Monday Musings ~ Wisdom

"Make your ear attentive to wisdom.  

Incline your heart to understanding." 

 Proverbs 2:2

Who doesn't want to be wise?  Surely, no one seeks to be a fool.  

I couldn't resist this Mr. T flashback

 We all want to make wise decisions for ourselves and give wise counsel to others.  Proverbs 2 gives us a wealth of information about wisdom.

God is the only source of true wisdom.  We can acquire information and knowledge apart from Him, but it takes a relationship with God to take that and fashion it into wisdom.

Wisdom = Knowledge + Discernment

"For the Lord gives wisdom."  Proverbs 2:6

The following verses describe to whom the Lord gives wisdom.

     *those who are willing to receive it -- It's a choice.  We can choose to turn our head or cover our ears.  The Lord is willing to give it - but are you willing to receive it?  What if it flies in the face of what you, in your human nature, want to do?

     *those who treasure it -- We are to search for wisdom as someone would search for hidden treasure - with both intensity and expectation!

     *those who listen with their ears as well as their hearts -- This quest must completely engage us - body, mind and soul.  It is of little use if we hear wise words but do not allow them to affect our hearts and actions.

     *those who are sincere -- This passage tells us to cry out, lift our voice, seek and search.  It is a very active process.

Wisdom gives us many gifts.

     *It is a shield to those who walk in integrity -- Have you ever noticed that those who are seeking to walk in integrity are often attacked?  This shield is a gift!  The fiery arrows of the enemy can not penetrate this shield.

     *It guards the paths of justice -- The Message puts it in a way that I can really relate to -- wisdom is a rich mine of common sense!  

     *It preserves the way of the godly ones -- It is a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.

The Lord gives us wisdom, knowledge, discretion and understanding.  How important it is for those four to be in harmony!  The Message sums it up like this:

"Lady wisdom will be your 

close friend and brother 

knowledge your pleasant companion.  

Good sense will scout ahead for danger, 

insight will keep an eye out for you."

Lord - how desperately we need wisdom.  How we long to be wise in our own lives and to have your wisdom and discernment to offer others.  Make our ears attentive and our hearts inclined to Your Word.