Message Jim Koan, Superintendent

Proverbs 1:1-7
These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David's son, Israel's king—
Written down so we'll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it's going;
A manual for living, for learning what's right and just and fair; To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There's something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

This month I’ve made the book of Proverbs my focus in my morning studies. I think I was motivated by a strong sense of inadequacy in the “wisdom and understanding” department.

Maybe my motivation comes from the season of economic hurdles the community of PCUS (and indeed our entire country) is facing right now.

Maybe it is the season of change the Koan household is going through – one senior in college with a serious boyfriend (“Do I hear wedding bells?”), a second child entering college and jousting with ‘adult-hood’, a third child who will soon enter adolescence, and now an international student living under our roof as our “fourth child.”

Maybe it is just finally coming to grips with how small my understanding really is when held up to the mind of God.

So, I went to Proverbs. And right off the bat in chapter 1 God had some messages for me. First of all, His wisdom is written down for us so we can “know wisdom and instruction…to perceive the words of understanding” (vs 2 KJV). God’s wisdom is not formatted in such a way as to be inaccessible; it’s grand and all encompassing, yes, but it is written down. God intends for us to read it and to ‘get it’ – to “understand what life means and where it's going” (vs.2 The Message). Having meditated on this truth I feel much surer God will give me the wisdom I need for the seasons we go through.

Second, I take from Proverbs 1 that I am never too old to learn from God – at any age I am in the prime of my ‘learning years.’ This seems self-evident at first blush, but I realize I’ve fooled myself into believing I should already have all the answers because I’ve lived nearly 48 years on this earth, been a Christian for 43 of those years, been a dad for 21 years and a Christian school administrator for 20 years. Verse 5 of Proverbs 1 points out that the wise man of God will hear God’s wisdom and increase in his learning and a ‘man of understanding’ will acquire wise counsel. So, no matter how learned I may be, or think I am, God intends me to stay in His Word and grow in His wisdom.

I look forward to growing in wisdom of God by growing in my fear and reverence for Him (vs. 7) and particularly growing more in love with His children who are of the community of PCUS.

Maybe there are passages from God’s Word, nuggets of truth as it were, which you would like to share which will enrich us all. Please feel free to share those in the Comment section below.