Wednesday in the Word: Proverbs 18:1

Have you ever picked up a new interest and in your zeal for your new hobby spent hours of time learning about it? I remember learning to play the piano. We didn't have a piano when I started taking lessons, but my teacher told my parents I would find a way to learn if I were truly interested in it. And I did! I began lessons in September, determined to learn, and my parents bought me a restored player piano with the player mechanism removed for Christmas that year. I've continued to play to this day, and the piano is still a passion of mine.

During my devotions one morning I was reading in Proverbs chapter 18. Verse 1 has always intrigued me, but I never could quite grasp its meaning. As I was reading, I looked up and saw a commentary on Proverbs belonging to my husband, so I grabbed it and looked up that verse to see what the author, Charles Bridges, had to say about it. Here's the verse:

Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Here are some of the commentator's thoughts:

Desire is the chariot-wheel of the soul, the spring of energy and delight. The man of business or science is filled with his great object; and through desire he separates himself from all lets and hindrances, that he may intermeddle with its whole range . . . He separates himself from all outward hindrances, vain company, trifling amusements or studies, needless engagements, that he may seek and intermeddle with all wisdom . . .

Of course, this is speaking mainly of spiritual things, but I couldn't help but think of how this could be applied to our homemaking. If we separate ourselves to learning everything we can about running our homes and loving our families . . . and actually doing the things we learn . . . what a difference there can be in our homes! Our homes would become the havens we so want them to be if we would just separate ourselves from "all outward hindrances, vain company, trifling amusements or studies, needless engagements" and seek the wisdom of being homemakers.

What things are outward hindrances, vain company or trifling amusements in your life? The first thing that came to my mind was the computer, followed closely by the TV. This makes me, once again, evaluate where my time is spent. Our modern lives are so full of distractions, but let's make the time to seek God each day and intermeddle with all homemaking wisdom!