Welcome back, I hope the school and Easter break was a special time for you and your family. When our children were young we loved holding birthday parties for them. One year we decided to have a ‘chocolate frog treasure hunt’ in the back yard. Sue hid 20 frogs in our back yard and then sent the children out to find them. Each time they found one they put it in a basket and kept on searching. What they didn’t realise, however, was that Sue kept taking the frogs out of the basket and re-hiding them. It was a lot of fun. When the parents came to collect their children we overheard one child say, “Mum. They had hundreds of chocolate frogs in their back yard and I got to keep one!” (We did also give them lolly bags!)
Looking for treasure is something that seems to capture everyone’s imagination! I’m not sure if it’s the promise of untold wealth or the quest for treasure that seems to spark the imagination. Forrest Fenn is an eccentric multi-millionaire who claims to have hidden a box in the Rocky Mountains full of precious jewels and gold worth in excess of $2M. Such is the interest in finding this treasure that out of the many who’ve gone in search of it, four people have lost their lives.
The writer of the Old Testament book Proverbs also speaks about seeking and finding treasure.
“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” Proverbs 3:13-15 (The New International Version)
The writer of Proverbs is teaching his sons how to live well, and suggests that wisdom is one thing worth seeking above all else. Wisdom, he goes on to say, will lead us through life, keep us from stumbling and crown us with honour.
Several hundred years later, James, one of Jesus’ disciples, also emphasises the importance of wisdom. He wrote “The wisdom that comes from Heaven, is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17). James was plainly suggesting that when we seek God’s wisdom, all kinds of good things start to flourish in your life.
To seek wisdom is to ultimately seek God, the source of all wisdom and understanding. The wisdom that comes from above is worth more than any buried treasure we could ever hope to find!
My prayer for each of our students is that they will train their hearts to seek wisdom and train their feet to walk in God’s ways. Do this and they will be known as people with wisdom beyond their years; wisdom that enables the good things of this life to flourish within them and which they can share with others.
Blessings,
Ross Grace
Principal / CEO