Probing Proverbs: 3:13-16 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one
who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than
silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than
rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in
her right hand, and riches and honor in her left.
I remember many years ago when I was in high school a
story was shared in the news about a man that missed a great opportunity. He
was mining and thought he had dug out of the ground what appeared to be one of
the world’s largest diamonds. He showed several men the suspected gem, and one
of them said the way to really tell is to let him hit it with a hammer. If it
were a diamond, it would not hurt it.
The man gave his permission. When the
hammer hit the gem, it smashed into smithereens! The man that found this gem
took several thin slivers with him and sent them to be examined by experts. It
was a diamond, most likely one of the largest ever found, and he could have
retired on what he found…if he only knew what he had and how to use it.
Diamonds are one of the hardest gems on the planet…only a diamond can cut
another diamond. However, toughness does not equal brittleness. Man made tools
can shatter a diamond very easily. The man possessed a very valuable item, but
because he did not understand what it was or how to properly handle it, he
ended up with dust instead of some very valuable diamonds.
This is the point of this Proverb! It is fair that we challenge
the premise so we can see if it makes sense or not.
How does having wisdom & understanding bring long life,
riches & honor? After years of counseling many people, I have found a
common denominator. I have met with the rich and the poor, from the genius to
one that is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. What I have found is the real
issue is never what they possess, but do they understand what they have and how
to best manage it. 
History is filled with examples of individuals that began with
very little, yet, because they understood the potential they possessed and took
time to consider best how to use it, they see great success. If it is a certain
giftedness, they learn what that giftedness is and take ownership of it’s
potential…in the end they are recognized by many for being “one
of the best” in the arena they are in. This is true in the arts, science,
sports, etc. If it were power, they seek to understand the good and dangerous
part of power, seeking to use it for good…they are remembered in history as great
leaders. If it is wealth, they learn stewardship and how wealth can be used,
which allows them to build a financial empire…some that go on for centuries!
Sadly, without wisdom people squander wealth, life, and
reputation. How many stories of individuals that have great wealth given to
them and waste it quickly, or ones that have great wealth and think the goal is
to have more, living a miserly life, never enjoying or using their wealth, just
possessing to possess. There have been Presidents that have permanent blemishes
on their biography because their misuse of power led them to do foolish things. How many young people die young because
they believed they were indestructible, which allowed them to live carelessly.
Wisdom is not acquired simply through winning an Oscar, Election, or a Super
Bowl. Wisdom is given by God and attained and matured by our stewardship of
it. The mind needs exercise as much as the body. The more we take time to
meditate and contemplate our life, asking God for wisdom, the greater our
intellectual skill will become.
When you know how to handle and invest what you have, even if
it is little, you reap the maximum potential! I have seen men come out of
prison, respected by all because of the change Christ made!
One last thought, in the end, even if you did not get the
recognition of this world, if you sought wisdom from the One that gives it, and
applied that to your life, He will recognize you when you meet Him! Many
accomplish more in their physical life in 25 years than others have in 100;
life is not about quantity, but quality! Wisdom and understanding are what
brings quality to our quantity.
The so what? As you approach
this New Year, have you set some honest goals for growth? Have you evaluated
your priority list? How much of is physical possessions, financial gain, the
“ladder of success”, versus spiritual growth? God promises wisdom for those
that ask, are you asking?
