You will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity. Proverbs 2:5-7
We’re surrounded by lots of things that claim to be wisdom. There is worldly wisdom, street smarts, books of wisdom from Eastern religions, Greek philosophy, and, in today’s digital world, wisdom from social media – you know, the one-line or one-paragraph quotes that are strewn across Facebook and such, with many a claim that they’re from famous people.
But there is only one true source of wisdom; God. Proverbs 3:19 says:
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.
Just take a look around. Everything that hangs together in the universe was put there by God’s wisdom. All the intricate balances by which living things depend on each other, all the massive orbits of giant celestial bodies that would spell catastrophe if they deviated even so much as a millimeter were constructed by God’s wisdom.
And He gives it to those who ask. Those who ask have realized that they need it because their human wisdom falls short.
A human being who has realized that no good indwells him (or her) and has returned to a relationship with God realizes that He is the root of the wisdom he needs for life. That is what Solomon meant when he wrote that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is the wholehearted agreement with one’s need for His divine wisdom to counteract human folly.
Having feared and asked, God gladly gives us His wisdom through His indwelling Spirit, Who opens our eyes to the treasures hidden in His Word. He searches the heart of God and declares to us what He finds. Wisdom straight from the Source.
Divine wisdom bears abundant fruit. Here is a sampling from Proverbs 2:
- Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul (vs.10)
- Discretion (vs.11)
- Deliverance from the way of evil (vs. 12)
- Deliverance from the “forbidden woman” (think all manner instant gratification (vs. 16-19)
- Walk in the way of the good (vs. 20)
- Inhabit the promised land (vs. 21).
- Health (Proverbs 3:8)
- Blessing (3:13)
- Long life (3:16)
- Security, peace, and confidence (3:23-26)
And that is just a few! Not that you’ll never face trouble or that your life will be smooth and easy. Instead, the wisdom God gives turns every adversity into an opportunity to grow and become stronger in life.
But wait, there’s more! Wisdom is one of God’s attributes. He is growing His nature in you. So that means that as His nature in you increases, His wisdom in you increases also. Little by little, it renews your mind and takes over how you think. Then its fruit becomes visible in your life through the decisions you make, the things you say, the advice you give, and the actions you do or don’t undertake. People can see God’s wisdom in you.
Then, through the blessing of wisdom you received, they are blessed and God is glorified.
One of the ways in which we reflect God’s glory is by His wisdom at work in us. Like the earth that God’s wisdom created glorifies its Creator, His wisdom in you glorifies Him through its recognition by others. The opportunities there are vast because we live in an age when wisdom is in short supply and more and more people need help knowing how to live!
The key is that we must seek it. A quick request isn’t going to cut it. He gives it to those who desire it wholeheartedly because He knows they will not misuse His gift. Seeking it takes time and effort in prayer and meditation on the revelation of His wisdom: The Scriptures. When we learn to take the time to be still and let the Holy Spirit teach us, we will find the deeper treasures hidden from those who only have the patience to scratch the surface.
God wants hungry, receptive hearts. They are the fertile soil in which His words of wisdom bear fruit.
Is yours?
Don’t allow yourself to be cut off from the root of wisdom and let its blessings and fruit pass you by!