31 Days reading and writing about the book of Sirach. Today, Sirach 18:19–Before you speak, learn
And Then…A Heart Attack
So yesterday, we considered, what is ebola…to me. I shared with you ebola is a thief that has been lurking in the shadows of my mind since elementary school some 30 plus years ago. This definitely explains why I recently forbid my husband from flying…and he laughed. We’re a pretty good pair. But it’s not just ebola, there was as time when the fear was a heart attack and it was not lurking. That fear had me in a strangle hold for at least a year and wrestling that demon, left me with a mental limp even Jacob would recognize. {Genesis 32:25} This mental limp was a reminder that my battle was not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities–this battle was ultimately in my mind.
What is Ebola
Oh yes I did. As part of my 31 Days Writing Challenge, I decided to tackle the word everyone is talking about, Googling and whispering. What is ebola? I am, obviously not a scientist. Maybe not so obvious, I also am not a medical professional–although I do play one in the middle of the night or after office hours whichever comes first–when one of my children gets sick. If you Googled “What is Ebola” looking for scientific or medical knowledge, you are clearly in the wrong place.
As you can tell by my introduction, I have no idea, medically speaking, what ebola is. I mean, I know it’s a virus, but I cannot explain those wormy looking diagrams of the virus I see on the internet. I can tell you the symptoms, or at least what I’ve read the symptoms are and I might be able to tell you how it’s transmitted provided the information would stay consistent or make sense, and I can tell you the most likely outcome. But this post is none of the above. Here, right now, I’m going to share with you what ebola is to me.
What is Religion
St James, in James 1:27 states, “What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.” We’re going to focus on the part about not being corrupted by the world.
A Man of Understanding
I’m reading the book of Sirach for 31 Days. Today, let’s consider a man of understanding as found in Sirach 10:25. “…and a man of understanding will not grumble.” Let’s look at what a man of understanding is and why he does not grumble. Understanding is one of the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, listed in Isaiah 11:2-3. And in this passage we find out a little about a man of understanding. “…he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears…”
31 Days: Sirach 27
I’m reading and writing about spending 31 Days reading the book of Sirach. Here’s a printable for you with a scripture quote from Sirach 27.