They Have All The Answers...

To watch the conventions and all of the other appearances by our political candidates, you'd think they have all the answers to our nation's woes. But Job reminded me of where real wisdom comes from...

Job 28:20 “From where, then, does wisdom come?And where is the place of understanding?21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. 22 Abaddon and Death say,‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ 23 “God understands the way to it,and he knows its place. 24 For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure, 26 when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, 27 then he saw it and declared it;he established it, and searched it out. 28 And he said to man,‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

I love the phrase "Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'" No one else can seem to find true Wisdom, but Death is closer to finding it than everything else. This probably sounds strange, but I think everyone will be a lot wiser when they die.

When we die and are judged, we'll know what really mattered. We'll know if we should have spent more time mowing the grass or hugging our kids or spreading the gospel. When we die we'll experience in sight what we have believed by faith. We'll all know better. For most of us it will be quite an awakening and I'm sure we'll wish we would have done better.

Thankfully, God didn't leave us clueless. He told Job to fear the Lord and to shun evil. What's so amazing about Job, is he didn't just hear God's advice, he lived it. The Bible says that Job feared the Lord and he shunned evil. That's what he was known for. That's what I want to be known for too.

Lord, help us to live by faith. Help us to love everything you love, and to hate everything you hate.