29/3/18 – Numbers 26, Numbers 27:1-11 – Luke 7:36-50 – Proverbs 8:12-21

Luke 7:41-42

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Jesus is anointed by a woman described as sinful. People are shocked that He could love her.

Did you know, that no matter how bad you’ve got, He still loves you? That He’s still ready to forgive you when you come to Him repentant like this woman?

You may not feel worthy – but His love is bigger than your worth.

The worse yo are, Jesus is suggesting here, the greater your love for Him. Now, all sin is bad – there’s no degrees of sin when it comes to missing the mark. All have been saved form the same hell, regardless of the sin committed… but those who have made such a mess of their lives – they know how much they need forgiveness. They don’t treat it lightly. They grab ahold of the grace of God and don’t let go.

Prov 8:12-17

“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

I possess knowledge and discretion.

To fear the Lord is to hate evil;

I hate pride and arrogance,

evil behaviour and perverse speech.

Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

I have insight, I have power.

By me kings reign

and rulers issue decrees that are just;

by me princes govern,

and nobles—all who rule on earth.

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

“I hate pride and arrogance…” “I love those who love me”. Who’s talking here? This isn’t the words of God, or the words of Solomon. No, it’s the metaphorical voice of wisdom.

Wisdom is no friend of the proud. No friend of the arrogant – because they never seek it out, they just assume they have it already.

But if we love wisdom – if we seek Wisdom out, then we will find it.

Wisdom is to fear the Lord and to hate evil. If we live by that – we cannot go wrong. Not hate “the evil” – such as hating people, but hating the existence of evil, hating evil in our world and in our own lives. If we truly allowed ourselves to hate our sin… we’d fall into it a lot less.

Seek Wisdom by seeking a healthy fear of God. That’s how the wise live.