Get ready; you’re about to witness someone turning into their father for just a moment by uttering the phrase “in my generation”. Here goes: in my generation as kids, we were always told, “If you get a good education, you’ll go far”. Now that I wrote it, I have to stop for moment to regain my composure. Thanks, I’ll continue. Getting a college degree was important to advancing yourself beyond the “blue collar jobs” that were available to those without degrees. For me, the irony about that statement was watching my dad go to work everyday as computer programmer/operator in the 1960’s. He did not have a college degree but was trained in the Army in how to use these “new machines”. I never really understood the magnitude of what my dad did until a few years ago. He was taught about computers in the early 1950’s! He never obtained a college degree but worked as a data center manager for more than 30 years. Today, we can get our degrees “on-line” using hand held net books or lap tops. College degrees today provide us with a well-rounded view of the world around us beyond the english, math and science classes we “loved”. The phrase “you’ll go far” may have faded with the punch card, a college education has become almost as important as a high school diploma. As we get closure to celebrating Easter, I wanted to focus on our spiritual education today.

Proverbs 24:3-4 – “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

What a great way to describe our journey with God. We start to build our relationship with God by the wisdom to answer His call and establishing the structure to hear His word. We move into the next phase of our relationship by taking God’s word and applying it to our lives. We attend church services, listen to the bible verses being read and say the prayers and creeds to profess our faith. We begin to understand what He wants us to do; we follow His teachings and go about our daily lives. We think this obedience is what God wants us to do and it is here at “understanding” where most people coast though their journey. At this point the house is built and the relationship is been established, but God is telling us that something is still missing. Imagine your house – a structure (wisdom), it’s occupied (understanding) but without love (knowledge) its not really ever filled. Seek to fully develop your relationship with God with the knowledge of His word through regular devotional reading, bible study and the active application of that knowledge in your life. Use His love to fill your life with His rare and beautiful treasures.