Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2209

2209 True wisdom of life - receiving the divine word....

January 11, 1942: Book 31

It is true wisdom to absorb God's word, for nothing else can bring him the success that comes from divine wisdom. Life on earth only lasts a short time and this time is mostly used for the fulfilment of earthly tasks and the increase of earthly good. And the human being believes himself to be wise if he can achieve great success in this. And he completely neglects to take care of his spiritual well-being, and at the end of his life he is faced with a shortcoming which lets him recognize his failed earthly life. Wise is he who thinks of his soul first, who gathers spiritual wealth and disregards earthly advantages.... Wise is he who allows the divine word to have an effect on him, i.e. he who fulfils what is demanded of him by the divine word, for he constantly increases his spiritual wealth; he considers his soul and thus fulfils the most important earthly task.... He helps his soul to mature and acquires eternal life for it, i.e. a joyful state in eternity which can be called incomparably marvellous. Spiritual riches are not valued very highly on earth, they are not tangible to the human being and are therefore not striven for, and at the gate of eternity the human being then stands poor and merely opposite those who have not valued earthly life too highly and were poor in earthly goods but are now approaching an eternity full of light. The divine word was their constant companion, the divine word replaced a thousandfold what they lacked in earthly possessions; the divine word taught them love and, if they obeyed it, also brought them love, and thus the divine word brought them closer to God Himself and consequently they only aspired to the kingdom of God. The soul longed for its true home, for it only recognized earthly life as a transitional stage which was intended to bring it spiritual maturity. And thus he is infinitely wiser who allows God to speak to him through the word, who listens to Him and obeys His word, who despises earthly possessions and only strives for spiritual possessions, who strives for spiritual knowledge and does not attach great value to worldly knowledge, for he shapes his soul on earth and thus fulfils the actual purpose of earthly life.... he feeds his soul and gives it spiritual nourishment through the divine word....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers