Turn your ear toward wisdom and stretch your mind toward understanding.
Call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding.
Seek it like silver; search for it like hidden treasure.
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:2-5)
A Bible podcast I listened to recently has led me to reflect on the nature of God’s wisdom. Wisdom is challenging to define. One dictionary defines wisdom as “the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgement.” However, in the Bible, wisdom is more than this.
One author points out that in the wisdom books of the Bible (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs), “the wise are those who skillfully see reality under the authoritative guidance of God…” I really like this idea, defining wisdom as the ability to see reality as God’s sees reality.
What passes for wisdom in our day is often more along the lines of pithy advice. In this manner, the wise person dispenses ideas for living that are meant to guide the listener toward success or some experience of the “good life.” It is implied the wise person can see reality more clearly than others, but without acknowledging any source of this wisdom outside of themselves.
C.S. Lewis speaks to this pseudo-wisdom, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
My fervent prayer is that I can “turn my ear toward wisdom” and persistently “call out for insight and understanding.” Always acknowledging that any wisdom I may obtain is not a result of my knowledge or even my experience, but true wisdom is a gift directly from God. The ability to see reality as God sees reality, is a “hidden treasure.”
Will you join me in this prayer for wisdom?
Lord, we pray that you would make us wise.
Help us to see the reality that you see.
We call out for your insight, and cry aloud for your understanding. (Proverbs 2:2)
We long to understand the fear of the Lord,
and hope we can discover the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:5)
Lord, fill us with the knowledge of your will,
Equip us with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. (Colossians 1:9)
All the treasures of wisdom are hidden in you Lord Christ. (Colossians 2:3)
We thank you Jesus that you became the wisdom from God for us. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
May this wisdom continually inform our words and guide our steps. Amen.
(See also James 1:5, 3:13-17)
Blessings,
Pastor Shawn