The Third Week of June

Printable Guide

We Read…

It’s the season of Fathers! For some, this weekend is a time of celebration and family, but for many others, it evokes a wide range of complex emotions. All of our circumstances and the mess we experience in humanity certainly affect how we understand the Lord as our Father and influence how we read Scripture. The Proverbs and Psalms, being largely poetic yet also offering insight into the life of King David, permit us to wrestle. To quote the Psalmist in our passage for today, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” Step into these new moments, relaxed in the presence of the Lord, because He is a Father like no other. Wrestle, doubt, face confusion–but never do it alone. Your story is worth sharing in a season like this.

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 

 Doesn’t Wisdom cry out 

and Understanding shout? 

2 Atop the heights along the path, 

at the crossroads she takes her stand. 

3 By the gate before the city, 

at the entrances she shouts: 

4 I cry out to you, people; 

my voice goes out to all of humanity. 

Proverbs 8:22–31 

22 The Lord created me 

at the beginning of his way, 

before his deeds long in the past. 

23 I was formed in ancient times, 

at the beginning, before the earth was. 

24 When there were no watery depths, 

I was brought forth, 

when there were no springs 

flowing with water. 

25 Before the mountains were settled, 

before the hills, I was brought forth; 

26 before God made the earth 

and the fields 

or the first of the dry land. 

27 I was there when he established 

the heavens, 

when he marked out the horizon 

on the deep sea, 

28 when he thickened the clouds above, 

when he secured the fountains 

of the deep, 

29 when he set a limit for the sea, 

so the water couldn’t go beyond 

his command, 

when he marked out 

the earth’s foundations. 

30 I was beside him as a master of crafts. 

I was having fun, 

smiling before him all the time, 

31 frolicking with his inhabited earth 

and delighting in the human race. 

Psalm 8 

1 Lord, our Lord, how majestic 

is your name throughout the earth! 

You made your glory 

higher than heaven! 

2 From the mouths of nursing babies 

you have laid a strong foundation 

because of your foes, 

in order to stop vengeful enemies. 

3 When I look up at your skies, 

at what your fingers made— 

the moon and the stars 

that you set firmly in place— 

4 what are human beings 

that you think about them; 

what are human beings 

that you pay attention to them? 

5 You’ve made them only slightly 

less than divine, 

crowning them with glory and grandeur. 

6 You’ve let them rule 

over your handiwork, 

putting everything under their feet— 

7 all sheep and all cattle, 

the wild animals too, 

8 the birds in the sky, 

the fish of the ocean, 

everything that travels 

the pathways of the sea. 

9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic 

is your name throughout the earth! 

Romans 5:1-5 

5 Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with our God through Jesus Christ. 2 We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory. 3 But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 5 This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 

John 16:12-15 

12 “I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you. 

We Think…

There’s a thread running throughout these verses that, while not necessarily seen at face value, powerfully connects them all. Proverbs 8 clearly shows the presence of Lady Wisdom, whom we typically deem the lead voice throughout many Proverbs. Her presence is then woven into Psalm 8, which is a deep expression of God’s love for His Creation. The Lord desires for His Creation to see wisdom rather than thriving in our flesh, which Paul then speaks to in Romans. He writes, “3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Then transitioning to Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John, He clearly states that the Spirit of truth will guide us upon its arrival. 

Do you see the connection? The presence of wisdom, God’s incredible love for all He has made, yes, we will face suffering in a fallen world, but it produces something far holier than we could ever imagine–hope. And even after Christ’s ascension, we have a helper, an advocate, God’s Spirit! 

We Feel…

• What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
  

• Is this a season that appears to be mundane, or is it easy for you to celebrate the things happening in your life?
  

• You may be discouraged, and that’s a holy place to be, because His Spirit dwells within you. You may feel euphoria, and that’s a holy place to be, because His Spirit dwells within you. You might be experiencing the most average days of your life…and guess what? That is a holy place to be, because His Spirit dwells within you.

We Believe…

If you were to read a little further in Paul’s letter to the Romans you’ll hear him say, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We Practice…

So, take all of your feelings of inadequacy, fear, hope, joy, loss, confusion, and take a deep breath. Your experiences are real, but they do not define you. The wisdom of God, the Spirit of the Lord, His incredible grace and love are available to you. Ask for it. Take some time intentionally each day to make space for asking for this wisdom and dwelling in the Spirit. Who knows? Maybe amid the average, you’ll still be convinced of who He is.