Nougat 7

Have you ever seen fresh snow; ie before anyone or anything disturbs it? Or the mountains after a ‘cleansing’ rain? Those are the images that come to my mind upon reading today’s Holy Nougat

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” ‭‭James‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Those two pictures of newly mintedness is how I see purity. Of course, that’s before being asked to see Wisdom as pure. Purity, the state of being Pure, refers to unsoiled-ness, untouched by defilement; brand new. For Wisdom to be Pure, it suggests that it has not been corrupted by human bias or threat; nor affected by perjury or guile. And while this might seem like a no-brainer; we only have to think about the counsel we’ve given and received over time, or what often passes for political wisdom in many spaces to realize it’s sometimes easier said than done.

In the Hebrew cannon, we might recall stories of ‘wise’ advisors or prophets who often led the Children of Israel into serious disasters; spiritually and politically. We might remember youngish Rehoboam, Solomon’s son receiving counsel from his peers and those of his father.(1 Kings 14:21-30). His decision to take the counsel of his peers might seem to be Wisdom; but their motives were impure. They wanted Rehoboam to tax and abuse the people for his own gain, and failed to see that it would be deleterious. That ill-advised decision did cost him more than half the kingdom! All of 10 tribes defected; setting in motion the ‘Divided Kingdom’.

Not all cases are as extreme; but it’s worth prayerful consideration to discern whether that which presents as Wisdom is without guile. May our prayer this day be for purity of purpose and actions, so that the counsel we give or receive is Pure.

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May all we seek be found in Christ