Being Smart or Being Wise

Read Job 28:1-29:6
 
I recently read a report that noted the price of tuition at colleges is on the rise. Actually, the price of tuition has been on a steady increase over the last several decades. It is rather amazing that we have more colleges in our country than perhaps any other nation in the world and yet we are not getting any smarter. There are more doctors in America than perhaps anywhere in the world and yet the subject matter of their dissertations is often worthless and to make matters worse they seem to be doing nothing to ease the burdens of life and everything to complicate them. We value higher education in America. We value the degrees that we place behind our names on our calling cards.  We place great value on educational growth in the United States, but we place very little value on wisdom.
 
Reading through this 28th chapter of Job is like reading through a chapter in the Proverbs. Job sings a great song here about wisdom. Wisdom is elusive and difficult to find (12) and even if we do find wisdom (which is unlikely) it will be difficult to comprehend its true worth (13). To complicate matters Job says that wisdom cannot be bought. Figure this, he spends 5 verses telling his friends (and us) how expensive wisdom is and how there is seemingly not enough money in the world to purchase it (15-19).
 
So where does wisdom come from he asks (20)?  Why is wisdom hidden from ‘every living thing?’ Even the birds of the air that have a ‘birds eye view’ cannot see wisdom. It is hidden from us no matter how hard we look, no matter how far we search, no matter how long we pursue it. Wisdom is not easily attained by anyone. (Yet, James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who generously gives to all without fault.”)
 
So, the path to wisdom is difficult to find and it is priceless beyond our comprehension. Why bring it up then?  Job tells us the answer: “God understands the way to it, and he alone knows where it dwells.” The solution is simple: if it is wisdom you desire there is only one place to find it. Wisdom is not found in a political ideal, nor at an institution of higher learning, nor in books. Wisdom is found in God and the only way to have wisdom is ‘through the fear of the Lord.’ That, says Job, is wisdom.
 
Should we go to college? Should we read books? Should we contemplate the vastness of galaxies and the intricacies of DNA? I would say yes. But I would think that after studying and doing such things we would still feel rather empty and void. All the ‘knowledge’ we can attain through such endeavors will never amount to anything if it is not accompanied by the fear of the Lord. There are unlimited possibilities in our world, but there is only One God. Being smart will not find Him; finding Him will make us wise.
 
Prayer Thoughts on Job 28:1-29:25
 
Pray today for those whom we know to be graduating from high school or college. We know they know all there is to know about life now so let us be praying that they will soon realize they do not. Let us pray for their continued education and learning and that they will seek the divine wisdom of God as revealed in the Holy Scripture.