day 825: Understanding

"But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living."

"I just don't understand", says the new employee. The boss of the employee pauses for a moment and knows that she needs to slow down and take a few more minutes to clarify and reinforce the point, but she is busy, late for a meeting with her boss, and she just can't "afford" the time. So, instead of fixing a time to talk later or direct the employee to someone else, she says instead, "Don't worry about it. You and I can catch up on this later." And then she whisks off and the new employee who is excited and anxious at the same time about his new job, goes on about his job, doing what he can without really understanding what it is that he specifically is to do. If this scenario doesn't feel familiar then I would be surprised. Understanding is hard to get to and we take it for granted that others will understand and since it is so hard to get to an "understanding" we seldom go the whole way to nail it down once and for all. Understanding can be a competitive advantage if we just take the time to make sure that everyone truly does understand what to do, when to do it, and how to do it to a level of shared satisfaction.

We are told in Job that we can't find understanding and wisdom from the living. While this, on the surface, seems to not be so, when we consider a deep and true understanding and wisdom of our lives, we can see why this statement is true. This is why God gave us His Word. Written long before us by ones long gone, we can find the wisdom of God there. Each day, each of us, face a set of work and life challenges that we know if we had more understanding and wisdom that we would be able face these big and small things in a way that would allow us to conquer whatever is given to us. Before we take on today, let's take just a few minutes to ready and arm ourselves with His Word to move us through today.

Reference: Job 28:12-13 (New Living Testament)