By Pamela Rose Williams
Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
Not long ago I was blessed to carry on a conversation with a dear sister in Christ whom has lived a long life. I wanted to share with her my thoughts and beliefs but before I knew it, she was sharing so much with me that I could not help but just sit there and listen. I realized she had so many years of life experience that had taught her things that I had yet to learn.
As she spoke her words were careful and discreet. She was reasonable and discerning. As she shared true stories from her life I learned of her shrewdness and excellent economical sense. Her heart and lifestyle were frugal and sound, and she not only sought knowledge, she obtained it as well. When I look for a definition of “prudent” I consider this dear sister to be the epitome of just that!
Today’s Key Bible Passage comes from a chapter in Proverbs that many overlook. Like many of the other Proverbs, when we read this chapter we can see how the foolish man is compared and contrasted to the wise man. For example, when we look back in this chapter to Proverbs 18:2 we see “A fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself”. The foolish has no desire to “seek” knowledge outside of himself. He believes that everything he needs is within “himself”. He may believe that he has all of the answers to life and when he searches within himself he will have a “Eureka” moment. He might believe that he can make positive things happen, just because he thinks it to be so.
Don’t misunderstand me, I do believe the Bible teaches that we should think on good things and refrain from thinking on those things that are not good (read also Philippians 4:6-9). However, the Bible does not teach that we can have wisdom and knowledge in and of ourselves.
Wisdom and knowledge are great mysteries of life and they are great treasures. These treasures are given by God and hidden in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:24-28; Colossians 2:2-3). So then, God grants us wisdom and knowledge too when we are “in Christ”. You are “in Christ” when you have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for your sin – this is the moment of salvation. Before you were “in Christ” you were an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). But the good news is that at that moment of salvation Jesus takes our list of sins upon Himself and gives us His perfect account which makes us pleasing to God. God offers wisdom and knowledge to all so that we might not glory in our own flesh but rather glory in the Lord because in Christ Jesus “God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).
Lord, help us to seek You and Your wisdom. Show us in Your Word and in other believers how to get knowledge. Help us to get outside of our self and rest in Jesus as our true source of wisdom and knowledge. And once we understand the things of You, give us the desire to teach others, so that they might also want to seek and get You.
