"Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom."
Proverbs 23:3-4
These verses are at the end of a little aside about sitting down to dinner with a rich man... don't desire the super-cool and expensive stuff that he has to eat, because it is "deceitful meat." That phrase seemed kind of weird to me, and what it made me think of is liver. When liver is cooking, it smells really good, but then if you eat it, it tastes totally different than it smells. A similar thing happens sometimes when a store freezes nectarines before selling them, in order to keep them "fresh." Typically, it leaches out all of the flavor, so the nectarine looks awesome on the outside, but the flesh when you bite into it has become pretty tasteless. That's my interpretation of "deceitful meat." :)
I think that is the same sort of thing that God is warning us against here. He asks us not to get caught up in what *looks* like what we want, because it isn't really as good as it looks, or smells. :) He needs us to look deeper, and not only that, but not to trust out own wisdom... the wisdom that tells us to work at being rich, because that is what is going to matter. God's wisdom is what matters, and whether it seems like the coolest thing or not... God's way is ALWAYS the best, and it always leads to the most joy and peace.
Today, let's talk to God about where our own wisdom and his wisdom diverge, and then let's work on getting ours more in line with God's, because after all, he's God, and loads wiser than we are. :) He doesn't get fooled by the alluring look or smell or taste of something. He knows whether it is good or bad, no matter the outward properties. Let's learn to trust him over our own judgment, and try to do as he asks, even when something shiny tempts us in another direction.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom."
Proverbs 23:3-4
These verses are at the end of a little aside about sitting down to dinner with a rich man... don't desire the super-cool and expensive stuff that he has to eat, because it is "deceitful meat." That phrase seemed kind of weird to me, and what it made me think of is liver. When liver is cooking, it smells really good, but then if you eat it, it tastes totally different than it smells. A similar thing happens sometimes when a store freezes nectarines before selling them, in order to keep them "fresh." Typically, it leaches out all of the flavor, so the nectarine looks awesome on the outside, but the flesh when you bite into it has become pretty tasteless. That's my interpretation of "deceitful meat." :)
I think that is the same sort of thing that God is warning us against here. He asks us not to get caught up in what *looks* like what we want, because it isn't really as good as it looks, or smells. :) He needs us to look deeper, and not only that, but not to trust out own wisdom... the wisdom that tells us to work at being rich, because that is what is going to matter. God's wisdom is what matters, and whether it seems like the coolest thing or not... God's way is ALWAYS the best, and it always leads to the most joy and peace.
Today, let's talk to God about where our own wisdom and his wisdom diverge, and then let's work on getting ours more in line with God's, because after all, he's God, and loads wiser than we are. :) He doesn't get fooled by the alluring look or smell or taste of something. He knows whether it is good or bad, no matter the outward properties. Let's learn to trust him over our own judgment, and try to do as he asks, even when something shiny tempts us in another direction.
No comments:
Post a Comment