Day 145, Year 1
Righteousness and Wisdom Bring Joy to Families
“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him.” (Proverbs 23:24 NKJV)
Today’s verse states that the fathers, and probably including the mothers, of the righteous and the wise will greatly rejoice and be delighted. The verses over the recent days remind us that pure joy is not found in self-indulgence, eating, drinking, fun, or games, but in resolving problems and the elevation of life. Indeed, the Bible challenges us to move beyond superficial pleasures and seek enduring, eternal, beneficial joy and delight.
The joy advocated in the Bible requires believers to pay a price, make an effort, and even endure a period of difficulty before attaining true righteousness and wisdom with happiness. Worldly pleasures are easily accessible with money and time, but spiritual joy requires us to pursue it wholeheartedly over a longer period of time. Without righteousness, there is no true happiness; without wisdom, there is no true delight.
Furthermore, the righteousness and wisdom in the Bible are definitely not for personal enjoyment alone. Rather, people around you would delight because of your righteousness and wisdom. While acquiring wealth might benefit oneself and one’s descendants, attaining righteousness and wisdom brings joy to the older generation, too. Of course, for the next generation who are willing to learn, the righteous and the wise are equally precious, as their future generations could build upon their foundation and nurture even more blessed and righteous generations. The concepts of righteousness and wisdom require substantial explanations, which is why the “father and son” relationship mentioned in today’s verse is worth further detailed exploration. What about the other people around the righteous and the wise? Surely they, too, could more or less receive righteousness and wisdom, and thus find delight in better outcomes.
The joy of the heart and spirit gives one strength. If the elders and descendants of the righteous or the wise find delight, the righteous or the wise themselves must have experienced inner fulfillment and exhilaration first. Rather than seeking personal pleasure, advancing on the path of righteousness and wisdom is in itself a source of joy and strength, and has a positive impact on those around them. I believe that under normal situations, acquiring and sharing spiritual wisdom and righteousness among believers can bring divine joy to the whole community.
Reflection questions:
1) Do you feel increasingly joyful and empowered as you advance on the path of righteousness and wisdom?
2) When you pursue righteousness and wisdom, do you feel that the people around you are also receiving help and thus joyful?