And the love of God always triumphs in the end.

Scripture Notes: God’s Voice (Job 38)

Job says a lot in the book called by his name, and we cannot really blame him. He is suffering horribly. His whole life has turned upside down and inside out, and his friends, who are supposed to comfort him, end up scolding and mocking him instead. He is miserable, and he tells God all about it. 

This in itself is not bad. God can handle our questions and our complaints. He can handle our fears and our doubts. But Job does go a bit too far at times, especially when he questions God’s justice. Job wants to take his case straight to God, and he is absolutely certain that he is right and God is wrong. He wants a chance to prove it.  

In the end, Job does get his opportunity to stand before God when God speaks to him from a whirlwind. God does not give Job the answers he wants, at least not directly. Rather, He peppers him with questions. Hey, Job, do you know how the universe works? Were you there when I created it? Can you control it and order it and make it work? No? 

Job cannot answer any of God’s questions, and he quickly realizes that God is God, and he is not. And that is his answer. God sees the big picture. He understand the whole of creation in a glance. He puts all the pieces in place and holds the whole thing together. He knows the reasons why He does certain things and allows other things to happen. And because God is perfectly good, everything he does and allows is ultimately for our good. We just cannot see it or know because we are not God. That is the whole point. We have to trust God to know and do and allow what is exactly best for us because He does.