Listen

Listen, my people, to my teaching; tilt your ears toward the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a proverb. I’ll declare riddles from days long gone—ones that we’ve heard and learned about, ones that our ancestors told us. We won’t hide them from their descendants; we’ll tell the next generation all about the praise due the Lord and God’s strength—the wondrous works God has done.

Psalm 78:1-4

Think

Our story doesn’t start with us.

The psalmist invites the community to listen to what their ancestors have learned and carry those stories forward. This is how wisdom travels: someone discovers something worth knowing and refuses to keep it to themselves.

Of course, not everything we inherit is wise. Our families, churches, and cultures hand us beautiful things and broken things alike. Wisdom asks us to learn the difference. We can receive what leads toward love and healing while having the courage to leave behind what doesn’t.

And then we become ancestors, too. Our choices become part of the world someone else inherits.

Wisdom invites us to listen to those who came before us, asking what their lives can teach and remembering that the wisdom we practice today can become part of someone else’s story tomorrow.

Holle Tubbs

Question to Ponder:

What is something wise you’ve received from someone who came before you?

Pray

God of wisdom, help me notice your voice, trust your love, and choose the path that leads to life. Amen.

Go

Wisdom grows every time we pause, listen, and choose love.