Berry Pickin Wisdom

(Pro 8:19) My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

Berry Pickin….

Berry pickin runs deep in my family history. As a boy growing up, I used to get up early in the spring before the sun was up and go with my family up into the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains near broken bow, Oklahoma hunting the elusive dew berry. Much larger than its diminutive cousin that grows in many yards across east texas, Dew Berries known primarily for their size are also sought out for their mixture of sweet and tart juices that give cobblers and jellies their divine flavor.

As the sun would begin breaking the eastern sky I remember how Breakfast wove its way into our nostrils and the aroma broke over us with waves of bacon and gravy, fresh biscuits, and jam. Hurriedly we ate and got ready for the mornings work. Heading out to the car we carried those five gallon white paint buckets, plenty of mosquito spray and some lunch.

Out in the hills the berry patches were just where God and the birds planted them. They made up mounds of brambles sometimes has high as your waste and other times they spread out across the ground like clover. A dew berry is an interesting berry. It comes in early just behind the frost. Some years the frost catches it but most years God makes sure enough exists to feed his birds and creatures along with a few adventurous souls.

Now the Berry vines only produce berries on the second year’s flouricanes. This means that amidst the 2nd year berry vines there will be many old vines woven intricately throughout the mounds. Once some berries are found the problem then becomes one of safety and access. Though not as thorny as the raspberry, the black berry variety of dew berry has its share of thorns and problems. You have to be careful cuz snakes; varmints and the irritable yellow jacket want the berries as much as you do.. Regularly I have intruded on the breakfast of some yellow jackets or red wasps. Even my dad once reached into the thicket, and thinking the stings on his hand were berry thorns he continued to pick berries. Finally when he brought out his hand…there sat three yellow jackets hammering at his now swollen wrist like jack hammers on highway construction.

Other issues make these large berries an elusive prize. The berries are on the vines intermittently intertwined with last year’s brambles since no gardener is there to trim those dead ones back. Furthermore the best of the berries are hidden from view. In order for you to find them you must reach into the berry thicket weaving your arm through it like a snake and pull back the thorny arms of the brambles always scouring them for berries. These berries remain hidden, missed by God’s creatures and must be discovered in order to be picked. The largest, most succulent berries are often found in an area after it has already been picked over.

The berries hide under leaves, old vines and dust. Sometimes in the early fog of morning, a red berry looks ripe but instead it’s just covered with dust. Once a berry is spotted it has to be picked. You may miss it when looking at it from other angles. It may be hidden from another view or the other side of the hill.

Like berries wisdom is an elusive jewel that is worth pursuing. It hides under the leaves of knowledge and understanding. Frequently false wisdom is clothed in wisdom’s berry ripeness but in the end it is nothing more than sour fruit covered in dust. In proverbs Solomon sets forth a number of his own maxims as well as the writings of a few other authors that he collated. This work can be seen as a training manual for national leaders of his day. He contrasts the great woman of Godly wisdom with the wanton woman of earthy substitutes. He includes the famous rendition of King Lemuel’s mother in Proverbs 31 depicting a woman who had attained and practiced wisdom.

Solomon here is teaching young leaders the importance and great value of true wisdom. He knew that information is not enough to aid a leader in leading a nation. He also knew that understanding is greater than information but it neither is enough to lead. Information has to migrate through knowledge and be sifted with the spirit and experience to gain understanding. And even though understanding is valuable in the classroom and testing times it is not sufficient to meet the level of wisdom. Wisdom begins with the reverence of God and knowing that one does not know everything. Wisdom comes through the activity of application of knowledge. Though wisdom cries in the streets it seems nowadays people lack wisdom and even plain old common sense.

So where are you now…Are you seeking wisdom…it is a prize worth more than financial gain. She cries in the streets and yet too many are attracted to the wanton woman of earthy substitutes. Great leadership requires great humility and wisdom. These are only found in God…Pray for wisdom James says God will give it liberally…seek the counsel of God and read the book of proverbs. Like the pearl of great price let us avail ourselves of seeking the prize in spite of the winsome call of earthly substitutes…Let us reach deep into the word and let it dwell richly in our minds and hearts. And may our actions show that we too, have spent time with Him.