The Security in Wisdom

Sunday, May 8, 2022

Make Insight Your Priority

2 1-5 Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you;

    collect my counsels and guard them with your life.

Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;

    set your heart on a life of Understanding.

That’s right—if you make Insight your priority

    and won’t take no for an answer,

Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,

    like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,

Believe me, before you know it, Fear-of-God will be yours;

    you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God.

6-8 And here’s why: God gives out Wisdom free,

    is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.

He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,

    a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.

He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,

    and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.

-Proverbs 2:1-8 The Message

The Value of Wisdom

2 verse 1 My son, if you receive my words

    and treasure up my commandments with you,

2 making your ear attentive to wisdom

    and inclining your heart to understanding;

3 yes, if you call out for insight

    and raise your voice for understanding,

4 if you seek it like silver

    and search for it as for hidden treasures,

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

    and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

8 guarding the paths of justice

and watching over the way of his saints.

Verses 3-6 studies: Wisdom comes from a God-given gift and the result of an energetic search. The starting point of wisdom is God and his revealed word, the source of “knowledge and understanding” (2:6). Wisdom is gifted to us but gives it to those who earnestly seek it. God’s wisdom is hidden from rebellious and foolish people. It takes effort to find and use it. The amount of work to put in to return wisdom is strenuous. But when we get on the path, we see true wisdom is God’s, and he will guide us and reward us for our sincere and persistent search.

Verses 6-7 studies: God gives us wisdom and victory, not for drifting through life or acting irresponsibly with his gifts and resources. If we serve faithfully and keep our purpose, he will keep us from pride and greed.