Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Proverbs 3:13-18

13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.


Wisdom is there to be found, sometimes it doesn't feel like that. My commitment this year to read one book a week is partially because I think there is wisdom out there for me to grasp. Why should we work so hard to find it. It is valuable. Gain, profit, and preciousness are all words used to describe her value. While the nice car and big house my appear to be of value they are nothing compared to wisdom. Life, a long one, she has to offer us. Sometimes that might sound scary because you think of old people alone and sick, but not from her. Riches and honor accompany this long life, it is pleasant.

Lastly I have never caught that wisdom is call a tree of life. Right now I have the picture of the tree of life compared with the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This should make a distinction for us. Wisdom is not mere knowledge. It is knowing when and how to use the knowledge. It has a reality element that knowledge does not require. A book on swimming may help you know how to swim, but wisdom would keep you from jumping in the deep end if you have never swam before.

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