Sweet To Your Soul

got wisdomFinding the truth is a worthy endeavor; wisdom is an even better pursuit. Wisdom is the ability to take knowledge and apply it to your life in a practical way. Too often we settle for pragmatism instead of wisdom. Pragmatism answers the question: “Will it work?” Wisdom answers the question: “Is it the right thing to do?”

Wisdom long ago stopped being a precious commodity to many Americans, Christians included. Rapid, nay, immediate knowledge is the going rage today. Tablets and smart phones make knowledge instantly available to us. I’m as guilty as anyone saying, “Let me check my iPhone; I got an app for that.”

The Bible has always put high value on wisdom. The entire Book of Proverbs is known as the wisdom book, and for good reason:

    “My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; if you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 24:13-14)

Wisdom will help you keep your wits about you when everything seems to be falling apart. To trust God, you must first trust His Word. Through God’s Word we learn about how He deals with us, and how we are to deal with other people. You see, you must first gain Biblical knowledge before you can have Biblical wisdom. It is through this journey that your faith grows strong. As your trek this wisdom path, you learn to wait on God:

    “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

Can you learn to wait upon wisdom? Of course you can, the real question is will you? To answer in the affirmative, you must come to understand the great value of wisdom. In Proverbs 24, Solomon tells us “there is a prospect” found in wisdom. He is talking about a reward to those who find wisdom. Solomon’s father David taught him much of the value of Biblical knowledge and wisdom. No doubt Solomon heard this a few times growing up:

    “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:7-11)

I was telling my Sunday school class that life has become less complicated to me because of my Bible studies. Through the Bible I have learned that there are some things I cannot know or will not know until I get to heaven. I’m okay with that because I’ve come to trust God with the unknown. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nevertheless, I still search for answers, even trying to understand the wicked motives of others. This knowledge helps me to deal wisely with such people:

    “I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness.” (Ecclesiastes 7:25)

Wisdom is not some great mystery to be solved; it is a great treasure easily found. Wisdom says as much about herself:

    “Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words: ‘How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.’” (Proverbs 1:20-23)

There is great reward to be had in Biblical wisdom. Biblical wisdom is a precious commodity to be found and applied to our lives.

The only question is: will we pursue it?

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2014 David Jeffers

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