Proverbs 8:35-36 (ESV)
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death.”
Whoever finds Wisdom finds eternal life and blessing from God. But finding Wisdom doesn’t mean merely stumbling upon her. Instead, the word “finding” implies a longing for and seeking after her. There are consequences of failing to find Wisdom. The one who does not hunt for her, but is instead content to live according to what seems right in her own eyes, will suffer in this life and the life to come. Heaven’s inhabitants will live consistently with Wisdom, thinking and acting in accordance with God’s desires. In heaven, there will be no more occasion for mourning or crying or pain. So why do we fear God’s will now? Why might we internally cringe as we pray for it in our lives? If we yearn for heaven, where only God’s will is done, then it makes sense to live according to his plan now, while on earth. May we commit to finding Wisdom again, fueled by a longing to live consistently with God’s desires and motivated by the promise of favor from the Lord.