Treasures

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
-Proverbs 2:1-6 NIV

Waves rolling in to the beach don’t come empty handed. Coming ashore, they bring shells, seaweed, driftwood and anything else that may be stirring up in the sea. We have come to count on the incoming tide to sprinkle the shore with little ocean treasures. Stuffing our pockets with shells of all sizes is a fun past time for beach goers of all ages. Every time I go to the beach, I always find something to bring home. These gifts of the sea find their way to my windowsills, jars and shelves, to bring our family a smile, and to  remind us of a most pleasant time at the beach.

Filling jars with varieties of shells is certainly a show of my ‘tangible’ treasures from the sea. But, there are many gifts we receive in life that we can’t hold and feel, yet our existence is incredibly enhanced because of them. One of them is wisdom. Wisdom is defined as ‘good sense, accumulated knowledge of life, knowing right from wrong, having good judgement and having an opinion widely held’. God has placed some wonderful people in my path over the years that have brought me great wisdom. Perhaps you feel the same way, too. I can’t seem to get enough of it. I would be most content to share an afternoon with someone who has wise knowledge and insight into the important things of life. Surprisingly though, wisdom doesn’t always come from the aged and mature, but the very young, too. It’s the clarity of mind, the simplicity and the love of God that can make a person of any age, wise to others. Wisdom and understanding go hand in hand. Nothing compares to it, not riches, wealth or possessions. The Bible is filled with it. It comes from God, but I do believe He speaks to us through people He puts in our life from time to time. I relish the days that I am in the presence of a wise person. Wise counsel and Christian compassion are given freely. Wisdom gives us new understanding and a better way to look at any situation we may face. We will be rewarded if we seek wisdom and apply it to our lives. We all need it but not everyone wants to receive it. The Bible tells us that wisdom is sweet to our soul. Proverbs 18 suggests that a fountain of wisdom is like a bubbling brook within us. A wise person always seeks understanding, instruction and knowledge. That way, they may pass it on. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 NIV