Wisdom From the ProverbsSample

Proverbs 8

Be honest. If you were offered anything you could desire or wisdom, what would you choose? You could have all the money in the world, the perfect house, family, location, job, clothes, change in appearance etc... Of course, we all know the right answer -- and praise God that many of us might choose that -- but would we choose it begrudgingly? 'I chose wisdom because I know it’s the right thing to do, but I do wish I could have had …' they said with a sigh.

Whatever you desire, you desire it because you see the value in it. The more of it we have or the more important it is the more value it has to us.

Proverbs 8:10-11 (NIV):

'Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.'

It’s a fact, an undeniable truth, that nothing you desire can compare with wisdom. You see, when you find wisdom -- and you will if you seek her -- you’ll begin to see her value. The more wisdom you have, the more value she will have to you.

The desires we mentioned above can’t show us how to follow Jesus, but wisdom will. They can’t sustain a healthy marriage, but wisdom can. They can’t teach us the best use of our time, but wisdom wants to. Being given any desire we want will more than likely encourage bad judgment, not good judgment. Time and again wisdom calls to us, saying, 'Get prudence! Get good judgment, understanding, skill...!' Wouldn’t it be great if someone said to you, 'You’re very skilled at, just...life'? And you could respond saying, 'I know! And it was free! I can show you if you’d like.'

For those of us honest enough to say we’d pick our desires over wisdom, and you wish that wasn’t the case, don’t worry. God is pretty good at transforming hearts that want to be changed. The Holy Spirit will help you to want the things that God wants for you. He wants you to see and experience that nothing you desire compares with wisdom. He wants you to see the value of wisdom.

It’s hard to provide something practical with this, but you can pray. Once you’ve prayed, keep an eye out for wisdom, and apply what she teaches you.

Father God,

Thank you for your gift of wisdom. Transform my heart so that I would know, both in understanding and in its practicality, how much more valuable is wisdom than anything else I could possibly desire. Please, give me wisdom and never let me become the simple or the fool.

In Jesus’ name, amen.