A Platinum Birthday!

 

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. (Proverbs 9:9-12 ESV).

 

A 75th birthday is often called a "platinum birthday" or "platinum jubilee", although these are not official terms. The term "diamond jubilee" can also be used to refer to a 75th anniversary. There are lots of words and phrases that describe a “75^th” event. The dictionary uses the word “semisesquicentennial” for such a time. The picture I’ve attached give some interesting insights into 1949. A new house cost an average of $14,500, and a new car only $1650. You could walk to the corner grocery and get a gallon of milk for 84 cents and a loaf of bread was 14 cents. Harry Truman was the president and they formed NATO. The list of famous people all seem too familiar to me; and, I am somewhat miffed not to be included in that list (LOL).The only movie I have watched on the list is Twelve O’Clock High, which was a great WWII movie. Oh, don’t get me started about the popular baby names of that year: James, Robert, John, William? Where’s “Don”? I guess being the birthday boy today isn’t as great as I might desire.

 

I have learned a thing or two through these seventy-five years. Solomon summarizes some of them in our reading very well. Wisdom is the key. The more wisdom we gain the better we can be. The Lord is obviously not done with me yet as I can be dumber than dirt sometimes. That usually looks like “grumpy” which I do very well all too often. So, let me close today’s devotional with some simple encouragement.

 

Solomon says this wisdom begins with the “fear of the Lord.” It is my knowledge of Him that brings insight. I believe the best way for me to fear God and know Him is to simply be around Him. That means seeing Him in all of life, understanding Him through Scripture, and experiencing Him in relationship with others. There may come a day when my abilities to do those things are curtailed; however, today I can watch Him in His world, I can read as much of the Scripture as I desire, and I can interact with others. Being intentional in those things gives me insight and produces wisdom. Sometimes it even takes away the grumpy! Y’all have a GREAT day! Mine will be platinum!