Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, )K

“Knowing What to Trust” “For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.” - Proverbs 8:11 (MSG)

Something that I have been pondering for some time yet have not mentioned it because I want to be cautious and not sound overly cynical – but do these words seem just a bit “empty” considering they come from a man who had everything?
Think about it. Did Solomon lack for anything? Did he work six days a week just to pay his bills? Did he have to sit down each night and mull over his checkbook wondering what bills he should pay and which ones to “think about?” Listen to these words from the book of Ecclesiastes, another one of Solomon’s writings:

“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 (NIV)

Not many of us—if any of us would ever find ourselves in this kind of circumstance. Most of us work hard, (maybe overtime?) just to eek out an existence…make ends meet and any other cliché you can come up with. So for us to look at these words: “…wisdom is better than the trappings of wealth…” well, let’s just say it may not bother us to find ourselves “trapped” from time to time, if for no other reason than to just get our heads above water long enough to see what is going on.
So how should we take this? How can we let these words take hold and be of benefit to us? Isn’t that the purpose of Scripture? Isn’t that what we are told?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2nd Timothy 3:16, 17

Paul (a very learned man) says all Scripture is from God! Not just the parts that we approve of or the passages that we are comfortable with but all of it. That tells me that regardless of how I feel about whether or not Solomon understands the common man—God understands life and knows how easily we can get “trapped” by it. Which is why wisdom is to be preferred—to prevent those trappings from taking place.
Solomon never knew me or my situation—but God does. Solomon could not possibly understand the financial crisis either I or any of us may face. God does. Which is why I choose to let Scripture be my guide even when it often does not seem to fit just right at the time.
Regardless of who penned the words—it is the mind and heart of God that directed those words and He knows what we need the most. That is where I need to place my trust!
Pastor J. T. Carnell