Get Wisdom!!!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

From the Book of Proverbs we read; “Get wisdom, get understanding … do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5-7) 

Wisdom is a God-given attribute. Unlike intelligence that people can gain through learning, wisdom comes from God. You can have all the intelligence that the world gives and yet you are not wise. Wisdom therefore is a precious tool every person needs to go about his/her business. It can make a world of difference in whether we succeed or fail in our daily operations. We still read from the Book of Proverbs these words: “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yield better returns than gold.” (Proverbs 3:13-14) When we operate in God’s wisdom, everything we undertake succeeds because no one can be wiser than God.  “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever, wisdom and power are His,” said Daniel in chapter 2 verse 20 of the Book bearing the same name.

Let wisdom direct all that we plan to do, in our daily lives, in our work and in our play. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1st Corinthians 10:31) Wisdom is an all-rounder; it is like a master key that opens all doors. In getting, whatever it is, let us seek wisdom and understanding as a precondition.  It matters a great deal.

God’s wisdom is past finding out; we may not often understand or fathom it, yet we must submit to it. For says the Psalmist, it is with His wisdom that He created the world. “In wisdom you made them all.” (Psalm 104:24) “By wisdom, the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding He set the heavens in place.” (Proverbs 3:19) 

King Solomon knew the importance of wisdom and God met him at his point of need. When asked, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you!” (God speaking) King Solomon did not ask for power or wealth, he asked for wisdom. He humbly asked God: “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern this great people of yours.” (1 Kings 3:9) A discerning heart is able to see beyond the hidden intentions of our hearts and weigh our true motives.

King Solomon, though the crowned king of Israel, succeeding his father David, humbled himself before God. He did not count on his own intelligence as so many leaders are prone to do today, only to crash headlong into multiple difficulties. King Solomon asked God to be a light to his path. He held sacred the teaching that “there is no authority except that which God has established.” (Romans 13:1)

Wisdom particularly with regard to the Scriptures is not something you acquire from the stores, it is spiritually discerned. Most people read the Scriptures on its face value and it looks like a piece of historical stories wound together. The Scriptures are worth much more than that. “All Scripture is God-breathed … and cannot be broken.” (2 Timothy 3:16; John 10:35) You cannot interpret Scripture anyhow, to suit your fantasies and whims. It is already cast in concrete, it cannot be changed.

The Children of Israel had been in slavery for 430 years. The Egyptians had worked them to death, without wages, call it free of charge. It was sweat, blood and tears throughout. Hard labour! However, when it was time for them to quit Egypt for the Promised Land, Pharaoh did not approve of the move. It took a series of ten plagues to convince him to release them. As the Children of Israel were leaving, they took with them a lot of wealth for “The Lord had made the Egyptians favourably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for, so they plundered the Egyptians.”  (Exodus 12:36)

“I am the Lord your God … I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” (Leviticus 26:24) That was the handiwork of God when He sent His chosen people into exile and slavery and later redeemed them with His mighty right hand. God had promised His servant Abraham that He will prosper his descendants and will shower manifold blessings on them. That was fulfilled as they left Egypt heading for the Promised Land - the land flowing with milk and honey.

The Children of Israel left with a lot of booty: gold and silver; flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. It was as if all the years they toiled without pay were restored. Sadly enough, not too long afterwards they were going to squander this wealth foolishly.

Moses had been away for just forty days on an assignment to meet with God on Mount Sinai, when the Children of Israel in their impatience thought to themselves he had abandoned them. So they asked his brother Aaron to make them other gods. “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us out of Egypt we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1) Do you know that it was the gold they had brought with them from Egypt that they used to create the golden calf that they worshipped? This was evidence that they had stayed too long in Egypt and had not escaped the negative influence of worshipping idols. Was that a wise gesture? Did that honour God? 

If the answer is ‘no’; can we ask ourselves the question; what do we do with the things God has blessed us with? Do we squander them on idols, on things that are not worthy of the sons and daughters of God, things that do not last? Shouldn’t we be honouring God with the substance He has so graciously given us - He who is the Author and Provider of every good gift? Bible warns that, “The fear of God, is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 110:10)