Wisdom: August 12, 2010

Today's Word for Thursday August 12, 2010

WISDOM

DEFINITION

The quality or state of being wise; scholarly knowledge; discernment; insight.

SCRIPTURE

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Proverbs 1:7-8

"Wisdom is better than strength; words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard. Wisdom is better than weapons of war." Ecclesiastics 9: 16-18

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding." Proverbs 3:13

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him." James 1:5

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

As small children we thought our mother and father knew everything. As we grew older and became more independent we decided that maybe they were not that smart after all. By the time we got to our teenage years we began to think that we had all the answers. But then the cycle changed as we got older and more mature. When we had to face the problems of life on our own we decided that our parents were much smarter and wiser than we ever thought they were.

We have heard it said that one should be willing, as often as possible, to sit down with an older person just to receive some of the wisdom he or she can give from their life experiences. We have realized over the years that experience brings wisdom. As we look back on our lives it was through the tutoring and training of our Christian parents and their peers that we learned so many things that helped us set our standards and even our goals in life. Now we notice that our children and even our grandchildren come to us for advice. Have you considered spending time with someone, who has been through many trials of life, just to be able to learn from the wisdom they have received from the Lord?

Solomon's advice to us in Proverbs 1:8 is to listen to what our father and mother teach us and then not to forget it. We should be open to advice from faithful servants of the Lord who have lived longer and have had so many more life changing experiences then we have had.

In I Kings 3:5 after Solomon became King; God appeared to Solomon in a dream and promised him that He [God] would give him anything he asked for. He could have asked for riches, popularity, success or any thing he wanted, but he asked for WISDOM! [Verse 9]. Solomon was only about 20 years old when he became King. He knew he was young and that his inexperience made him feel inadequate to the task of ruling such a large kingdom. He knew he did not know it all but he did recognize that God was the source of wisdom.

Wisdom is a gift from God. We have learned that the Lord gives wisdom to us if we only ask. In Proverbs 2:6, it reads that "from His mouth came knowledge and understanding." When we read God's Word daily we gain insight and knowledge to develop the wisdom we need to make our day by day decisions. This is because through His Word, His wisdom is revealed to us. Wisdom comes from a process of growth. We need to first have a desire for wisdom, then we must ask for it, and then God will respond - just as He responded to Solomon. Wisdom will allow us to discern what is right, what is wrong, what is just, and what is fair.

Wisdom enables us to make favorable life decisions and then to be able to evaluate the consequences of those decisions. Wisdom knows when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4:

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

PRAYER

Give me the wisdom today to make decisions that honor Your name. Give me the wisdom to communicate wisely and properly to my family, friends and associates. May our family reach out to others so we can learn and even more importantly, reach out to You for guidance and wisdom that only You can give. Make this be a day when I am drawn closer to You.