Far away in a place where no one dare dwell, long forgotten by travelers, not sought after by sightseers, man descends far below where map and compass no longer tell. With torches and eyes gleaming, greedy thoughts aglow with dreaming, he puts an end to that stillness, lighting the darkness.

He is at his endless search; searching and mining for strong iron and copper smelted from ore. There is no price too great, no struggle too strong for this hungry carnivore. Mining deeper and deeper to where no living thing is found and where the roots of the mountains and the womb of great fountains resides.

But this, this is not where wisdom hides.

Man fishes in the deep, casting his net, hoping to retrieve a precious commodity. A chest of treasure, fine gold and silver, the buyer of pleasure. Donning suit and mask and steel contraption he plunges downward toward his fantasy satisfaction. He dares go where there is not sunlight or air, but he finds no wisdom there.

"But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth and it is not found in the land of the living".

I'm flipping from the Prophets to the Epistles seeking out wisdom; following the patterns, mining the pages, looking for secrets, finding . . . something better. Finding Him. Finding 'Peace' Himself. The Word-made-flesh steps off the pages unlocked by whispering a few simple phrases. Though man searches long, still wisdom is hidden, but now it is revealed through the Word, uncovered, dug up, through meditation.

"He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. And to man He said. . . Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom"

See, the desire of the seeker matters more than the skill, we're all just blind travelers fingering a compass which is useless if we aren't willing to be led.

We're speaking, sending out words like a blindman's stick bouncing off of walls, leaving hints of a path unhindered, the echos resounding off the matter around us reminding us there's something strong ahead. Something strong to lean on.

Something solid and immovable like mountains and facts, mountains because they're so big, facts because they always last. A word that remains that can't be undone, step carefully, we're walking in holy territory. Even the most skilled miners and finders can only find minerals and bits of rock in all their caves and crevices. All dirt and worth nothing compared to the sort of treasure God hides.

"But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth and it is not found in the land of the living".

Is it found in the deep where birds dare not make their nest, where only forgotten things have fell? Can it be excavated and traded for all the pearls of this world or the crystal and jade of an elegant promenade? Coral and jasper are not even worthy of mention, silver or fine gold cannot be equaled.

The fear of the Lord leads to wisdom.

"God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens".

Slow at first and now with excitement, I breathe in each verse and breathe out true contentment.  Like a hunter of treasure, I open the pages and begin, the adventure.

"Meditation".

(All italicized verses are from Job chapter 28. Go let the story unfold for yourself).