Wisdom 1:1-16: a reflection

1Love righteousness, all you who are judges of the earth. Think of the Lord with a good mind. Seek him in singleness of heart, 2because he is found by those who don’t put him to the test, and is manifested to those who trust him. 3for crooked thoughts separate from God. His Power convicts when it is tested, and exposes the foolish; 4because wisdom will not enter into a soul that devises evil, nor dwell in a body that is enslaved by sin. 5For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and will depart from thoughts that are without understanding, and will be ashamed when unrighteousness has come in. 6For wisdom is a spirit who loves man, and she will not hold a blasphemer guiltless for his lips, because God is witness of his inmost self, and is a true overseer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue. 7Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said. 8Therefore no one who utters unrighteous things will be unseen; neither will Justice, when it convicts, pass him by. 9For in his counsels the ungodly will be searched out, and the sound of his words will come to the Lord to bring his lawless deeds to conviction; 10because a jealous ear listens to all things, and the noise of murmurings is not hidden. 11Beware then of unprofitable murmuring, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret utterance will go on its way void, and a lying mouth destroys a soul. 12Don’t court death in the error of your life. Don’t draw destruction upon yourselves by the works of your hands; 13because God didn’t make death, neither does he delight when the living perish. 14For he created all things that they might have being. The generative powers of the world are wholesome, and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor has Hades royal dominion upon earth; 15for righteousness is immortal, 16but ungodly men by their hands and their words summon death; deeming him a friend they pined away. They made a covenant with him, because they are worthy to belong with him.

The book of Wisdom opens with a call to seek God with sincerity, in singleness of heart, promising that he is found by those who trust him and do not put him to the test. Seek him in singleness of heart, the writer urges, because he is found by those who don't put him to the test, and is manifested to those who trust him. And he adds that crooked thoughts separate from God, and wisdom will not enter a soul that devises evil. God is found by those who seek him sincerely, with an undivided, trusting heart, not by those who approach him with crooked, testing, or deceitful hearts. Sincerity of heart is the way to find God. This shows that God is found by those who seek him sincerely, with a single, trusting heart. Seek God with a sincere, single heart. God is found by those who trust him sincerely. Crooked, testing hearts do not find God; sincere ones do. Sincerity of heart is the way to find and know God.

Notice what the writer says about how God is found. He is found, the writer says, by those who seek him in singleness of heart, who do not put him to the test but trust him. And by contrast, crooked thoughts separate from God, and wisdom will not enter a soul bent on evil or enslaved by sin. The point is about the condition of the heart with which we seek God. God is found by those who seek him sincerely, with an undivided, honest, trusting heart; not by those who approach him with duplicity, with a testing or cynical spirit, with a heart divided or bent on evil. This is instructive about our own seeking of God. We can approach God half-heartedly, with a divided heart, or with a testing, cynical spirit, or while holding onto sin and deceit; and such seeking does not find him. But those who seek God sincerely, with a single, undivided, trusting heart, honestly wanting to know and follow him, do find him; he manifests himself to those who trust him. Sincerity and singleness of heart, honest trust rather than a divided or testing spirit, is the way to find and know God. We do well to seek God with such a sincere, single, trusting heart, that we may find him. Seek God with a sincere, single, trusting heart, and you will find him. A divided or testing heart does not find God; a sincere one does. God manifests himself to those who trust him sincerely. Seek God honestly, wanting to know and follow him.

That is worth taking to heart, for God is found by those who seek him sincerely, with a single, trusting heart, as the writer urges us to seek him in singleness of heart. We can seek God half-heartedly, with a divided or testing heart, or while holding onto sin; but the writer says God is found by those who seek him in singleness of heart and trust him, and that crooked thoughts separate from him. Sincerity finds God. Seek God with a sincere, single, trusting heart, honestly wanting to know and follow him, and you will find him. Seek God with a sincere, single, trusting heart, honestly wanting to know and follow him, and you will find him, for the book of Wisdom opens by urging us to seek God in singleness of heart, promising that he is found by those who do not put him to the test but trust him, and manifested to those who trust him, while crooked thoughts separate from God and wisdom will not enter a soul that devises evil; for God is found by those who seek him sincerely, with an undivided, honest, trusting heart, not by those who approach him with duplicity, a testing or cynical spirit, or a heart divided or bent on evil, which is instructive about our own seeking of God, since we can approach God half-heartedly, with a divided heart, or with a testing spirit, or while holding onto sin and deceit, and such seeking does not find him, but those who seek God sincerely, with a single, undivided, trusting heart, honestly wanting to know and follow him, do find him, since he manifests himself to those who trust him, so that sincerity and singleness of heart, honest trust rather than a divided or testing spirit, is the way to find and know God, and we do well to seek him with such a sincere, single, trusting heart that we may find him.

Lord, the book of Wisdom opens with a call to seek you with sincerity, in singleness of heart, promising that you are found by those who trust you and do not put you to the test. Seek him in singleness of heart, the writer urges, because he is found by those who don't put him to the test, and is manifested to those who trust him. And he adds that crooked thoughts separate from God, and wisdom will not enter a soul that devises evil. You are found by those who seek you sincerely, with an undivided, trusting heart, not by those who approach you with crooked, testing, or deceitful hearts. Sincerity of heart is the way to find you. Show me what the writer says about how you are found. You are found by those who seek you in singleness of heart, who do not put you to the test but trust you. And by contrast, crooked thoughts separate from you, and wisdom will not enter a soul bent on evil. The point is about the condition of the heart with which I seek you. You are found by those who seek you sincerely, with an undivided, honest, trusting heart; not by those who approach you with duplicity, a testing or cynical spirit, a heart divided or bent on evil. This is instructive about my own seeking of you. I can approach you half-heartedly, with a divided heart, or with a testing spirit, or while holding onto sin; and such seeking does not find you. But those who seek you sincerely, with a single, undivided, trusting heart, honestly wanting to know and follow you, do find you; you manifest yourself to those who trust you. Take that to my heart, for you are found by those who seek you sincerely, with a single, trusting heart. Keep me from seeking you half-heartedly, with a divided or testing heart, or while holding onto sin; help me seek you with a sincere, single, trusting heart, Lord, honestly wanting to know and follow you, that I may find you, who manifest yourself to those who trust you.