Do You Want A Life Of Adventure? The Search For Wisdom

A while back one of the credit card companies ran an ad campaign with the theme: “Somethings are priceless; for everything else there is such-and—such.” Of course, we would never promote credit cards but the slogan is half correct, some things are priceless! Let’s say it plainly, “Some things are more valuable that money!” Adventure seekers quickly agree but this kind of adventure is not the kind to which Solomon is referring. Many things in life are beyond the scope of thrill seeking or material possessions. There are things that cannot be bought with money such as the birth of your child, a baby’s first words or steps, a rare sunset, the appreciation of true and pure beauty, unity in a family, or the forgiveness of sins, just to name a few. 

Scripture tells us that wisdom is priceless. My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, [2] making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; [3] yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, [4] if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, [5] then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-5). 

Money can buy education but it cannot buy wisdom. Wisdom begins with the fear of God, (The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom… Proverbs 1:7) because He us the true giver of it. To gain wisdom we must value it, guard it, and search for it like hidden treasure. True wisdom must be prized by us but it cannot be purchased, even at great cost. In the previous chapter (1:7) we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Now we are given another facet of this learning to fear God which opens to us the beginning of wisdom, and that is, the knowledge of God. Though the proverbs of Scripture give us wisdom for everyday matters and can make our lives successful in many ways, its purpose is to guide us in the knowledge of God and His ways, not to make us wealthy or successful. These proverbs are to help us in godliness. 

When we are cognizant of the stakes of life and the importance of our choices, we must choose between God’s wisdom and the foolish pursuit of personal ambition or pleasure. At that moment every person stands at the crossroads. We either choose the way of life or we choose the road of fools that leads to death. The way of wisdom is narrow and few find it but the way of fools is wide, indeed most walk into it with very little thought. You and I must choose our path, no one can do it for us. Jesus, God’s Son, said it this way, Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14). 

What is the substance of wisdom? King Solomon tells us in the first two chapters of Proverbs - the knowledge of God. When do we know that we have found wisdom? When we have come to know God Himself. This is bourn out by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Consider the following passage taken from the Letter to the Colossians 2:1-5. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you … to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 

Friends, Jesus is the way, the narrow way, to wisdom, that is, to God Himself. This begins with the fear of the Lord. Have you faced your own foolish sins and lack of faith? If so, believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. God sent His Son into the world, no the condemn it, but that through Him (Jesus) we might be saved from condemnation. Seek God’s wisdom in Jesus.

God’s love through Christ, 

Pastor Scott