Our house is built more firmly through wisdom
“By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 24:3-4)
On January 1, 2024, I meditated on Proverbs 24. As I reflected, I wrote a short devotional piece, centering on Proverbs 24:3-4 (Korean Modern Bible), in which I wrote: "As we welcome the new year of 2024, I earnestly pray that as I serve my beloved wife and three children—whom the Lord has given me as a gracious gift—our home will be strengthened even more through wisdom, and filled with all kinds of precious and beautiful treasures, by serving my family with the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge that come from God." Today, as I meditate on this short devotional piece, I seek to receive grace and lessons by dividing it into three key reflections.
First, I reaffirm my commitment to never forget that my beloved wife and three children are gracious gifts from God, and I will continue to serve my family with this truth in mind.
I am unworthy to be my wife’s husband and my children’s father, yet I believe that God, in His love, has given them to me as gifts of grace. Holding on to this truth, I desire to serve my family this year by the grace that God provides. In particular, I cling to 2 Corinthians 3:5 (New Korean Revised Version): "We do not think that we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God."
Second, I pray that I will serve my beloved family with the wisdom that God provides.
The slogan of Victory Presbyterian Church for the new year, 2024, is “Lord, expand the boundary of service.” The slogan comes from John 13:15: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” In this context, what Jesus did for His disciples was washing their feet (v. 14). After showing them this example, Jesus said to His disciples, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (v. 14). Following Jesus’ example, I pray that I will serve my wife first. This is what is right in the Lord’s eyes. In order to do this right thing, what is urgently needed for me is, of course, God’s love, but also the humility of Jesus. In last Sunday's sermon, I learned that the third item on the list of five qualities of the “new self” that we should wear (Colossians 3:12) is “humility.” Here, “humility” means putting myself last and considering myself as least (KJV commentary). I want to realize more clearly and urgently, like the Apostle Paul, that ‘I am a very insignificant person.’ Only then will I be able to serve my family, following the example of Jesus. In addition to “humility,” what is urgently needed for me to serve my family is the “wisdom” that God provides. Looking back just one day, on January 1, I was ashamed of how foolishly I spoke and acted. I especially felt convicted by my lips, knowing they often resemble the lips of a fool. Afterward, as I meditated on Proverbs 25:15 on January 2, I wrote this short devotional piece based on the Korean Modern Version: “I need a gentle tongue that can break bones and persuasive endurance that can turn even the most stubborn heart.” When I reflect on this meditation, I cannot deny that my lips have often lacked gentleness, and my words have been lacking in persuasion due to insufficient patience. Additionally, when I reflected on Proverbs 24:25 (Korean Modern Bible) yesterday, I realized my own foolishness, even as I said that I wanted to be rebuked more boldly by God’s word in the new year, 2024. I pray that, through God’s word, my hardened heart will be boldly rebuked like a rod and that I will feel convicted in my conscience, leading me to break down the areas that need to be broken down in me. Only then will I be properly and firmly built up in the Lord. I believe that this will help strengthen my wife and children as well.
Third and last, I pray that the Lord will firmly establish our family and fill our home with various precious and beautiful treasures.
As I meditated on Proverbs 25:4 from the Korean Modern Bible this morning, I prayed that the Lord would continue to remove all impurities within me, even through life’s crises and pains, like a great earthquake. I believe that only then will the Lord fill our home with various precious and beautiful treasures. I pray that, by obeying God’s word, our home will be firmly established on the rock, and that every member of our family will become wise servants of God, laying up treasures in heaven.