Proverb 2:11

“discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,”

It is common in our culture and our language to reference a guardian angel. But what is that? I think it provides a degree of comfort to know (or think) that there is a being looking out for me, weapons in hand, ready to protect and defend, a silent and perpetual, “en guard!”

I’m not sure I ever really believed it, honestly. But here, we see that discretion watches over us and Understanding guards us. It makes me wonder, how can something without life—a non-being—take a protective stance for someone? How can they do anything.

I’m reminded of chapter 8 of Proverbs, when Wisdom alludes to her age, speaking in the first person, personifying the ways in which we glorify God. She explains how she was there when the God of the universe laid the foundations of the earth. She was set up ages ago! She describes his craft descriptively, almost humanly.

She speaks of being at his side, like a “master workman” (8:30) ready to do his work, at his beck-and-call. She rejoiced before him always, as we should be. 

If she  can do all of these things, perhaps discretion and understanding can take on a few personal roles too. And if they are, what is it exactly that they are protecting us from?

I’m sure we will get into this in our next session, over verse 12 and following, but I will surmise, that it’s their duty to protect us from anything that gets in our way of glorifying God. 

If Wisdom has been around for the ages, I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say that her closely related kin, discretion and understanding have been around the block a time or two as well. I bet they have a pretty good feel for this whole awkward thing we try to do called life. And if it is their pure duty to protect me, I’m sure they know what they’re protecting me from, and how to do it. 

I hope, after becoming acquainted with them, via this verse, I can be quick to listen for their voices and rapidly respond when I hear them. I want to be protected from whatever it is they are protecting me from. 

After all, if the same God who etched out the mountains upon the land and poured out waters in our seas sees it fit for me to have a “guardian angel”, I won’t argue that I’m in vast need of one.