It's been quite a while… Hello blog!

It has been more than a year since I last posted something. Life has been an adventure since I settled back home - it was a transition from student life to working life, while making plans for the future. As the year is coming to a close, I am reminded to meditate on some proverbs - for they are wisdom for life. 

Proverbs 3 is an interesting one. Firstly, the headline says: Don't assume you know it all. It is true that at times, we think we know where we're heading, what we're doing, and how it's all going to work out. But it isn't necessarily true. God's word says to trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own (v.5). 

I love it when it gets to the second half (v.13-20): The very tree of life. In The Message version, here's how it is said:

You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,


when you make friends with Madame Insight.


She’s worth far more than money in the bank;    


her friendship is better than a big salary.


Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth;    


nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.


With one hand she gives long life,    


with the other she confers recognition.


Her manner is beautiful,    


her life wonderfully complete.


She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her.    


Hold her tight—and be blessed!


With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth;


with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven.


They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface,


and dew to descend from the night skies.

Verse 18 talks about Lady Wisdom as being the very Tree of Life itself to all who embrace her. This brings me back to Genesis 2 when God created the Garden of Eden:

8-9 Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.

As proverbs 3 mentioned: God formed the Earth with Lady Wisdom and with Insight, He raised Heaven. So, Wisdom existed since the very beginning - before the point of Creation. Out of all the trees that grew from the ground, two trees were mentioned specifically; namely the Tree-of-Life and the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. We know that Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. But what about the Tree-of-Life? What happened to it? 

In Genesis 3:22-24: God said, “The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never—this cannot happen!” So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they’d been made. He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.

Interestingly, God has hidden the Garden of Eden from men's discovery. God is gracious not to let us eat the fruit from the Tree-of-Life, and live with the knowledge of good to evil forever. The good news is He gives out Wisdom freely. We can go around searching for knowledge and wisdom, but wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov.1:7). Proverbs 2:1-7 (The Message) says: 

Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you;
    

collect my counsels and guard them with your life.


Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
    

set your heart on a life of Understanding.


That’s right—if you make Insight your priority,
    

and won’t take no for an answer,


Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
    

like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,


Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours;
    

you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God.

And here’s why: God gives out Wisdom free, 

is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
 

He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
 

a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.

Although wisdom is given freely, God sets us out on this mission to search, collect, and hunt down wisdom - like a rare treasure. Surely, blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. For that person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers. (Psalms 1:1a, 2-3, NIV)