Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
When the universities in Bologna, Paris, and Oxford started in the Middle Ages, the goal of the education was not much different than it became in the 20th Century. It was to get a well paying job in the field of medicine, law, or theology. Many other subjects were added over the centuries but the bang for the buck became the standard for colleges instead of imparting wisdom. Now it is radically different but wisdom is ignored even more, stressing activism and ambition. We are now seeing the ghastly results. The university leaders should have been reading and teaching from Proverbs like this one. Wisdom beats money every time. Ambition leads to heartache but wisdom teaches the heart.
Where do we find wisdom? Here is a hint. Skip the college syllabus. It is not there. It is right here in the Bible. Wisdom comes from the Lord and we learn it not in universities but from the Creator of the universe. Even theology studies have drifted away from this but we need not drift from his word. Open it today and see the silver and gold. Marvel at the glistening jewel that is the gospel. This gospel aligns our priorities with God’s so we can avoid heartache and ruin that ambition brings. May we humbly submit and thereby gain wisdom.
Dear Lord, thank you for making the search for wisdom easy so all may attain it no matter our education. Teach us to be humble and wise today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church