Proverb 3:13

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding.”

The pursuit of happiness: a well-worn, never-ending path, littered with weary travelers, exhausted from failed attempts at finding said happiness. The goal cannot be attained because happiness is not found therein; despite the deceptive sign at the trailhead, claiming that it is, indeed, the way. 

It’s etched into our understanding, engraved in our culture that we are a people who search for and find happiness. It’s healthy. It’s desired. It’s American. 

We spend an exorbitant amount of time in search but are ironically, left anxious discontent and unfulfilled. The more we seek, the less we are convinced that happiness is indeed a real thing.

We’ve sought for it in jobs, in education, in money, in entertainment, in love, in people. But the more we search, the more empty we feel. 

Biblically, there is a solution and the equation is simple. Happy is the man who finds Wisdom! The assumption of course, is that you are in search of it. The structure of the text suggest that it is hidden and that it’s not inherently existent. But happy is the man who finds it, as is the man who gains understanding.

Not knowledge. Not education. Not even intellect. But understanding!

When I read a word, I may not know what it means. I can read it, I can say it aloud, I may even be able to use it in a sentence. But until I know the definition of the word, I cannot know what it means. So I use a tool, better known as a dictionary, which teaches me what words mean. And I gain an understanding of that word. But I have to do the research. It’s a prerequisite for wisdom and understanding. But when we’re willing to do the work, we will be rewarded with happiness.