In The Word
Read: Proverbs 2, 3
The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
2 My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
3 For if you cry out for insight,
And raise your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And discover 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 He watches over the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
And knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
12 To rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks perverse things;
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To rescue you from the strange woman,
From the foreign woman who flatters with her words,
17 Who leaves the companion of her youth
And forgets the covenant of her God;
18 For her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of good people
And keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And the treacherous will be torn away from it.
The Rewards of Wisdom
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
But have your heart comply with my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and a good reputation
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord from your wealth,
And from the first of all your produce;
10 Then your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
12 For whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
13 Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.
19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdom,
He established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the ocean depths were burst open,
And the clouds drip with dew.
21 My son, see that they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But He is intimate with the upright.
33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the needy.
35 The wise will inherit honor,
But fools increase dishonor.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
How much effort are you willing to put forth to know God and His ways? God desires a close relationship with you and is willing to give you spiritual wisdom and knowledge, but He also wants to see how much time and effort you will put in to obtain it.
Acquiring spiritual wisdom is not a casual interest or occasional hobby, it requires a lifetime of daily discipline out of deep love for God and consuming desire to know Him. But people have short attention spans due to brief news sound-bites and electronic entertainment, and people have become accustomed to quick fixes with instant web information, online shopping, fast food, microwave ovens, etc. Thus, people are losing the work ethic of investing time and effort to dig deep into Scripture and discover God’s wisdom. You may be working diligently to earn a paycheck, but are you willing to spend time with God, search out Scripture to learn, and diligently apply God’s Word to gain spiritual riches that are more valuable than any earthly treasure? There is high price to pay to secure spiritual wisdom, but there is a much higher price to pay if you do not acquire it!
How much do you desire to know God and receive His wisdom for your life? God says in Proverbs 2:1-4 that the proof is in the time and effort you will put in to have it. And the rewards detailed in the remaining verses of chapters 2 and 3 are worth it!