Wednesday’s Wisdom – To Know Wisdom

The author of Proverbs 1, identified in verse 1 as King Solomon, lays out the purpose of this book in verses 2 – 6.

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth-- Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
- Pro 1:2-6 ESV

One can have intellectual knowledge without having wisdom. In fact, in our age of skepticism there are many who claim to be wise due to their intellectual prowess. There are, and have been throughout history, great thinkers who, though wise in worldly wisdom, were actually void of true wisdom that only comes from God.


It’s really a matter of perception. God is the only truly wise being for He is omniscient (all-knowing) and sees the world perfectly. Therefore, true wisdom is our ability to see the world the way God sees it. Now, understand, our understanding in this life is finite and therefore we will never be able to see the world perfectly as God sees it. But as we pray for and seek out Godly wisdom, we will grow in our ability to see the world as God does. We will gain more and more understanding as to the “how’s” and “why’s” that are asked when difficult situations arise in our lives and in the lives of others. We will be able to react differently to circumstances when we can see, in a general way, the “big picture”. We will not have all the answers, but we will have insight and instruction to guide us and increase our faith in God.
The book of Proverbs is probably the most practical book in the Bible. It addresses and gives guidance to everyday matters of life such as marriage, parenting, business dealings and family life. While the proverbs are not specific promises for everybody and every situation, they are general principles as to how the world works and what kind of choices we should make in the plethora of situations we face as humans in a fallen world.
I want to encourage you to read and meditate on Proverbs 1:2 –6 during this next week. Ask God to show you how Proverbs can give you Godly wisdom and understanding for daily living.