Wisdom for Faithful Labor

Men dig deep into earth for silver and hidden ore, yet Job says that wisdom is not found by such searching. It is given in the fear of the Lord, and shown in turning away from evil. This same wisdom appears when the prophets build with their hands, when Paul commands the disorderly to work quietly and eat their own bread, and when Daniel is told that the end will bring both trial and resurrection. The servant of God does not live by curiosity, idleness, or panic, but by obedient labor under the eye of judgment.

Even the lost iron in the Jordan teaches this. What sank beyond reach was raised by the prophet through the sign of wood cast into the water. God is not hindered by what is heavy, lost, or impossible to recover. Therefore when trouble comes, the faithful do not stop their work, nor do they give themselves to restless talk. They pray that the word may run, they keep the tradition they received, and they endure until the books are opened and sleepers rise.

As Cyprian says, "We command you, says he, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from all brethren that walk disorderly, and not after the tradition that they have received from us." And the foundation of such a life is plain: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Let us then be found among those who understand—not merely by speech, but by steadfast hands, guarded conduct, and patient hope—so that in the resurrection we may shine, not be put to shame.