December 31 – In Pursuit of Truth (Proverbs 23:22-25)

“Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.”(Proverbs 23:23)

IN WORD:
The world is full of counsel. People offer advice openly, sometimes wanted, sometimes not. Firms pay thousands — even millions, in some cases — for consultations with experts in their particular field. And it is all about predicting the future. Some circles call it “risk management.” We want to base our decisions on what is likely to happen next. Whether we are seeking a greater income, a different work, a new relationship, or any other future endeavor, we plan to succeed. We want to hedge our bets and set ourselves in security.
The problem with our plans is that they rarely get us very far. The benefits of human reasoning will not always set us on the right path. Why? Because when it comes right down to it, none of us knows what will happen in the future. We may plan and save according to all conventional counsel and yet fall flat on our faces in the end. We do not hold the future in our hands. We do not hold the will of God in our hearts. And we do not hold His wisdom in our minds. At least not at first.
That’s why we must live our lives by feeding on God’s daily bread. His Word must come to us regularly, frequently, and repeatedly. It must be driven into our minds and embraced by our hearts. At all costs, at any sacrifice, we must “buy the truth” and not sell it. The counsel of Solomon is on target. There is nothing more valuable than being able to make decisions based on the knowledge of the Omniscient.

IN DEED:
Many a movie or TV show has featured someone who got a glimpse of a future newspaper, a prophecy, or a vision. The usual plot is of thwarting disaster or becoming wealthy with such knowledge. But God does not usually reveal to us our tomorrows. He only reveals to us what we need to know to live them well.
We can’t know the future, but we can have the wisdom of the One who does. That’s just as good. It requires faith, not sight, to walk in such wisdom, but that’s the whole point. We are drawn into a living, daily relationship with the only wise God. Buy His truth, and never let it go.

“What is offered to man’s apprehension . . . Is not truth concerning God, but the living God Himself.” -William Temple-