Wisdom 3:1-9  But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.  ² In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster,  ³ and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.  ⁴ For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.  ⁵ Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;  ⁶ like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.  ⁷ In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.  ⁸ They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever.  ⁹ Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.

            Our devotion for this week comes from the Book of Wisdom in the Apocrypha.  Wisdom is a book that is long thought to have been a part of the Canon of Scripture to both Jews and Christians.  However, it has found its place not in the Old Testament or the New, but instead in the Apocrypha.  It is one of the 7 books that are “wisdom in nature” to be found in the Septuagint, or the Greek Version of the Old Testament.  It is filled with sayings by and of Solomon, and is considered by some to be a companion to Song of Songs found in the Old Testament.  This however, is probably not the case.  Wisdom can stand by itself better than it fits with Song of Songs. 

            The text above speaks of the destiny of the righteous, who are God’s chosen ones.  The righteous ones may endure hardships here on earth, but in the kingdom of God, they will endure nothing, because God will take care of them.  It speaks of the faithfulness of the righteous, who are also enlightened by the Truth that is God.  Wisdom continues after these verses to talk about the destiny of the ungodly, as well as the triumph, final judgment, and reward for the righteous.  It has a similar theme and tone of many of the Old Testament books, which is that when all is said and done, the outcome is that God has saved God’s people, and has used whatever means necessary to accomplish that task.  May we look forward to the day when this task is complete, and like all the saints who have gone before us, find rest and peace in our God.

In our prayers this week:  Ann, Marianne, and Scott (back in Gulfport either today or tomorrow!)

God’s Peace,