One Shrewd Dude

One of the Hebrew words translated "shrewd" or "crafty" in many Bible versions is the (transliterated) word "aruwm." The serpent in the Garden of Eden was characterized with this word indicating his shrewd and crafty ways. On the other hand, King Solomon used the same word in the book of Proverbs on many occasions to indicate commendable prudence. In sending out his disciples as sheep among wolves, Jesus instructed them to be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.

At the lunch table today, BG (6) apparently did not want the cherry tomato on her plate. So, JG (3) apparently told her quite nonchalantly to drop it on the floor and that mommy would pick it up and throw it away. Of course, "mommy" overheard this idea and recounted the tale.

In one sense, the relative harmlessness as well as the casual nature of his suggestion may be comforting as it would seem to indicate that his intentions were not shrewd in the manner of that old serpent. On the other hand, it could also be taken as demonstrating the lamentable ease with which a wrong sort of craftiness could be exhibited if not corrected.

Regardless the take, however, the reality is that the human heart must be guarded above all things. There may at times seem to be a very fine line between the crafty schemes of the enemy arising in human hearts and the even more crafty schemes of God toward good which we ought always to cultivate prayerfully, both in our own hearts and in the hearts of our children.

Let us indeed prayerfully cultivate the one and not the other so that the shrewd plans of God may come as spontaneously to us and to our children as would the shrewd plans of the enemy alight upon the soul of one yet bound by the sinful nature.