We mine what we value

The Most Valuable things are Mined James #4 ~ August, 2019.

podcast: 
https://www.pastorwoman.net/…/the-most-valuable-things-are-…

Following the last Morning Briefing, 'Sometimes you just gotta know,' ~ 
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you-James 1.5,
someone responded, 'This is so awesome . . . just ask God for wisdom and we have it?' Well, the answer to that is 'yes and no'.

Obviously, in the study of the little blockbuster book of James, wisdom has been uppermost in my mind. The writer of the proverbs has a lot to say about wisdom as well, most importantly that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In the second chapter of Proverbs, Solomon said of wisdom, "if you look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:4-5 
'If you look for it as silver...' 'huh,' I thought, 'how is silver mined?' Doing a little research, it is clear that silver is not come by easily. I found a passage in Job chapter 28: "There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness; he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man . . . He tunnels through the rock..."

But what did Solomon mean to 'look for it as silver'? I have been pondering the question. First, a person only looks for silver because it is of value; clearly, we should value wisdom . . . highly. Second, while God is the source, he gives wisdom to his children when they ASK - when they sincerely look to him in prayer, with the FAITH that he will supply it, AND when they look to his WORD to understand and apply it. Further, God grants wisdom to his children when they trust him through the MATURING processes of life's storms, knowing that a loving God means all for their good.

Several years ago, I took my youngest son, Danny, to Park City to visit his best friend, Cameron, who had moved to the town with his family. We drove by an old snow-covered silver mine, which drew my rapt attention. My friend, Jeff, told me of the time he had taken his children down into the mine on a tour. It sounded like my own personal nightmare as they took an elevator down, down, into the recesses of the earth where it was, of course, pitch black, (save for their 'miner's helmets'),

and then took open railcars along the floor of the mine all over beneath the town of Park City, Utah. (I found my breathing growing shallow just listening--claustrophobia welling up in me!) ~>

Yet, that was what Solomon was talking about - those miners of yesteryear - the ones that were drawn to this area to settle it originally-came for those silverveins, rich in the Utah mountains. Think of it, they risked a lot to tunnel down to get that silver, especially the original pioneers.

<~Park City Silver Mine.

Consider:
~>Do you value wisdom enough to spend the time to mine it? ~>Do you value wisdom enough to dig for it--reading, studying and truly applying the deep treasures of God's Word daily? 
~>Do you value wisdom enough to read the writing of great minds who have gone places your mind has never imagined? 
~>Do you value wisdom enough to seek out the company of those who wish to be wise, of those who know and have experienced far more of life?
~.Do you value wisdom enough to press in and seek God for it in prayer?

Oh, the treasure trove of wisdom to be found in the life lived seeking the heart of God!

Wisdom - treasure it, look for it like silver.

Christine

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