11th hour wisdom

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, and those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”  Proverbs 3:13-15 (NIV)

I had a vivid dream several months ago, which I wrote down as soon as I awoke. Dreams don’t always make sense, or leave us with a special meaning. In fact, I hardly ever remember my dreams, but once in a while, a dream stays with me and leaves a lasting impression. I have found this dream to be relevant in meaning for months to follow.

I dreamed I was talking with some new people at church. It became late and everyone said goodbye and one new lady named Sophia, showed me her watch and it was 11:30 pm. I am never awake at that hour of the night, and I remember being surprised at the late hour. We headed out the door together to walk home. Sophia said she lived in my neighborhood, so we walked home together. 

It was very dark outside, and we had to walk in the street since there was no sidewalk. Walking in a dark street at night was dangerous, and as I looked down at my clothing, which was also dark in color, I felt very vulnerable as cars drove past us. Then I looked at Sophia’s clothing and they were brightly lit up. As we walked, I felt safe with her walking by my side. She lit up my path as we walked down the dark streets.

She disappeared briefly as we passed some tall bushes, so I called out to her, “Sophia, where are you?” She answered me and reappeared, coming out from behind the tall bushes. I was relieved to hear her answer me, and then we continued walking along her lighted path.

Before arriving home, I woke up from the dream, and wondered what it could mean, as I reviewed the details that were fresh in my mind. That’s when I came across the beautiful scripture in Proverbs today. I know that the name Sophia in Greek translates to “Wisdom.” I believe that Sophia, in my dream, represented the wisdom of God.

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is always referred to as a woman, as a “she” or “her” throughout the whole book. The Hebrew word for wisdom, “Khachmah” is even a grammatically feminine word. I was convinced that Sophia, in my dream, was a symbol or a personification of wisdom. God wants us to seek His wisdom and let “her”  light up our path.

Walking in the dark feels like so many experiences that we all go through in our lives. Everyone encounters unexpected trials, as we desperately seek God’s guidance to make the right decisions. It can feel like we are finding our way through a dark street. That’s how I once felt in becoming a caregiver for my terminally ill husband, or the legal guardian for my brain injured adult son. 

Everyone at some time in their life, will find themselves walking on a dark street, where we desperately need God’s wisdom to walk beside us, and light up our path. Wisdom is the most valuable of gifts because it gives us understanding, long before our prayers for help, deliverance and healing are answered. Wisdom changes our perspective of how we see problems and people. It builds up our faith and helps us to find peace in the midst of the problem. 

King Solomon considered wisdom to be life’s most profitable investment, saying that wisdom yields a better return than gold, and is more profitable than silver. I hope to invest in it for the remainder of my days.

Asking for wisdom is not the first thing I usually ask for, but scripture tells us if we ask for it, God will give it to us generously. Sophia was a personification of wisdom, reminding me to ask for it each and every day. 

The tall bushes in my dream are like the emotions that distract and blind us from God’s wisdom during times of distress and trouble. Instead of letting our emotions take over in the moment, if we keep calling out to God for wisdom, our path will remain well lit. 

God’s wisdom makes us wiser than what our emotions dictate. Feelings will mislead us but wisdom is greater than any feelings and emotions. James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously.”  (James 1:5)

As Sophia and I left the church to start walking home, she looked at her watch and it was 11:30 at night. In seeing that time on her watch, God revealed that wisdom reminds us to live each day as if it is the 11th hour. It’s like asking ourself, “What would I do different, if I was meeting Jesus later today?”

It reminds me of Paul’s words to the Romans, to put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12)

No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ second coming, but if we pray for 11th hour wisdom, we will walk in His light. Nothing is needed more today, in the 11th hour, than to walk in a path lit up by God’s wisdom, until Jesus returns again. 

I woke up before ever reaching my home in that dream, probably because wisdom is meant to guide us on the journey, which we are all still traveling on.

Lord, help us see the high value of your wisdom in our everyday lives. Let us walk in the armor of your light, always seeing things through your perspective, and grant us the peace, which surpasses all understanding. Amen

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