More profitable than silver, more precious than rubies. And in fact, all the things we may desire cannot compare with her.
It’s a love story.
Happy is the man who finds her. For her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
It’s always been a love story.
To have her is better than strength. When she is with him he is stronger than ten rulers in a city. The wall of the mighty is as nothing before him. As long as she is by his side, he easily scales it and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
Just a single man, with her as his companion, saves an entire city.
Therefore I ask - Have we found her yet? Do we know her name?
More than a year ago, we spoke of seeking after this most precious one:
Wisdom is much the same as knowledge, yet with attributes personal in nature. A living, breathing entity. One who exists, who was there and who lives on.
Have we delighted in the pursuit of wisdom as wisdom delighted with us? Or as God delighted daily in her?
Have we pursued her? Sought her out? Or have we simply darkened His counsel by words spoken without knowledge. Even worse, perhaps our chief delight has been not in wisdom nor her Maker, but in the sound of our own voice. These words spoken without knowledge.
We know what it is to see a crisis, to hear a report, and to respond instantly. We spoke of this in March of 2020, as the world was beginning to lockdown:
As your desire for information increased this week, most likely too did the number of words you consumed. Perhaps two, three or even four times the amount of words that you normally would hear. Words, upon words, compounded by more words.
For many of us, the words we heard made us scramble for safety and stockpile basic goods in the name of scarcity. Smart. Common sense. Important.
Yet, as we lamented back then, and still mourn today - for as much as we are a people who know how to respond in an instant, we still so often fail to respond with wisdom by our side:
But for all the words spoken, did you find comfort? Or complete peace? Did you hear from heaven? Were the ways of God made clear to you? Have you made sense of it all?
You see, there is a shortage felt much more than the current scarcity of basic goods. A rare thing that cannot be easily found, even in times of plenty or peace. And when, in times past, this has been found on the earth, it has, "conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight."
What is it? It is men and women who speak more than words, they carry a voice.
Friends, I weep most not from the events of our day, but for the great absence of that one, most precious thing - wisdom.
The world feels this scarcity. Therefore, let us seek after her, call her profitable, precious and more desirable than any other thing. And let us press on in our pursuit until we can be as that happy man who has not only found her, but also retains her.
The arrogant boast in their self-made success. Let us hold wisdom and never let her go, even as we are kept by her every second of the day.
The stubborn proceed without caution. Let us carry wisdom with us wherever we go, even as she directs every one of our steps.
The fool speaks without restraint. Let us never cease to speak of the beautiful profits of wisdom, even as our own lips are restrained by her from speaking even a single careless word.
Let us not be as these three who are headed down the path of destruction. Instead, let us be a people who are enlightened.
Not enlightenment as some would prefer to define this word, but only as it is described in the holy scriptures, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:17-23
Do we walk, speak, and have our being at all times holding fast to this wisdom?
Selah.
Do we feel the absence of this wisdom, as we are tossed to and fro by every wave of life and wind of strange doctrine, seeking for something, anything, to cling to in order to give us the stability of hope we need to make it through the day?
This is foolishness, not wisdom. Let us be done with it once and for all.
Instead, as much as we pursue wisdom until we have found her, let us also exercise wisdom as we strengthen our senses to discern both good and evil.
Discernment - the exercising of wisdom and a gift of the Spirit.
“The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit…to another discerning of spirits…but one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Have we strengthened our senses to clearly discern good and evil by the exercising of wisdom? Or has it all been one big reaction after reaction?
This is foolishness, not wisdom. Let us be done with it once and for all.
Seek after wisdom. Love her. Desire her. Hold onto her as your strength, protection and most precious possession.
Pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, to give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened.
Ask the Spirit for the gift of discernment. And begin to strengthen your senses through use to be able to discern both good and evil.
In love,
Derek
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Additional scriptures referenced in the writing of this letter:
“A wise person scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.” Proverbs 21:22
“Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.” Ecclesiastes 7:19
“Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.” Ecclesiastes 9:15
“And I said, ‘Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.’" Ecclesiastes 9:16
“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14