My dear readers,

Get?

Proverbs 16:16: “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

“What have you gotten in life?” “What do you want to get in life?” Everyone has only one life to live and what we have gotten in this life impacts eternity! What will the sum of your life be if today is the day that death comes knocking?

The sum of one’s life using the weighing scale of man is measured in terms of gold and silver. “So-and-so has died and left behind an estate worth $1million.” That is what he has gotten for his body, but what has he gotten for his soul? The soul is in bondage to sin. What has he gotten for his soul to get rid of sin? If all he has gotten is gold and silver, his soul is bankrupt and abject slave-poor! Why can’t gold and silver make the soul rich?

Gold and silver have no true value. If these precious metals are really precious, then their value ought not to fluctuate all the time. They do not have any intrinsic value in themselves. Their value is based upon supply and demand. If no man wants them, then they are worthless. If the streets are made of gold, then no one would consider gold to be valuable, but like the bitumen and stone used to make our roads. This is also true of silver!

Gold and silver have no lasting value. Because of their scarcity and man’s love for things shiny, gold and silver are considered valuable. They allow man to buy many things that make his life very comfortable, even luxurious whereby he can buy the best things in life. He can live in a gigantic luxurious mansion. He can surround himself with hundreds of servants to serve him day and night. He can eat the best food and dress in the finest clothing. But he will grow old and even sickly and will, one day, die. The moment he dies, his wealth is left behind. He cannot drink and enjoy the best food. He is not able to appreciate the luxurious coffin that his lifeless body lies in. He has died in his sin and is cast into hell. His carnal luxurious life adds to the torment of spending eternity in hell.

Luke 16:19-24: “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” It is better to be poor in body and rich in Christ than to be rich in body and bankrupt of Christ on earth.

But if we get wisdom and understanding, the results will be amazing. The wisdom and understanding in Proverbs 16:16 refer to God’s holy, perfect and precious Word of everlasting Life. The literal translation emphasizes “getting wisdom and understanding” as these Hebrew words are placed in front of the verse – “To get wisdom, how much better than gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver.” The first nugget of wisdom is to ensure that the soul is delivered from the bondage to sin. Nothing on earth, not even gold and silver and all their accompanying luxuries, can do that; but the Word of God can.

The Word of God reveals to man that he is a sinner before God because of the sins he committed against God, like lying, bowing to and making idols to represent Him, etc. God loves the sinner. He sent Jesus Christ His only begotten Son to live, suffer and die on the cross for man’s sins. If not, all will die in sin and be cast into hell. God accepted Christ’s sacrifice as all sufficient to take away the sins of the world by raising Him from the dead on the third day after He died. All who truly believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour are saved to the uttermost.

Romans 10:9-10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The sinner is delivered from the bondage to sin the moment he receives Jesus Christ into his heart. The penalty of sin which is death and hell are removed, as well as the guilt and dominion of sin in his life. He will stop measuring his life by what he possesses, like gold and silver. He is now a child of God for eternity. He prays without ceasing. He enjoys worship and fellowship with God's children, i.e. his fellow believers. The reading, study and understanding of God's Word bring great joy to his mind, heart and soul. He feels so rich in his soul that the world looks like a rubbish dump to him. It has nothing to offer him anymore. He has found everything in Jesus Christ, his Lord and Saviour.

Wisdom is the application of the knowledge of God's Word. The more we study God's Word and apply it into our daily lives, the wiser we become. We make Christ-centred choices. Decisions that impact our lives result in good works that bring glory and honour to God and Jesus Christ. Understanding relates to the biblical understanding of people and the circumstances that confront us. With this biblical understanding, Christ-honouring decisions are made. All things done in life are done with eternity’s perspective because of Jesus Christ.

I just received an email from a young man who says that he is a modern-day prophet and would like to come to our church to speak and prophesy to our members. My first reaction was to regard the email as junk mail and delete it. But the Spirit of God burdened my heart to correspond with him and share the gospel with him. With much prayer for wisdom and God’s mercy, my prayer is that this young man may truly come to know Christ as Lord and Saviour. The Word of God is a complete and perfect Book that is the Light to a world in deep spiritual darkness.

What are you getting in life, dear reader? Do you have Christ in your heart and soul? If the “grim reaper” knocks on our heart’s door, what will God find when He measures our life of getting?