Reading 52 | The Bible in 100 Passages

Tuesday, November 4, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Proverbs 2:1–15

My child, if you accept my words
and treasure up my commandments within you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
if you indeed cry out for insight,
and raise your voice for understanding;
if you seek it like silver,
and search for it as for hidden treasures—
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,
guarding the paths of justice
and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
prudence will watch over you;
and understanding will guard you.
It will save you from the way of evil,
from those who speak perversely,
who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil;
those whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways. (NRSV)

Reflection

When you saw this devotion sitting in your inbox, you might have been excited, or you might’ve sighed about having one more bit of information thrown at you. Your inbox is already full and will grow more so through the day. And then there will be text messages and news items and articles and opinion pieces. In this age of information, we are drowning. Sorting the essential from the trivial is vital to the health of our minds and souls.

But having the important things at hand makes it easier, both sorting out new information and deciding a course of action.

In this passage, Solomon is advising his listeners to put God’s word first, to seek it out like shining treasure in the world. With the wisdom God’s word brings, our paths become illuminated, our tasks become clearer, and our pleasure in following God’s word becomes unshakeable. We can separate the spam, so to speak, from what’s important, filter the signal from the noise. We must “make our ears attentive to wisdom” — that is, we must do the work of discernment and listening — but it’s a system that will not fail.

Prayer

Our Creator, font of wisdom, open my ears to hear, and strengthen my heart to follow, your words. Your guidance and Christ’s love are all I need. Amen. 

Written by Jim Garner, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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