May 2015 – Page 19 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

“If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of- God , insight into life from knowing a Holy God. It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you.”

Proverbs 9:10 MSG – A verse of the day from the Bible presented in Eugene Peterson’s contemporary version called The Message. Accompanied by a personal reflection below.

Feel like getting some pointers from Lady Wisdom? Well, here she is telling you that if you particularly care for getting slapped, scoffed, ridiculed, kicked in the shins, and generally being abused, well then, go ahead and begin to reason with an “arrogant cynic.” I guess it takes time to figure out if the person truly is one — an arrogant cynic, that is — or is just having a bad day. Regardless, if you engage with someone like that, I suppose you ought to do so at your own peril. But perhaps there is a lesson even in that — even in getting abused — at least you’ve become more aware and enlightened at the sheer idiocy of it all, and have experienced the heartache that may have resulted from it. You’ll certainly learn more about yourself than you would about the other person, although you’ll learn plenty about that person as well, of course. And perhaps one of the bigger lessons would be to avoid such a person in future, and to practice caution to an extreme. These are all valuable life lessons, and perhaps Lady Wisdom might concur that from such a process itself, she will become more dear to you in endowing you with her essence. May it be that each day makes you a little wiser!

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

May 4, Revelations 4:8

“The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break: Holy, holy, holy Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong, The Was, The Is, The Coming.”

Revelations 4:8 MSG – A verse of the day from the Bible presented in Eugene Peterson’s contemporary version called The Message. Accompanied by a personal reflection below.

I’ve always been quite fascinated with the imagery of this scene: the fantastical winged-creatures covered with eyes, chanting praises night and day, “never taking a break”! How completely other-wordly is that?! The eyes, the eyes! It almost makes me uncomfortable even as it fascinates me altogether. But that is the beauty of it all, don’t you see? It is the very height of awkwardness that by virtue of constancy takes on an aura of mere normalcy. Why wouldn’t those creatures praise God? Whilst in the presence of God, what could be more interesting to do? Despite all the eyes on their person that would afford them the ability to look anywhere and everywhere, they have their sight set only upon the Almighty — the giver of all life and the all-present and ever-present one, and to gaze upon Him is the ultimate vision altogether. Nothing compares! Nothing at all.