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We have reached the end of the year. Over the past 52 weeks, we have walked through the Wisdom Literature of the Bible. We have witnessed the vast array of human emotion. The heights of joy and the depths of despair. We have walked with Job in his desire to understand life and his relationship with God. We have heard the teaching of Solomon and learned what it means to fear the Lord. We have peeked into the heart and mind of David as he led Israel, struggled with sin, gloried in victory, lived repentantly, and praised God. There is so much that we have seen in the Wisdom Literature this year. So much to embed in our hearts. I hope you have enjoyed the reading. I pray that God has made a deep impression on your heart. I hope you have seen the faithfulness of God as He walks with us in every stage and every moment of our lives. Embedding the Bible helps us to see God in every moment. It helps us follow where Jesus leads. Thanks for making the journey this year.

I believe that the Song of Solomon is the story of two people in love. It speaks of the emotional, physical, and spiritual impact that love can make in the lives of two people in a committed, marital relationship. But there are others who believe differently. There are those who believe that the Song of Solomon is an allegory. A story about God’s love for His people, or Jesus’ love for the church. I like the thought in some ways. I believe it is important to understand that God wants a relationship that is close to His people. He calls for our complete surrender. He pursues us in love. He desires what is best for us. Jesus has given Himself for the church and to His people. Jesus leads us through life and guides our steps, shapes our thoughts, and encourages our actions. There is supposed to be an intimacy in our relationship with God. The Song of Solomon is about intimacy. It is about pouring yourself out for someone else. It is about being transparent. It is about learning to love. God loves His people. Jesus loves His church. We learn to love because we are loved.

Just mention the Song of Solomon and it seems like people start to giggle. The book deals with love. It can be almost “sappy” in its romantic language. In reality, the Song of Solomon is a love poem, or possibly a collection of love poems, about love. It is all that you think of it. It contains language that modern day readers find strange. “Your hair is like a flock of goats.” (4:1) or “Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon.” (7:4). Today, nobody would want to say about their true love. But read through the book and you will find that the images and language form a beautiful picture of a man and woman who are in love. Their love is spoken, lived, and felt. They express themselves freely to each other and there is a breath-taking longing in their desire for one another. It is a beautiful picture of how God created us to live in a married relationship. It is an ideal of which we can be a part. Read carefully and watch for how these two interact, and how the community around them encourages their love.

There is an old Native American story about a grandfather and his grandson. There once was an old Cherokee who one evening told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

I think of this story as I read through Ecclesiastes. The writer struggles with how he will live and what his life means. We all struggle. The old Cherokee has it right. We need to be aware of what we feed in ourselves. Are we feasting on a steady diet of the presence of God or are we relying on the world to feed us? Ecclesiastes shows us what it looks like to live on a steady diet of the world’s standards. Vanity. But God freely offers Himself so that we may experience a life worth living.

By now you are familiar with the phrase “beneath the sun” (or “under the sun”). The writer of Ecclesiastes uses the phrase to describe the life we live here on earth. It is a description of how we live within a physical framework. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 gives a sweeping description of all the things we deal with in our mortal lives. In Ecclesiastes 3:11, the writer introduces some meaning into our lives. He talks about “eternity in their hearts.” Man must live in the physical world, but we are spiritual beings. People who long for eternity. While we live in this world, we seek something more, a relationship with God. God has intended for us to live spiritually healthy lives. That can only happen if we live our lives in tandem with God. We find meaning in our work, in our relationships, in our mornings, noons, and nights, when we can see God in those moments. God has created us with a longing to walk with Him. We can only be complete when we surrender ourselves to His will. When we accept His invitation to be a part of His family and His story. Where do you see God moving in your days? God is inviting you to walk with Him. How will you surrender?

As we begin the Book of Ecclesiastes this week, it is important to understand how to best read the book. Ecclesiastes is a book of reflection. The writer of the book identifies himself as the “Preacher.” Someone with a message to proclaim. Ecclesiastes 1:1 identifies the writer as the “son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Solomon begins this writing by telling us that he has something to share with us, a message to proclaim. As the book progresses, we see that Solomon is sharing his thoughts on how he has lived and spent his time on this earth. He is seeking meaning to life. In his past, he sought meaning in a variety of things that the world has to offer. Things like work, pleasure, and wealth. But each time he has given himself over to the world, he has discovered that there is no meaning in life. All is “vanity.” He shares his struggle and encourages the reader to reach a conclusion. Meaning is found in the fear of the Lord. It is only in God that our lives can have meaningful fulfillment. As you read this book, hear the words of Solomon as a conversation. Sit with him as he shares his experience. Hear his invitation to walk closely to God and away from the world.

We reach the end of the Proverbs this week. The last picture that the collector of the proverb provides us is the picture of the virtuous woman. She is a jewel among stones. She works hard and takes care of her family. She plans for the future while taking care of today. She watches over her loved ones and invests herself in the lives of those around her. She leaves a legacy of love and faith. Proverbs 31:30 points us to the heart of the virtuous woman. She “fears the Lord.” The lesson is important for all of us, men and women alike. A virtuous life, a life of faith and praise, begins with a relationship with God. As we seek to know God, we discover that He walks close to us and guides our thoughts and our steps. Our lives are transformed by His hands. The heart of wisdom always begins by having a relationship with God. Embedding the Bible on our hearts helps us see God more clearly. It helps us nurture that relationship and allows us to see the fruit of transformation. As you read this week, look carefully for how God is working in your life.

Proverbs 25:1 introduces another section in the Book of Proverbs. This time it is a group of Solomon’s proverbs which are collected by King Hezekiah, running from Proverbs 25:1 to Proverbs 29:27. I think that Proverbs 25:11 best sums up what to expect as you read through these proverbs. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Each proverb is practical description of how to live wisely. Wisdom has been described as the appropriate application of knowledge. In other words, wisdom is the ability to live out what we know. The proverbs in this section tend to paint pictures for us. Pictures of what self-control might look like. Pictures of mourning. Pictures of prudence and faithfulness. Each picture is designed to stick with us and offer guidance on how we talk, how we act, how we respond to others, and how we think. Like all wisdom literature, these proverbs seek to embed themselves in our hearts, minds, and hands. Pictures stay with us. They help us remember what we know and how we live. These proverbs are words “fitly spoken.” They are like a treasure of gold and silver, offering us something tangible to embed on our hearts and live out in our lives. Enjoy the pictures as you read the words.

Proverbs 22:17-24:22 are a collection of proverbs usually titled, “Words of the Wise.” They cover a variety of situations. Everything from boundary rights, to eating etiquette, disciplining children, and how to best learn from a teacher. The introductory paragraph, found in Proverbs 22:17-21, give us a glimpse of how the collector of these proverbs intends for us to embed them in our lives. He begins with an admonition to listen closely. To let the words and the meanings of these sayings soak deeply into our hearts and into our thinking. When they rest in our hearts, they begin to shape our character. We learn to recognize what is right and true. From there, the wisdom of these proverbs flows out of our mouths and off our lips. Our character, shaped by the wisdom of God, flows into our speech and our actions. We live out the righteousness that God wants us to discover in His word. It is a good way to approach any kind of Bible study. Let the words of God rest in your heart and in your mind. Let them shape how you think and how you feel. Then live out the principles and truths that God embeds in your heart.

On the day our son was born, we started making plans. Truth be told, we started making plans before his birth. Plans for his room, his clothes, his college, his television habits, you name it, we planned it. As he has grown, our plans have changed. But our purpose has remained the same. We want our son to look like Jesus. So we work deliberately to help him understand what that means and how to live that out. Everything else has to bow to purpose. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” I have found this to be so true. If I am going to live the life that God wants me to live, if I am going to look like Jesus in the way that God is calling me to live my life, purpose has to come first. The first question before I watch television, the first question before I read a book, the first question before I respond in a conversation must be, “What will best look like Jesus?” Only when I let the purpose of God rule can I be who and what God wants me to be. I can plan ahead, but every plan must follow God’s purpose.