Intro: Of all the special insights we may desire to pass along to our children as they grow and develop, the most important would be for them to know God and choose to live their lives in His wisdom—in Christ. Fear has no place in godly wisdom, so fulness of life [in the liberating Spirit] can be experienced by our children. Oh, how I desire that for every child of God. Wisdom is like a precious guide to lead believers through the difficult times we will all face in this fallen world. When we invite Jesus into our hearts, we have invited wisdom to rule (1 Cor 1:30). Then, we need to remain attentive to the work of the Spirit who bears witness to the Truth, because the Spirit searches the depths of God (1 Cor 2:10).
In our passage today, a father guides his son to seek wisdom—a gift from God—because it will guard him against evil. So, obeying the Word and having a respect for God is the beginning of wisdom; obedience causes us to live in the protective care of God (Pro 9:10). We grow in godly wisdom by reading Scripture, inviting the Spirit to bring us understanding, and then applying it to our lives. Scripture teaches us, “Jesus himself grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and people” (Luke 2:52). Therefore, we have this journey in godly wisdom to make in Christ. An easy way to define and remember wisdom is: Applied Truth. Wisdom is the fruit of our faith in God and here is the best part…all a believer needs to do is ask for it! Thank you, Lord!
Proverbs 2:1-8 NLT The Benefits of Wisdom
1
My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.
2
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
3
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
4
Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.
5
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.
6
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
8
He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wisdom you have made available in Christ to your children. May we treasure your godly wisdom and teach our children and loved ones to desire and ask for this extravagant gift from you. Holy Spirit, help us to apply godly wisdom from your Word to our lives every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.