Delight in Understanding

Proverbs 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

This verse was recently was lived out in front of me in the life of my husband and our little two-year-old girl:

Nathan and I had recently put the kids to bed and were relaxing in the living room when we heard the creaking of a bedroom door. Madison had been frequently guilty of this in the recent past, so I just spoke loudly down the hallway in my stern mommy voice, "Madison, close the door."

When several seconds had passed and no door had been closed, Nathan went down the hall to correct matters. Sure enough, when he got to their room, Madison was halfway up the bunkbed ladder, scrambling to get back into bed. Meanwhile her sister, Hannah, was lying quietly in bed.

Instead of immediately assuming guilt (as I would have!), Nathan took time to ask her why she was out of bed.

Madison

Her simple reply was, "Mommy said close the door."

Nathan countered with, "Why is the door open?"

Madison responded: "Hannah open it."

After further discussion, it was confirmed that Hannah was the guilty party in opening the door, and Madison was simply obeying the command of her mother, who was too lazy to "delight in understanding."

I'm thankful Nathan is not "a fool", and took "delight in understanding" the heart of a little two-year-old girl. So often as a parent, I'm tempted to quickly analyze a situation, make assumptions, and administer discipline. When we seek understanding, not only do I occasionally learn that my assumptions were wrong, but I also learn to listen to the heart of my child, and my child, in turns, learns to trust me with her heart.

So it is with God. It took Nathan time to ask questions and seek answers in order for him to "delight in understanding Madison" It will take me time to ask questions and seek answers in order for me to "delight in understanding" God. But when I do so, what a delight it will be. I'll also prevent in making some of the same errors