School is starting in these days. Though I have grandchildren heading to school in these days and one daughter who will be working in schools, it has been a few years since I have formally been a student. School is different today that it was when I was in school. The challenges student and teachers alike face are bigger than when I was in school. I regularly pray for my grandchildren as they are in school and for my daughter as she works in school. I particularly pray for their safety. I know that prayer is not a part of the everyday school life of all schools these days. Of course, as a wise person said many years ago, as long as students face tests, there will be prayer in schools. I know I certainly have prayed sometimes before taking a test.
There is something I pray for my grandchildren as they go to school even as I pray for their safety. I pray that they may have wisdom. There are lots of people who have intelligence. The television screen is filled with such folks every weeknight if you watch the television show “Jeopardy”. There are also lots of intelligent people in advanced placement classes in high school or who graduate with honors in our high schools, colleges, and universities. Wisdom is not always synonymous with intelligence. I know that from personal experience for some of the wisest people I have ever known did not have a high school degree much less a college degree.
In I Kings 3, we read
about another who prayed for wisdom. His
name was Solomon, and he was taking on the task of being King of Israel in place
of his father David. Read here the
prayer for wisdom that Solomon makes to the Lord:
6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant,
my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright
in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a
son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your
servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and
do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your
servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too
numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant
a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between
right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours
Perhaps
my grandchildren on their worst days might like for me to pray they pass a test
or they have a grade point average that will get them a scholarship into the
school of their choice. I am afraid I
do not pray for that, but I do pray for them to have wisdom. Their lives will be better and this world
will be better for it. A matter of
fact, all our lives will be better for it.
The world certainly needs more wise people rather than more Jeopardy
contestants. Have a joy-filled
week!- Pastor Randy Wall
PRAYER Living and loving God, give us wisdom as
the face the challenges of our life and this day. Give us wisdom to discern what is your
gracious and perfect will; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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