“Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.

“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” Luke 6:20-26

{“The China National Tourism Administration has created tips for its citizens when traveling abroad, including:

• Don’t steal life vests from airplanes to give as gifts.
• Don’t leave footprints on the toilet.
• Don’t dry your underwear on lampshades.”}

Why doesn’t life come with a handbook? Why doesn’t someone hand us a pamphlet when we turn 7 and say “If you memorize these tips, your life will be a lot easier”? There are those who believe the bible is such a book. There are others who would tell you the Koran, the Book of Mormon, or the Torah is the book to turn to when seeking advice about life, faith and relationships. Still others would want you to know that they believe the bible is out of touch with the 21^st century and we only need to look to our own minds and wills to determine the best way to make it through life.

I still wish I had a pamphlet, or a handbook – because life is not as simple as some people make it seem. Life is about experience – about failures and successes – about losses and gains – about standing tall, and falling flat on my face. And in all situations I can turn to scripture and find a word of Grace or a word of admonishment from G-d that gives me the courage to keep on, keeping on. Others will turn to the Koran and find the same word of guidance. If the G-d we worship has come down through the ages in the Bible, the Koran, and the Torah, than the words of G-d’s love and Grace are more expansive than we could ever have imagined.    

Pastor Dave

“Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were together; there was no one else with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house. hen this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your servant slept. She laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, I saw that he was dead; but when I looked at him closely in the morning, clearly it was not the son I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living son is mine, and the dead son is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead son is yours, and the living son is mine.” So they argued before the king. Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; while the other says, ‘Not so! Your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” So the king said, “Bring me a sword,” and they brought a sword before the king. The king said, “Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other.” But the woman whose son was alive said to the king—because compassion for her son burned within her—“Please, my lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!” The other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” Then the king responded: “Give the first woman the living boy; do not kill him. She is his mother.” All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice.” 1 Kings 3:16-28

{“It was my friend’s first camping trip with her husband, and they were lost. He tried all the usual tactics to determine direction—moss on the trees (there was none), direction of the sun (it was overcast), and so on. Just as she began to panic, he spotted a cabin in the distance. “This way,” he said as he led her back to their camp.

“How did you do that?” my friend asked. “Simple. In this part of the country, the satellite dishes point south.”}

“He tried all the usual tactics to determine direction…” Have you ever felt like this – like you have spent all of your ideas to try to solve a problem and nothing seems to be right? No one likes to feel lost when they are hiking in the woods, when they are driving in a city, or when they are trying to make their way in life. And, I know when I am in such a predicament, I wish I had a well of wisdom in which I could dip my cup and drink deeply. And the truth is, we all have that well.

Solomon had received wisdom from G-d – and this story included in the devotion is an early demonstration of his wisdom. But as wise as he was, still Solomon made some bad decisions as he moved through life. The wisest of us all will never always be right, and the most challenged will never always be wrong. What matters in life is what we learn from the right and wrong decisions we make. The story of the husband and wife on a camping trip is just such an example. Though lost in the woods, seemingly bereft of “obvious” clues, the most obvious clue has nothing to do with “mountaineering”. Instead the husband uses his skill of observation – something trivial he has observed for many years becomes the most important observation of his life – in that moment.

Sometimes wisdom comes not only out of the mouth of sages, or the mouth of babes, but from the ordinary things of our lives – that is if we are paying attention.

Pastor Dave