Wisdom and Prudence
Proverbs 8:12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. 13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. 14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. 15 By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth. 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Did you ever have a roommate? I had one and we did not exactly mesh. She had rented a townhouse and although we divided everything in half she felt she had dominion over EVERYTHING. She even had a list of rules.
Our scripture today says that wisdom is a roommate with prudence. Now these are compatible tenants. You have wisdom and cautiousness in the same dwelling, and along with this the scripture says there is knowledge and discretion.
Can you imagine how much trouble we would avoid if we lived with wisdom, prudence, knowledge and discretion? Can you think of how your choices would be reflected by the company you keep? Instead of being friends with impetuousness and carelessness, friends who are flighty and lead you into poor decisions, your support group would be stable and thoughtful.
The scripture end by saying that wisdom loves those who love her and those who seek her find her. Have you sought out wisdom? Do you love wisdom and understanding? Or do you pride yourself on throwing caution to the wind? An occasional impulsive moment is not necessarily a bad thing, but a lifetime of impetuous decisions can bring about a lifetime of hurt.
PRAYER: Father, guard our hearts and our minds from things that would rob us from making good decisions. Help us to seek you out, love you with our whole hearts, and value wisdom over any other characteristic. Amen
Get Wisdom
Proverbs 8 (New International Version 1984)
Wisdom’s Call
8 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
Do you remember when you were young and your mother called you in from playing to come eat? You were never so far away that you could not hear the sound of her voice. There was never a time when you did not understand what she was saying.
Today we need to listen for the voice of wisdom just like we used to listen for our mother’s voice. We need to seek out understanding and learn to discern the truth. Many of us have mistaken wants for needs and wickedness has been disguised as goodness.
Wake up! Our problems are spiritual, not political and not economical. The only way we gain knowledge and understanding is to seek it out, and we must look in the right places. 2 Tim 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Look to the Bible for knowledge and to Jesus for faith.
PRAYER: Father, lead us in your paths of righteousness so that we can hear the sound of your voice, feel the beating of your heart, and understand the wisdom of your ways. Amen
Get Wisdom
Prov 4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
When I was a child, I did not receive an allowance. But occasionally my aunts would give me fifty cents or even a dollar, and my sister and cousins and I would head to the corner store to load up on candy. You could buy all sorts of candy for just one penny per piece—tootsie rolls, taffy, jawbreakers—the list goes on. We spent all we had and came home with sacks full of candy. But when it was gone, it was gone.
Proverbs tells us that though it cost all we have, get understanding. Because once you have understanding, you have it. Wisdom and understanding cannot be diminished over time, it will not be depleted just because it is used.
What a promise!
PRAYER: Our Father, you have told us how vital it is for us to receive wisdom. Help us to seek after wisdom with our whole hearts. Amen
Trust in the Lord with your whole heart
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Yesterday we lost a dear friend. He was 87 years wise, and I can tell you I never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He wrote his memoirs a year ago and the memories recorded there were as fresh as if they had just happened.
Wally joined the Navy when he was 17 and just three weeks later Pearl Harbor was attacked. Regardless of what happened in his life, through his words on that paper you could feel and see a sense of optimism and hope. His name is Wally Gee and he will be missed.
I do not know Wally’s favorite scripture, but this certainly had to be one of them. Sometimes we shield parts of our hearts, not just from acquaintances, but even from those closest to us, including God. Of course, we cannot hide anything from God, but we tend to hold back, and when we do we are not trusting in God with our whole heart.
I would ask you today to join with me in opening your whole heart to God, trusting in Him completely, submitting to him without reservation. He will make those crooked paths straight, and He will give you a godly wisdom that will amaze and astound you.
PRAYER: Father God, today we ask that you free us of all reservations that would prevent us from relying on you completely. Open our hearts, dear God, to the wisdom and guidance that comes only from you. Amen
One More Saint
in Memory of Wally Gee
One more tenor just joined the heavenly choir
One more sailor’s ship has just been retired.
One more father has gone on to meet the Son
and one more wife says, “Husband, your work is done.”
One less godly man will greet us on Sunday morning,
One less courageous man will stand firm to give us warning.
One less noble man will be here to lead and guide us
and one more daughter says, “Daddy, you always walked beside us.”
One more Christian has left his home on earth.
One more saint has arrived at his place of birth.
One more son of God has departed the family of man
and one more son says, “You always held my hand.”
One less day to spend with our dear Wally Gee.
One less smile to send our spirits home with glee.
One less memory to make with our dear friend
but one less painful day he will have to spend.
One more disciple to cross over to heaven’s shore.
One more faithful pilgrim to meet those gone on before.
One more time Wally Gee will greet God’s own
and one more time Jesus says, “Welcome Home.”
The Lord Gives Wisdom
Proverbs 2:6-9 (New International Version 1984)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Today my sister and I are 62. I remember certain birthdays more than others. I recall one at my aunt’s house where there is a picture of me filling a birthday hat full of candy corn. I remember my 16th birthday party where we had set up an elaborate maze with boxes and the girls had to crawl through only to find things like a bowl full eyeballs (peeled grapes) and a bowl full of intestines (cooked spaghetti). We pulled taffy and dunked for apples.
Sixty-two years and I wonder why I have not accumulated more wisdom than I now possess. Have I spent too much time in worldly pursuits? Or have I focused more on holiness than wisdom, not realizing that seeking wisdom will allow me to find both wisdom and holiness?
My birthday wish for today is that we each would seek out wisdom, not just so we will understand what is right, just, and fair, but so that we will find the Lord, the giver of all wisdom.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today you have blessed us with another day on this earth. As long as we have breath, may we seek out wisdom that comes only from you, and may we walk on your pathway today and every day. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 