Wisdom: The Precious Pathway to Peace
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who secures understanding
14 Because her profit is better than silver, and her produce is better than gold.
15 She is more splendid than pearls, and all you desire does not compare to her.
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of delight, and all her paths are peace.
18 A tree of life is she to those who take hold of her, and those who grab onto her are happy.
Proverbs 3:13–18
How often do we find our hearts racing as we fearfully ask, “but what if… what if… what if…?” How often do we catch our minds wandering down dark paths of despair as we imagine all the horrible things that could go wrong? As we delve into why our hearts grow quickly anxious, we see at the core that we are not satisfied with what we do have, so we worry about what we might not get. In situations like these we are reminded to “get wisdom!” because she satisfies the deepest longings of our souls, and all her paths are peace.
Wisdom, the partner of peace, is more desirable than anything we can imagine: “nothing you desire can compare to her” (v. 15). She, as we have said, satisfies your soul and delights your heart (vv. 17–18). As you think of all the treasures you could have in this world, all the money, all the cars, all the homes, all the friends, all the fame… as you think of all these “treasures”, wisdom stands above them all as the most desirable and the most satisfying to your soul, bringing your whole being on pathways of peace.
What is wisdom, though?
Paul, a master of the Hebrew Scriptures, reads the Old Testament’s use of the word “wisdom” and explains to us that Jesus Himself is the beginning and end of wisdom: in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2–3). So, to search for wisdom is to search for Jesus. To find wisdom is to find Jesus. To be led in peaceful paths is to wander in the riches of Jesus, that He makes abundantly available to all who call upon Him. The encouragement to our racing and anxious hearts is that, whether they be anxious about an election, a fractured family relationship, or the uncertain future, we can cling desperately to Christ!
We cling to the truth that He has already accomplished salvation for the one who cries out to him for mercy. We cling to the promise that His presence alone satisfies our anxious hearts. We can cling to the hope that He has not forgotten those who are His, that He is still in control of all things, that no matter what, there is peace to be had in the richness of Christ’s person and work. Get wisdom by drawing near to Christ.
