13 For who can learn the counsel of God?
Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
14 For the reasoning of mortals is worthless,
and our designs are likely to fail;
15 for a perishable body weighs down the soul,
and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind.
16 We can hardly guess at what is on earth,
and what is at hand we find with labour;
but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
17 Who has learned your counsel,
unless you have given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
18 And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and people were taught what pleases you,
and were saved by wisdom.’
Wisdom 9:13-18
Dear God, I have a confession to make. As I was looking at the Catholic readings for the day, I almost just prejudicially skipped over this reading from Wisdom because it’s part of the apocrypha and Protestants don’t consider it scripture. And I’ve done this before. I did it yesterday. And last week. So it’s not like this is a new prejudice. It’s a pattern.
Here’s why I think it’s wrong of me to act like this. I’ve done prayers around secular movies. I’ve done prayers around secular songs or just stories. And regardless of this book’s level of authority as scripture, I should be willing to look at it and see if you have something to say to me through it. I am sorry for disregarding something that has been seen as scripture for thousands of years simply because someone took it out of the Protestant Bible hundreds of years ago.
With that said, let’s see what this still set of wisdom proverbs has to say.
This is quite poetic. I love the line, “15 for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind.” My physical body puts this finiteness on me and I have huge limitations. I can only think to a certain extent. I can only pray to a certain extent. Move to a certain extent. Live to a certain extent. I can train each of thee things to get better. I can get smarter, be a better prayer, and even train my body to get faster and stronger. But there is still a ceiling I hit. And then all of those things will probably diminish from a peak of performance as I get older. No, it is true that this body certainly weighs down my soul. But the struggle against its limitations makes my soul stronger as I strive to commune with you. Thank you for reaching down to my and my limitations to meet me where I am.
Father, I have some decisions that need to be made today. Please help me to peer into the fog of my limitations and see what you need me to see. Guide me with your Holy Spirit so that I might move in the right direction for your glory’s sake and the sake of your kingdom coming and your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. The more I think about it, the more I like the fog analogy. I drove a long distance in a heavy rain yesterday. I had applied Rain-X to my windshield and it helped greatly. I had an advantage to nearly every other car on the road because I could see better. I’m not looking for an advantage over others, but I do want to be able to see as best as I can. Let them prayer be applying you as Rain-X to the eyes of my soul.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 
cwpayton
September 8, 2025 at 2:28 pm
Rain-X. that’s funny. I used Rain-X years ago when my windshield wipers didn’t work, but it helped a lot. Thanks for sharing that from the Apocrypha and the reminder that yes, we give air time to so many things that have not been written at all from a spiritual perspective and yet I can be critical of things that seem to be quasi-spiritual or even have tinges that I don’t agree with, but they are still worthwhile to use in our lives. I must say, I’ve never read this before but lots of good truth – I like this — Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? – That’s good truth. Thank you.