Proverbs 3:1-3 “My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart”
Proverbs 4:1-2 “Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding, For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction.”
Genesis 6:13-14 ”So, God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.”
Genesis 6:22 “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
Genesis 7:1 “The Lord then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation”
Genesis 7:5 “And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”
Proverbs 30:25 “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”
Where is wisdom?
Where is wisdom to be found? Wisdom, it’s something we all want. In the book of Proverbs, there is a pattern that emerges when it comes to wisdom. Wisdom is found in those who have already experienced folly and have learned from it. It is found with our parents, our elders, our peers, strangers, and many times out of the mouths of babes. We are constantly correcting, constantly teaching children so that they may not make the same mistakes as us, so that they may be spared the consequences, so that they may live a more godly life. Wisdom is not about being right or knowing the right things; it is about putting into practice what is right. In other words, it’s about obedience. To practice wisdom is to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Knowledge serves you best when you know what to do with it.
Where was wisdom found when Noah was told of the impending flood and the end of all people? There was no handy Bible around and no one else to seek guidance from. He didn’t know what rain was and who was he going to ask? Noah, however, had knowledge and he knew what to do with that knowledge. He had the knowledge of the Almighty and all powerful God. He knew God’s heart and what he did was trust God. He didn’t have written knowledge, but he did have a relationship with God and so his knowledge and relationship with God gave him the wisdom to trust God.
Wisdom is also found in creation. God uses the tiniest of creatures as an example of wisdom. The ant is a hard worker and its efforts ensure the survival or destruction of the rest of the colony. They are all connected and their hard work keeps them alive and protected. There is wisdom everywhere if we look in creation. One thing creation has in common is obedience. They are obedient to their purpose and what they are created for. Ants don’t try to fly, elephants don’t hunt gazelles, and fish don’t try to slither on land. God created them physically and mentally for unique purposes and reasons and they live accordingly. Yet how many times do we as humans try to live for something we were not created for? Wisdom escapes us if we are running against the grain. We do it ignorantly as children, but knowingly as adults. The result always ends up the same: we are frustrated and tired when it’s over.
We must always be seeking wisdom and have a heart of teach-ability. We must always be a student of God and His character. He makes this quite easy for us because wisdom is found everywhere. Those that are living and those that are dead speak to us. Creation lives out wisdom every day. God’s word is living and active and ready for us to heed its instructions and warnings. Like many other virtues, wisdom is not about a good feeling, but simple obedience.
Proverbs 4:1-2 “Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding, For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction.”
Genesis 6:13-14 ”So, God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.”
Genesis 6:22 “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
Genesis 7:1 “The Lord then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation”
Genesis 7:5 “And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”
Proverbs 30:25 “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”
Where is wisdom?
Where is wisdom to be found? Wisdom, it’s something we all want. In the book of Proverbs, there is a pattern that emerges when it comes to wisdom. Wisdom is found in those who have already experienced folly and have learned from it. It is found with our parents, our elders, our peers, strangers, and many times out of the mouths of babes. We are constantly correcting, constantly teaching children so that they may not make the same mistakes as us, so that they may be spared the consequences, so that they may live a more godly life. Wisdom is not about being right or knowing the right things; it is about putting into practice what is right. In other words, it’s about obedience. To practice wisdom is to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Knowledge serves you best when you know what to do with it.
Where was wisdom found when Noah was told of the impending flood and the end of all people? There was no handy Bible around and no one else to seek guidance from. He didn’t know what rain was and who was he going to ask? Noah, however, had knowledge and he knew what to do with that knowledge. He had the knowledge of the Almighty and all powerful God. He knew God’s heart and what he did was trust God. He didn’t have written knowledge, but he did have a relationship with God and so his knowledge and relationship with God gave him the wisdom to trust God.
Wisdom is also found in creation. God uses the tiniest of creatures as an example of wisdom. The ant is a hard worker and its efforts ensure the survival or destruction of the rest of the colony. They are all connected and their hard work keeps them alive and protected. There is wisdom everywhere if we look in creation. One thing creation has in common is obedience. They are obedient to their purpose and what they are created for. Ants don’t try to fly, elephants don’t hunt gazelles, and fish don’t try to slither on land. God created them physically and mentally for unique purposes and reasons and they live accordingly. Yet how many times do we as humans try to live for something we were not created for? Wisdom escapes us if we are running against the grain. We do it ignorantly as children, but knowingly as adults. The result always ends up the same: we are frustrated and tired when it’s over.
We must always be seeking wisdom and have a heart of teach-ability. We must always be a student of God and His character. He makes this quite easy for us because wisdom is found everywhere. Those that are living and those that are dead speak to us. Creation lives out wisdom every day. God’s word is living and active and ready for us to heed its instructions and warnings. Like many other virtues, wisdom is not about a good feeling, but simple obedience.
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