the value of wisdom

Proverbs 3:13-18

¹³ Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,

¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Since I've been an independent adult I have spent a lot of time praying for provision, praying that I would be a good steward of what I have, and praying that I would honor the Lord with my finances. It seems that over these past 6 years I haven't been able to hide from financial difficulties. But in these past 6 years, I have never once been without. The Lord has ALWAYS provided, whether through family or friends or unexpected blessings. He is Good. He is Faithful.

When the Lord called Richard and I to Canada, we willingly followed. Richard signed a contract for an amount of money that was plenty for the two of us to live on, pay some debt, and put some into savings. But a few days before I left for Canada we received the news that Richard had been selected to be on the practice roster. We knew this was always a possibility, but we never expected it to happen. My first reaction was panic. Being on practice roster meant a HUGE pay cut. Something I didn't think we would be able to live off of. But the Lord kept gently nudging me to "go" and to trust Him.

Since we've been here we've been managing our finances pretty well. It's definitely an adjustment b/c the cost of living here is considerably higher. Grocery shopping is outrageous, gas is double what it is in Texas, eating out is almost out of the question, and tax here is just over 12%! Crazy! Over the past few weeks we became aware of some large bills that were due in Texas. We also just discovered that this next week we won't receive a paycheck b/c it is a bye week for the players, which leaves us unsure of how we will pay some of our upcoming bills. I became really anxious and honestly just afraid of the situation we are in. So I've been spending a lot of time talking to the Lord about all of this. Reading Scripture. Praying. Asking for Provision. Begging God to move Richard up to the active roster THIS WEEK. Well Richard did NOT get moved up this week to my extreme disappointment, but the Lord is good and has provided in other ways.

But something that I've realized during all of this is that through all my prayers for provision I've neglected to ask God for wisdom. Like the passage of Scripture says, "nothing you desire can compare with her". The value of wisdom is infinitely more than the value of any provision. If I'm lacking wisdom, how can the Lord trust me to be a good steward of His provision. I need wisdom & understanding to know how to effectively manage what the Lord gives me. I want to desire wisdom more than I desire financial provision. "Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace." I desire to walk her pleasant ways and her paths of peace. If I'm walking in wisdom, then the choices I make financially will be be honoring the Lord and will lead me to "paths of peace". Even if I'm still needing provision, I won't have to live in anxiety and fear b/c I'll know that I've done what the Lord has asked of me and the rest is up to Him.

So as I continue to pray for provision, I pray more that I would "embrace" wisdom so that I can honor the Lord as He provides. We trust God and we believe that he will give us the wisdom & provision to move through this phase in our life. I confess that I struggle with wondering how God will pull this off, but I know He will. He always does. Through a sermon I watched online the other day, I was reminded to not allow "toxic" thoughts to enter my mind. I must meditate on the faithfulness of God and his abundant provision in my life. He is compassionate. He hears & answers our prayers.

Be encouraged by God today. He is our Comforter. Our Provider. The Prince of Peace.

Seek His wisdom.