A story is told of a wise woman who was traveling in the mountains and who found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food.

The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me something more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.

The woman was very wise and each of us will have our own reasons for thinking she was wise. Some would say she was wise, because she knew money wasn’t everything. Some could say she knew that such a valuable stone could put her life at risk. Somebody could kill her for it and then it wouldn’t matter if you were rich. Some would say her wisdom lay in her seeing the poverty of the other person and thinking he needed it more than her.

A simple tale that helps us understand wisdom. But strangely enough, the man who was not afraid to ask someone else for something also explains something about wisdom. He was so happy about the wealth that fell into his lap. I can see the skip in his step as he walked away after sharing the woman’s food.

But fortunately, wisdom didn’t skip him. For a few days he couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the woman had given him the stone just like that. He realised there was something of more value than the valuable stone. The woman knew it. Yes, she was wise enough and that is why she gave away the stone. Then he was wise enough to realise there was something more and that is what he was looking for.

We need wisdom every day at the crossroads in our lives. We actually need eyes that can look past what is right in front of us and see the bigger picture. We need to make decisions every day and it is not so easy to see God’s picture for us.

So many times we have chosen wrong, because wisdom did not come soon enough. It is always after we’ve taken the wrong decision and the consequences are lying around us on the floor that wisdom appears in hindsight.

We need reinforcements ¹²… to take on a God-filled, God-honouring life. Yes, God brings wisdom. He sees the complete picture.

Maybe, if we go and sit with him more and more, we’ll see his picture and gain wisdom.

Scripture
Titus 2:11-14

Reflection
What does your wisdom look like?
What does your time with God look like?
How can you get wisdom from God more often?

Prayer
Father, I realise more and more how much I need You! Please help me live so close to You that I will start thinking like You, and start doing like You. I ask this in Jesus’ Name, amen.