In the day and age we live in we could certainly use a little wisdom. But where are we to find it? The Old Testament Book of Proverbs would be a good starting point; in reality the entire Bible is the place to look when trying to find answers to life’s issues.
In the first chapter of the book of Proverbs we read words that would be of great benefit our churches, families, schools, communities and government. “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction is wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence 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. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:1-7).
We are strongly encouraged in Proverbs 3:13-15: “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” Material riches pale into insignificance compared to the seeking and finding of wisdom.
This wisdom that one finds throughout the Proverbs and the Bible overall is divine wisdom given to those that seek it by the one and true God. There are no other gods besides the One who created our universe by the Word of His power and upholds it by the Word of His power.
And to delve into this truth and dig out wisdom is what we need in our world today. There is wisdom in the pages of every book of the 66 books of the Bible. It does not matter what Testament you read, Old or New, you will find wisdom that runs counter to the momentum of the world. And the reason for that is that this wisdom is from God who is all wise.
Even though the Bible is not a self-help book it does help us make wise decisions about our world and how we fit into the larger picture. The only way that one can experience the wisdom of God in their lives to the fullest is to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. Receiving Jesus as Savior is the wisest thing a person can do.
As one sorts through the countless messages that our media sends out, whether it is print or audio or video, God’s wisdom can be applied as to how to discern what is going on in the world. This does not mean that you will not have an emotional response to current events, but it does mean you can view it from the appropriate angle and get God’s mind.
In the New Testament Jesus tells His followers that they are to go out into a world that has rejected God as “sheep in the midst of wolves.” One of the favorite meals of the wolves at that time were unsuspecting and unwise sheep. So as followers of Jesus go out in this world knowing what is ahead of them they are to, in Jesus’ words; “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
We must know what is going on in the world around us and know how we are to address it from Jesus’ point of view. How is that done? First you must spend time reading and getting to know what the Bible says about God, itself and mankind. Second you must ask God to give you understanding of Him as you read His word. Third you must be aware of your surroundings and try to see things from God’s point of view. With these three actions, one can get a pretty good start on understanding the world but most importantly God.
So we need wisdom, not more education, but wisdom, and God is the Creator of that too. We must first seek God so that we can get a grasp of how He sees the world and how we are to see it as well. The time is short. Get after wisdom!