He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers (Proverbs 19:8).

It occurs to me that this Proverbs is a very good Proverb for the 19th day of the Proverbs 365 project.  It happens to come at a very busy stretch of life, where I'm actually running a couple of days behind in my devotional resolutions -- feeling stressed, grumpy, irritible, out-of-sorts.  Where I'm tempted to say, "I don't have time for all that Proverbs / Bible / devotional stuff."

It turns out that these are the times when I need God's wisdom the most!

Seeking out wisdom does cost some energy, and it does require some sense of initiative... But Proverbs 19:8 reminds us that it also pays dividends.  And not just for "mankind" or "the life of faith" or "posterity" -- but it actually yields peace, well-being, and properity for immediate, everyday use.

I noticed this as soon as I sat down to soak myself in the Proverbs again, like a hot bath after the kids have been put to bed for the night.  Proverbs chapter 19 seems to be especially good for this.  It's a warm soak and gentle massage for one's soul.  There's some great stuff in there for parenting, dealing with angry people, developing patience, and so on.  And as I read these Proverbs -- getting wisdom and cherishing understanding (i.e. a greater sense of perspective) -- I experience the truth of this Biblical wisdom being a way to take care of myself.  As I do this, I can in turn care for others, and eventually for the "greater good," too.  But it all starts with caring for my own soul.