Prized Possession

“For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” (Pr 8:11 AV)

The older one gets the more he realizes the deep truth of this proverb.  Suffering consequences from choices made due to a lack of wisdom will instruct one thoroughly on the fact wisdom is the greatest possession of all.  The proverb goes even deeper.  Solomon, who had the opportunity to fill his life with any and all pleasures, found out that wisdom was the greatest.  This proverb tells us the no matter what the human heart could desire, wisdom is better than that.

We are upon Christmas time.  Commercials for products abound.  The one that always gets me is the sales that car manufacturers hold during the holidays.  Perhaps it happens.  I don’t know.  But I have never known anyone who has found a brand-new car in their driveway with one of those huge red bows on top of it.  One of the cutest of these commercials has a husband who surprised his wife with a new car.  The problem is, he also bought a new truck.  His intention was she receive the SUV and he receive the pick-up truck.  She chose the pickup.  The point here is, the world tries to entice us into believing there is something that would make is eternally happy.  The truth is, it will not.  Years ago, I visited a man in the hospital.  As a chaplain, I was paged to a room to help a man come to terms with his unfortunate prognosis.  He had just received word that he had weeks, or maybe months, to live.  His heart was failing and he was very low on the list for a transplant.  He sat on the edge of the bed weeping over the choices of life that he made.  For decades of marriage, he was habitually unfaithful to his wife.  Yet, she stuck by him the whole time.  His regret really affected me.  He would have given all that he had to go back in time and undo the choices that he made.

We have all been there.  And will probably be there again.   Why the LORD tolerates us, I will never understand.  We make choices we know are not in our best interest because we have a desire.  Once the desire is met, we understand wisdom would have been better.  Therefore, with all thy getting, get understanding! If only we could convince our hearts of the truth of this matter, perhaps life would go much smother.  All we can do is go to the LORD and repeatedly ask for wisdom.  According to James, He will grant it if we ask.