“Man puts an end to darkness
and searches out to the farthest limit
the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;
they are forgotten by travelers;
they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread,
but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
Its stones are the place of sapphires,
and it has dust of gold…
“Man puts his hand to the flinty rock
and overturns mountains by the roots.
He cuts out channels in the rocks,
and his eye sees every precious thing.
He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,
and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
“But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its worth,
and it is not found in the land of the living.
The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
It cannot be bought for gold,
and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
in precious onyx or sapphire.
Gold and glass cannot equal it,
nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
the price of wisdom is above pearls.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
nor can it be valued in pure gold.
“From where, then, does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?..
“God understands the way to it,
and he knows its place.
For he looks to the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
When he gave to the wind its weight
and apportioned the waters by measure,
when he made a decree for the rain
and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
then he saw it and declared it;
he established it, and searched it out.” Job 28:3-6,9-20,23-27
Since the beginning of time, the heart of man has beat with a quest for understanding. Creator God designed and implanted an impulse to search for treasure, beauty, and meaning, to uncover hidden objects and discover how and why life works. He also created the world to be discoverable, to a certain extent, and its elements and ecosystems and jewels and creatures to awaken awe at each new unfolding. Each channel bids us deeper, each delight makes us hungry for more, yet wisdom can be elusive.
God knows the place of wisdom, and has so ordered our world and the nature of hunger that we will find it only through Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We can amass goods and pretties, and significance through education and experiences, but the quest for true treasure will come up empty if we do not first seek the Lord. (Exodus 33:13,18; Proverbs 9:10)
Have we an undefined yearning? Do we find ourselves feeling empty, unsustained by pop culture and vapid knowledge? Do we desire wisdom but habitually look in the wrong places? Would we seek perspective in the heart and ways of God? Will we search His face, His word, His grace for wisdom that nourishes, guides, and enlightens?
Lord, help me live by wisdom by looking daily for You.
As the rain and snow 