Wisdom's Feast

     Today amidst a doctor's appointment, a trip to the mechanic, hanging four loads of laundry out to dry, and homeschooling the kids I was also cleaning house and cooking for company.  I won't blog about that, but that is what my mind was centered on today.  Every afternoon the kids and I take a one hour rest.  Arden plays with toys in his room, and checks in with me about 3 times to see how many minutes are left in rest time.  The older kids use their rest as free reading time.  I usually take that time to read my Bible or complete a day of Bible study.
     Having just put chili on the stove to simmer, I found my reading for today was from Proverbs 9, in which wisdom is portrayed as a hostess.

"She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table;"

     I slowed down and took the time to think about God (this is getting a wee bit tricky because wisdom is personified as a woman, and God, of course, isn't.  Be patient with me!) with great care and love for His guests laying out wisdom's feast.  He's thoughtfully nourishing His guests, and pleasing their palate, and He's considered loveliness and beauty, as wisdom sets the table for the feast.  Then the invitation is issued, called out from heights of the city, anyone naive, or lacking in understanding or foolish is invited to come and receive understanding and life.  Just think of all the times in the Bible God speaks about this feast!  And I want to come.  I who am so foolish, so quick to make wrong choices, so needy of a true understanding of God, want to feast at this table.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

     But hard on the heels of this sweet invitation of God, comes another invitation.  One that whispers that it is not the feast of the Lord that is sweet, but another meal all together.  It is that rowdy and loud woman of folly, not lurking in the shadows, but bold, in her doorway, on a seat of prominence.  She is

"Calling out to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight: 'Whoever is naive let him turn in here,' and to him who lacks understanding she says, 'Stolen water is sweet; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

     I am invited to another feast, but this feast is a sham, a feasting on air and ashes.  Folly promises the feast will be sweet and pleasant, but Proverbs tells us the dead are there.  I take it as a warning and pray for the wisdom to feast only at the table of Christ.