Clarity

"My child, do not let these escape from your sight: keep sound wisdom and prudence, 

and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck." 

(Proverbs 3:21-22 NRSV)

Yesterday after the regular worship service, our pastor invited people to come forward where he prayed a blessing over each family for 2022. When he prayed over our family, one of the things he spoke was that questions would be answered with greater clarity. Like most people, our family has questions in our lives - maybe today's questions are not Major Life Decisions, but certainly are Important Decisions to Make. So, I appreciated the prayer.

I associate the word "clarity" with "clear," and the online dictionary confirmed that it's Latin root meant "clear."  However, when I looked up the definitions to "clarity," I found clarity to include

- the quality of being coherent and intelligible.
- the quality of being certain or definite.
- the quality of transparency or purity.
- the quality of being easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound.

But the last thing I noticed online was a connotation from the Middle English: "glory, divine splendor."  If something is clear - coherent, definite, transparent and pure, sharp, and easy to see and hear - it will reflect the Glory and Divine Splendor of God.

And isn't that what we want with the decisions we make?  We want to make decisions that are lined up with God's Will and plans and purposes for our lives, not only to obey and honor God, but also because then we give glory to God. 

God wants us to have wisdom and understanding - these lead to clarity.  In the Bible he says, 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5 NIV)  Our God who loves us wants us to know the things we need to know.  He wants to give us wisdom and understanding to help us with the decisions we make.  

Then he tells us to write down what he tells us, making it plain, and trusting that at the right time we will know what we need to know: 

“Write down the revelation

    and make it plain on tablets

    so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

    it speaks of the end

    and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

    it will certainly come

    and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:2-3 NIV)

We all have to make decisions in life.  I love that our good God wants to give us his wisdom, revelation, and clarity for our decisions.  

May each of us have God's clarity today. 

All-Wise God, 

Thank you for offering us your wisdom and understanding for all the decisions we make in this life.  Thank you for the guidance of Holy Spirit, our guide and comforter, as we make those decisions. Thank you that you know the end from the beginning and your timing is perfect.  Help us to make decisions that are coherent, intelligible, definite, transparent, pure, sharp, and that reflect your Glory in our lives. May our lives honor you and give you glory.  In Christ's name we pray, Amen.