Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Happy are those who find wisdom,
and those who get understanding,
for her income is better than silver,
and her revenue better than gold.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, July 26, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
We are a society obsessed with ‘income’ and ‘revenue’ and ‘wealth.’ The fact is that we all need to be able to support ourselves, so we have to be somewhat concerned about our income and expenses. There are so many who struggle—or fail utterly—to cover basic needs, and I cannot discount that reality and just proclaim, “Oh, wisdom is way more important than all of that.” Let me be frank: you can’t eat wisdom.
This passage from Proverbs isn’t saying that wisdom is a substitute for basic needs. Instead, it is calling out all of us whose primary focus is the pursuit of financial wealth—that is, having way more than we need—and schooling us in what really constitutes wealth in God’s eyes. That is, wisdom and understanding, which is also humility and teachability, the deep desire to be in relationship with God, to know more, dig deeper, and be transformed. To have life and have it abundantly in ways we could not begin to imagine. How amazing is that?
What are my thoughts about ‘wealth’?
