MAGNIFY ~ Day 28

~ Day Twenty-Eight ~

MAGNIFY

No Other Name

The Book of Job ~ Chapter Twenty-Eight

"But where can wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?

Man does not know its value,

nor is it found in the land of the living."

(Job 28:12, 13)

MORNING MEDITATION

Wisdom

God desires for His children to grow in wisdom. In order to navigate the rough terrain and harsh realities of this wilderness world we must walk in wisdom's path and learn to rely entirely on the Lord. Job's friends had knowledge, in their own eyes they had a vast supply, but what they lacked was wisdom. They were not providing their friend with the necessary materials he needed to rebuild his life. Their words were as helpful as the ash heap he was sitting on. There was only one place he would find the supplies he needed to start again, and his sufferings helped to confirm that they would not be found on this earth. "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (Proverbs 24:3, 4).

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

(Proverbs 9:10)

Men are always digging for treasure found in the earth, and they are willing to expend great energy and risk grave danger in order to mine the wealth that is hidden there. "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined" (Job 28:1). The eyes of worldly men are so fixated on the prospect of acquiring great riches that they give no consideration to the difficulties they may face in order to satisfy their desires. People look to things like beauty, power, and wealth as the most desirable things in life, and will go to great lengths and take whatever measures necessary to attain these temporal, fleeting, earthly things. Job reminds us that there is a far more valuable treasure that cannot be gotten by man's effort. "Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living" (v. 13). In God alone is where this rare jewel found, for God is the master and source of wisdom. To acquire this divine treasure, we must first come to the Lord with an obedient response of humility and fear. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever" (Psalm 111:10). Then we must be willing to do the work of a miner and dig deeply and consistently in God's Word to acquire this rare and beautiful jewel that will adorn our lives with heaven's greatest treasure (Colossians 2:3). "[Wisdom] will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you" (Proverbs 4:9). May we be willing to exhaust all our energies in devotion, study, and prayer in order to lay hold of this greater treasure that our Lord Jesus holds out freely for us to receive (1 Corinthians 2:12). "For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her" (Proverbs 8:11). Let us pray and ask God for wisdom and then be willing to apply what He has given us by walking obediently to His truth so we can bring glory and honor to His name (James 1:5)."Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Let us lift up our hearts in praise for the true hope and true riches that are ours eternally in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:3).

"Let not the wise glory in his wisdom,

let not the mighty glory in his might,

nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

but let him who glories glory in this,

that he understands and knows Me,

that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness,

judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these I delight." says the LORD."

(Jeremiah 9:23, 24)

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Read: Job Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Then He saw wisdom and declared it;

He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

And to man He said,

'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,

and to depart from evil is understanding.' "

(Job 28:27, 28)

When the rug was pulled out from under him and his friends treated him like a doormat upon which they could wipe their dirty feet, rather than be consumed by the filth accumulating all around him, Job looked up and gained a new perspective on life. Sitting on the ash heap in a pile of garbage crawling with worms, Job found clarity. Instead of obstructing and clouding his view, his sufferings helped to part the clouds and clear his vision, so that he could focus on what was truly important. In the midst of life's greatest struggles, Job gained a heart of wisdom, and found the answer to the mystery of human sufferings that his friends failed to answer. For there is only one place where wisdom is found. "The deep says, 'It is not in me'; and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price" (Job 28:14, 15). Wisdom can't be found in this earth, it doesn't matter how many books we read or how many discoveries we make; and it cannot be gained by human effort, no matter how hard we strive. Wisdom only comes from God. "God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens" (vv. 23, 24). We learn true wisdom only in a relationship with God. It begins with a genuine reverence for the Lord Almighty, and a steadfast confidence that God controls all circumstances and is working all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). It is knowledge of the highest degree which no ivy league school can confer upon man. Wisdom is a rare beauty of life - of inestimable worth that is born out of an obedient life. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). The wisdom that God gives casts light upon our darkened situation and allows us to gain insight into our difficulties, so that we will learn the things He would have us to learn and respond in a way that pleases the Lord and brings honor to His holy name. May we accept our seasons of suffering with holy fear and glean from them the things that truly matter, then use what we have learned to minister to others in their hour of need with greater compassion and understanding (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4). "Wisdom is the principal thing: Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7)!

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,

then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,

full of mercy and good fruits,

without partiality and without hypocrisy."

(James 3:17)