Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9 contrasts how both Wisdom and Folly call out to the simple. Wisdom, from the highest point int he city call, "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgement (verse4). In verse 16 it says that Folly does likewise calling from the highest point in the city to the simple. But although they sound alike, they are quite different. Wisdom has made preparation of meat and wine, while Folly has only stolen food to offer. This is a good depiction of how wisdom is hidden among many other things that pretend to look like it. Isn't this the way of the devil! But it is differentiated by the preparations. It's as another place in scripture says...you can tell a tree by the fruit it bears. I know that I can usually recognize a well-prepared meal from something "stolen" or at least hastily prepared. So too is wisdom and the ways of the Lord separated from the seemingly similar foolish choices. I think this comes back to having trained my eyes and heart to spot the foolish paths before I get too close to them. Repetition then breeds success. Learning how to differentiate the right path from the wrong one will prepare me for the next time, and the next, where it gets harder and harder to find the difference between the two. I can already recite a short list of a few key places in my life where I've made the wrong decision, but at least in those, I know have a keen understanding of what the foolish path looks like and I know I won't be going back down that way again. I know that I can't quite fathom what this whole marriage relationship will look like with Susan, but I know it will be rough at times and that together we'll be faced with some pretty tough choices as we go. Maybe by keeping my eyes on the Lord and my prayers focused on finding the right decisions while they are still small, that when the tougher relational and family decisions come, they won't feel so tough after all; because I'll be able to see Wisdom and Folly calling out and I can hopefully brush aside the foolish way quickly so that I can get on with the right one.