I love Fall and look forward to it every year. It is a lesson on death of sorts, but it brings with it the promise of new life to come in the Spring. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies….it remains only a single seed, BUT if it dies, it produces many seeds…”Jn. 12:24 My humble garden waves goodbye until spring and the fall leaves on the trees surrounding it burst into vibrant colors and then slowly brown and drop to the ground… waving their final farewell!
Every thing and every one of us faces physical death. There is no possibility of escape. It is an undeniable reality! Godly obedience comes with the promise of long life…but death is inevitable and we are all dying a little each day!
What we do with the time we have here, short as it is, tells us what we value most and where our treasure is. When, during our Fall Season of life here on earth, our treasure is eternal, not temporal,.. we carry the promise of never dying but passing from one life to another…into eternal life!
In a society where our monetary treasures are on the cusp of being devalued to nil, the temporal world is feeling pretty insecure. If we define our “treasure” by worldly standards, we are in deep trouble!
I was reading in Proverbs 24:4 this morning and stumbled over:
“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Knowledge is familiarity gained by insight to (biblical) truth, experience and accumulated acts and reports.
We are not to envy persons that “linger over wine and sample mixed wine” or to desire their company; for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about making trouble.” Pro. 23: 30 By wisdom a house is built…by understanding it is established; by knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” Prov. 24:1 I do not think it is coincidence that these two verses follow one another. Envy is a robber of the soul. It is a greed that consumes time and swallows up treasured values.
So then, how do we get knowledge so we can acquire “rooms filled with rare and beautiful treasures”?
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge…” Pro. 12:1
Discipline is accepting suffering as God’s fastest path to growth and giving thanks for it! (Lam. 3:33) The realm of tribulation becomes the home of revelation and the resource of knowledge.
What?? Who loves discipline???
We had better love it, accept it, practice it and endorse it because scripture states, “he who hates correction is stupid!” Pro. 12: 1 NIV I already fight stupid! So for me, it is imperative that I get wisdom, understanding and knowledge because I want the fruit …those ”rooms filled with rare and beautiful eternal treasures.”
So, how does Scripture say I gain knowledge?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of KNOWLEDGE. Prov. 1: 7
I need to fear the Lord!
Let’s let the Bible define “to fear the Lord”.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Prov. 8: 13
I need to hate SIN!
This means no “acceptable sins” permitted:
· No Deception
· No Covetousness
· No Fearfulness
· No Loneliness
· No Stinginess
· No Dominance
· No Double-mindedness
· No Disrespect
· No Slothfulness
· No Presumption
· No Apathy
· No Hypocrisy
· No Extravagance
· No Wastefulness
· No Anger
· No Rudeness
· No Irresponsibility
· Etc.!!!
Are the rooms in your house “filled with rare and beautiful treasure”?
Why not?
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is discipling and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
