Wisdom and Understanding {Psalms 4:1-5:23}
11:00 PM
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.- Proverbs 4:5
What have you done, or will you do, today, to get wisdom and understanding?
Solomon exhorted his son not to only get wisdom, but to remember it and follow it at all times.
What a beautiful privilege we have that The great God has offered wisdom and understanding to us, simple men. Have you taken advantage of the gracious privilege? If so, you are indeed blessed.
If you want to achieve success before God and men, you must get wisdom and understanding; you must not forget wisdom once you learn it; and you must not backslide away from obeying it. These duties would make Solomon’s son a great king, but they can also make you successful in your different roles in life.
The first instruction is to get wisdom and understanding.
So what is wisdom and what's understanding?
Wisdom is the most important matter in life.
It is the power of right judgment. It is the ability to choose the correct solution in any situation. It is knowing how to think, how to speak, and how to act to please both God and people throughout life.
Wisdom is the basis for victorious living. Without wisdom, we make choices that bring pain, poverty, trouble, and even death. With it, we are able to make choices that bring health, peace, prosperity, success, and life. Our future depends on our degree of wisdom.
Understanding is connected to wisdom, and it is also an important goal. Understanding is the power of discernment – to see past what meets the eye and recognise the actual "pros or cons" of a thing. It is the ability to grasp a matter or situation and assess it correctly.
Without understanding, we can easily be deceived and led astray. Without understanding, we can easily be confused and perplexed. On the contrary, with it we can be able to see what others miss, and we can be able avoid the snares and traps of folly and enticing sins. With understanding, life’s difficulties become quite simple.
The only source document for wisdom on earth is the Bible, for any other source document is darkness:
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.- Isaiah 8:20
The inspired Scriptures are perfect for teaching wisdom (II Tim 3:14-17). They are source of light (II Pet 1:19-21). It should be your daily delight (Job 23:12; Ps 19:10).
But when digging in the Scriptures it is important to remember that without the blessing of God’s Spirit, neither reading the Bible nor hearing preaching will work. Paul prayed for the Ephesian saints to be enlightened by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know the things of God (Eph 1:17-18; Ps 119:18). God has promised to give wisdom and His Spirit liberally to those who ask for them (James 1:5; Luke 11:13).
The second instruction given in this proverb is to remember what you learned.
Paul feared for the Corinthians, for they had forgotten his teaching about the resurrection:
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (I Cor 15:1-2).
It is our duty to meditate upon things we are taught and not let them slip away (Pr 6:20-22; Heb.2:1-4).
The third and final instruction, and perhaps the most important is to obey in conduct.
Solomon encourages not to backslide, but to hold tight the apostolic faith without wavering and not be moved away from the true gospel and so does Paul:
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.-II Thess 2:15
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.-Heb 10:23
We are often reminded of be doers and not just hearers. To do what we hear, for hearing by itself does not please God, and hearing without doing is a sin (James 1:21-25; James 4:17; Luke 8:11-18).
Most men get distracted pursuing all kinds of other things. It is our duty and privilege to consider the wonderful opportunity of wisdom and seek it with all our might.
We pray to God to grant us the wisdom and understanding to walk in His ways! Amen
Have a lovely weekend sisters,
Love from Botswana,
Angie x
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