Wisdom

When we think of people who are wise, we may think of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and Socrates. In modern times, we may think of those who have discovered or invented things: Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and so many more.

King David was wise. When the Amalekites invaded his camp, he sought guidance from God. We find this incident in 1 Samuel 30:8: And David inquired at the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them?" And he answered him, "Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all."

The Bible tells us that King Solomon was even wiser than King David or any other kings before or after him.

In 1 Kings 3, we read that Solomon had a dream. In the dream, God said to Solomon: "Ask what I shall give you." Solomon asked for wisdom to rule the Children of Israel. The Bible says that the request pleased God. Wisdom and much more was granted to him because he did not make a selfish request.

1 Kings 3:11-13:

11: And God said unto him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

12: Behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you.

13: And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto you all your days.

The Bible mentions wisdom 233 times. Of those times, 53 were written by King Solomon in Proverbs.

Today, we may think of the terms wisdom and knowledge interchangeably. True knowledge is having an understanding of the truths of God's Word. Wisdom is applying those truths. It is my personal belief that educated people have a lot of knowledge in many different areas, but they often lack the wisdom to apply it.

In Prov 9:10, we read, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The Passion Translation reads: The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship YAHWEH. To receive the revelation of the Holy One, we must come to the one who has understanding.

This translation stresses that our worship toward God is the first step for gaining wisdom and understanding.

When we are facing a situation where we do not know how to proceed, the Bible gives us an answer.

In James 1:5, we read: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.

We could say that King David followed this New Testament verse even while living in the Old Testament times. God gave King David the guidance he needed to win the battle against the Amalekites and his men recovered all that had been taken from them.

I have always been hesitant to ask questions in a classroom setting. I was afraid that the question would seem stupid. Maybe the teacher had already explained it, but I did not "get it"!

James 1:5 indicates we should ask God for wisdom in every situation we encounter. God is going to freely and generously respond. He will not shame us for not knowing.

I recently heard a message about a man who was not familiar with the gadgets in his new car. After looking at the owner's manual, he learned about the particular gadget in question and about so many other aspects of his new car. The point is, we need to open and read the manual: The Word of God.

Once we get into the Word, we need to make certain that we do what it teaches us to do. In

James 1:22, we read: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

If we read or hear something, but do not put it into practice, we are only hearers. We must be Do-ers and not Hear-ers only. Everything we think, say, and do must be in line with the Word of God which we are reading.

Look at this parable which is also recorded in Luke chapter 6.

Matt 7:24-25:

24: Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock:

25: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

The ROCK is Christ Jesus. The foundation for us to have wisdom is found in the Word of God.

Read It – Do It!