If you are looking for an instruction manual for life, the book of Proverbs is full of those treasures. This chapter begins with some great, easy-to-follow guidelines. Listen to wisdom, concentrate on understanding, cry out for insight as needed. Through your search, you will gain knowledge of God.
Wisdom comes in two ways – as a gift from God and as a result of our earnest searching. “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” I don’t know about you, but to me that is a huge blessing. We gain wisdom as we grow closer to God and spend time in his word.
The benefits to being close to God go beyond wisdom. This passage tells us we are given common sense. For so many years, I was told over and over again that I was stupid. When you hear it enough, you begin to believe it. When that toxic person was out of my life, I began to see how much common sense God had truly given me. He had answered my pleas for wisdom. I was never stupid.
We also see that God gives a shield to those with integrity. There have been plenty of times over the years where I have felt a supernatural protection. The fact I strive to be a woman of my word and have strong moral principles may have something to do with that. What a gift that is from God.
“He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.” In a world full of corruption, deceit, and terror, having God as my protector also brings peace. It would be easy to live in fear, avoid crowds, and shut out the world if you listened to the news and believed everything you read. When we are faithful to God, we can cling to this promise and the fear seems to evaporate.
It all comes down to our wise choices. Wisdom comes from God and can permeate into our very being. We can trust God for all that we need. We must also acknowledge that the Bible is one of the ways God reveals his wisdom to us. When we follow him and obey his commands, we can avoid some sinful choices. When we do misstep, rather than beat ourselves up, we need to learn from our mistakes and recover.
We can pray for these aspects of wisdom: knowledge, common sense, understanding, insight, etc.
Let’s pray … Lord, Forgive my distracted self today. I long for your wisdom and seek it every day for life’s decisions. Fill me with the discernment I need to be in your will. Thank you for never giving up on me, for rescuing me, and protecting me from harm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
