Silver and Gold. You must have heard the many ads telling us the virtue of owning it because its value never goes down. When I was young, gold was $32 an ounce. Now it is over $1500 an ounce. If only I had bought it when it was $32! But would I be rich? What does a hungry person need more, gold or food?
In today’s proverbs, wisdom’s value is compared to both gold and silver. Wisdom is more valuable than both. If the money you have in your bank account gets seized by the government, as is happening in Cyprus, what would you do? For many, their character would emerge and anarchy would erupt. I don’t want to scare you, but it would get very messy.
Verse sixteen tells of the rewards of wisdom in contrast to the value of gold and silver. Wisdom will bring long life. Why is this so? I know for me personally, money gets my blood pressure rising. There have been times in my life when money was very tight, when finding a little cash for the next meal seemed out of reach. We even had food stamps for a short period of time. When I think about retirement, and the impending drop in disposable income, I can feel stress rising. And stress can kill.
So for me, I am working hard at learning to trust Him with that future. It is very peaceful when I leave that future in His hands. Verse seventeen says peace and wisdom walk the same roads. If I am walking in wisdom, peace will be there as well. I am learning to quiet my body when I feel it go into panic mode. I turn my thoughts to His care and provision.
Wisdom will be the food that gives us life, like the tree of life found in the Garden of Eden, and that tree in heaven, always bearing fruit year round. Wisdom continues to nourish.
So, I haven’t bought gold. I haven’t stocked up on survival food. I don’t own a working gun and I haven’t purchased a safe. Perhaps I am not being wise. Perhaps I am investing in other ways, ways that will last into eternity. Missions giving will span the divide of death, but gold won’t.
The Arnold Journey 