Irma's Pink House

Monday - May 23rd

Today's Scripture to Read: Proverbs 24:13-14

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Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:

If you find it, there is a future hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:14

The pink corner house looked plain on the outside, but every time I passed it as a kid, I thought about what was on the inside. Every kid in our area knew what was on the inside - CANDY!

The house served as the home of an older woman who dedicated a little area just inside her front door as a small candy shop. The sweet elderly lady, Irma, specialized in traditional candies of the day - like Bottle Caps, Pop Rocks, candy necklaces, Gobstoppers, and Now & Laters. My best friend, Lance, and I could not wait until we were old enough to be allowed to walk the couple of miles to Irma's from our homes. Once our parents said we were old enough to go to Irma's, our toughest challenge was which candies to get with our limited funds. They were all so good!

The walk home lasted just long enough that Lance and I had little candy left (if any) to share with his older sister, Lisa, and my little brother, Troy. The candy was always too good to save much for them. Occasionally, we gave them a new candy we tried and didn't like. That was rare. After all, we were kids, and it was candy.

Ancient civilizations may not have had Tootsie Rolls or Pixy Stix, but they had honey. Throughout the Old Testament, honey described something wonderfully sweet. The list includes the kind words of a friend (Proverbs 16:24), the lips of a bride (Song of Solomon 4:11), and the Scriptures themselves (Psalm 119:13).

Proverbs 24:13-14 described wisdom as being sweet like honey. The voice of the writer is that of a father encouraging his child to discover how pleasant wisdom can be. It promises a bright future full of hope. It stands to reason that a lack of wisdom leads to a gloomy future and a life void of hope. 

Candy tends to be dangerous as we age. It fosters obesity. It creates diabetes. Wisdom, on the other hand, gets better with age. Age provides so much perspective and understanding. 

Over my 30 years of pastoral ministry, I have seen so many adults demonstrate a high level of foolishness in their relationships and careers. Sadly, their foolishness affects the people they love the most. A lack of wisdom at critical stages of life can destroy so much good. It can ruin things for years. The path of foolishness often leads to more foolishness. The aftertaste of poor choices is far from sweet. It is bitter.

It's no wonder that the voice of the Father in Proverbs 24 wants His children to value wisdom like honey. If children can learn early in life how valuable wisdom will be through their years, their lives will be changed forever.

What about you? Have you done foolish things that have hurt those you love the most? Have you learned over the years that when you failed to embrace and exercise wisdom, life became that much more difficult?

It is not too late to embrace the wisdom described throughout the Book of Proverbs. Taste and discover how sweet it can be. See how it can help build stronger relationships in your life, guide your financial decisions, help you cope with the challenges and trials that come your way.

Whether or not you have tried Bottle Caps, Gobstoppers, or Pop Rocks, look for wisdom from God. Discover the sweet candy of wisdom from above. Ask God to give you wisdom as you make choices today. Ask God to provide you wisdom as you seek to love those around you. Ask God to give you a sweet taste in your mouth as you look to Him for your joy, and you look to Him for the future of your life.

Wisdom is sweet. Foolishness is bitter.