May 23, 2019
Proverbs 2:1-5 New Living Translation (NLT)
Lately, I find myself speaking a great deal about wisdom; it is such a beautiful treasure from God. Therefore, I also find myself studying and praying a great deal about wisdom. Multiple times every week I hear, “Pastor Mary, ______ is going on in my life and I need to know what to do?” My response every time is “Let’s pray for wisdom, because God gives it generously to those who ask” (James 1:5). Contrary to what many people may think, wisdom is very practical. We need to gather knowledge, but we also need wisdom if we are going to understand what to do with that knowledge in a way that pleases God. We want the blessing of God, so we must listen to the voice of wisdom. The Apostle Paul teaches, “God has brought you into connection with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30). We need the work of Christ and the leading of the Spirit to bring answers we understand. Those who are led by the Spirit understand the essential work of wisdom. God encompasses all things; God wants to love and share Himself with us.
Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and humbly hearing and seeking to do God’s will as revealed in Scripture and in the issues of life. How can you have wisdom? You must make Jesus your Lord, desire wisdom above all things, seek to live in harmony with God’s Word, live with eternity as your focus (rather than just the temporal things of the world), and pray for the Spirit to guide you. Wisdom is an inseparable companion to the Word; so be in the Word of God every day if you want the impartation of wisdom. In these days that form a challenge for us, let us never forget the benefits of wisdom.