Job 28:9-12. “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing. He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light. “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
It was only two weeks ago that one of our Daily Devotions suggested that the $170,000 Titanic-DNA watch might be the perfect present for the person who has everything. A fair number of our readers submitted their idea of gifts that were even better. I read them all but really paid attention to the person who forwarded a CNN article about a sale being held at Christie’s auction house in Paris.
The report said that the skeletons of a 13.5-foot-long rhinoceros, a 7.5-foot-tall cave bear, and a Siberian mammoth (12.5 feet high and, complete with tusks, 16 feet long) was going on the auction block. If you’ve got an extra $199,000 and a large spare room, the mammoth might be the gift to get.
As I read the auction’s list of unearthed items that would probably be sold for an uncommon amount of cash, I remembered this devotion’s text taken from the 28th chapter of the book of Job. Quoted above, it speaks of how humans are willing to overturn mountains, cut channels in rocks, and dam up streams, so they may bring to light anything that they think is valuable, including mammoth bones.
Having stated the facts about humanity’s questionable priorities, Scripture asks, “where shall wisdom be found?” It takes a few verses of reading, but the inquiry does get answered. “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).
Now, it is not my intention to say anyone who desires to have a personal mammoth skeleton of his very own is being foolish. I do think it is ridiculous that one of the world’s largest news services found this story worthy of being carried around the world when millions of souls have never heard about Jesus, the Savior who is God’s good news of great joy. I think it is sad that a college student who kills 32 people gets more front-page coverage than the Savior who has redeemed millions from death and hell.
Thankfully, the world’s priorities are not our own. By the Holy Spirit’s power, we are blessed to know and believe in Jesus who is the most precious person anyone can ever know. That is why this devotion suggests that if a person thinks they can find value by looking in the earth, they might do well to take a long gaze into Jesus’ empty tomb. That would be true wisdom, indeed.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, let me always value Calvary’s cross and the resurrection’s empty tomb. Of all things valuable, may Jesus’ sacrifice to save me be the most precious of all. In His name, Amen.
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Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 13-14 Luke 19:28-48
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