The book of Proverbs advises the reader to seek the types of wisdom and knowledge that come only from the Lord. In a world where conflicting ideas of sound thinking blizzard around us, it pays to give attention to this ancient text:

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Very little advice I hear matches this encouragement to discover understanding found through the Lord. Like opening a locked chest containing unknown treasure, we don’t know what we’ll find, except we can be assured it’s better than silver or gold or rubies.

This week I finished the final reviews for my Doctor of Ministry degree. I submitted the last bit of paperwork and now await a diploma in the mail. It took two and a half years to complete the program, and cost me a chunk of time and money and attention. As part of my work I produced a tool for helping professors better tell their story of faith. You can check it out here.

Through this process of study and research I learned a great deal about academics and story-telling. The intellectual knowledge is helpful, but insights into the needs of others proved invaluable. I gained a greater depth of understanding, which is more precious than rubies, or even a diploma to hang on my wall.

Proverbs 3 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Ashin K Suresh