Day 94, Year 1
Wisdom is the Most Beneficial
“For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.” (Proverbs 3:14 NASB)
“How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.” (Proverbs 16:16 NASB)
“Her” in the first verse of today refers to wisdom. The book of Proverbs in the Bible might have been compiled as early as the time of King Solomon. During that period, Israeli society was prosperous, making collecting and compiling proverbs from different places easier. Meanwhile, the two verses of today sharply criticize the social phenomenon of solely pursuing earthly wealth. This is often associated with the values and operation of the entire society, which lead people to pursue worldly achievements with interpersonal affirmation. Indeed, seeking wisdom and understanding in a profit-driven society is not easy. Nonetheless, earthly wealth can be easily rotten, but wisdom cannot be easily taken away from our lives unless we deliberately abandon her. Thus, today’s verses state that acquiring wisdom is better than gaining gold or silver.
Indeed, enough gold and silver can provide food and clothing for people, satisfy some human desires, and even secure a temporarily materially abundant life. However, wisdom and understanding are far more beneficial to our spirits and souls. Wisdom could enable us to walk the path of God’s righteousness on which there is life, distinguishing between purity and filth, discerning the path of life and death, and becoming more upright and righteous. So, wisdom is extremely valuable because she leads us to understand and practice righteousness.The urge to choose life at the beginning of this devotional means choosing wisdom so we can have the wisdom to choose life.
Spiritual wisdom is not fast food. We need to absorb her constantly and let her enter our spirits and souls bit by bit. Hence, it is good if you learn spiritual wisdom by reading one devotion per day here. If you can digest two devotions daily in the morning and in the evening, that is more beneficial to you. But still, it is the first and foremost to understand and practice God’s words. To strengthen your learning, you can always review what you have learned. If you have extra time, reading excellent Christian spiritual books is also a suggested way to enhance your divine wisdom and understanding.
Reflection questions:
1) Do you sincerely believe that the wisdom and understanding from God outweigh all gold and silver? Why?
2) How would you arrange your daily routine to receive and digest the divine wisdom and understanding?