Receiving the Blessing of Walking Humbly - Your Nightly Scripture - August 6th

Receiving the Blessing of Walking Humbly
Your Nightly Scripture

Evening Scripture

Proverbs 30
The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God, but I can prevail. Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.
 I have not learned wisdom, ,nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
 Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:  Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

“Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

“There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.

“The leech has two daughters.‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.
“This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
“Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress.
“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;  hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
“There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt.
“If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.” 

Evening Reflection

What do you do when you don't know the answer to a question? Do you lie, stumble over your words, or admit that you aren't quite sure and will get back to them? We live in a world that loves confidence, opinions, and having all the "right answers." But spiritually, wisdom comes from humility, not being a "know-it-all." Because those who are willing to become wise are the ones willing to say, "I'm not sure, but God, grant me the knowledge to learn." And that's where tonight's verse comes in.

Proverbs 30:2-3 says, "Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One." Proverbs 30:5 says it this way: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

What we notice in these few verses is that our author doesn't start by bragging about his knowledge, but rather admitting his limitations. Humility isn't hating yourself or pretending to be stupid; it's recognizing God is God and you're not. It's acknowledging that, as smart or wise as we may be, we all still need God's discipline, knowledge, truth, and guidance. Pride can easily sneak into our lives. It sounds like: 

• "I already know this."
• "I'm fine on my own."

But wisdom says,

• "Lord, teach me."
• "I need you."

And even Solomon, one of the wisest men the scriptures knew this. Because a teachable spirit always matters more than appearing intelligent. It's the humble who draw near to God and grow. It's the prideful who close their ears and grow standoffish. Are you humble to the Lord's correction, or have you become resistant to growth? Are you more concerned with looking wise or becoming wise? When was the last time you asked God to teach you? Reflect openly and honestly on these questions with Him now. 

Evening Prayer

Dear God,
Your Word reminds me that I don't need to know everything to grow in wisdom. Today, my heart cries out for you. Teach me to receive wisdom with humility, and to lay down pride, defensiveness, or the need to "have it all together." Give me a teachable heart that listens to your instruction and trusts your Word over my own. Help me walk in your ways.
Amen.

How did tonight’s scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture forum discussion.

Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.
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