Proverbs 3:13-15,18, 23:
13 “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, 14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. 23 Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.” (ESV)
Before we begin, please note the following corrections from prior studies. In the scripture verse we studied last week, the word “loveth” incorrectly changed to “liveth.” Correctly read would be: “…for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth,” not “…for whom the Lord liveth….” Also, two devotions back in the study of “Honoring the Lord with our Increase,” I misnamed the athlete as Mark Spitz, when it should have been Michael Phelps. I am sure all of you realized that!
Let’s start with a question, “What is wisdom, and how is it attained?” Some would say it is being smart and that “smarts” come from our parents (our genes). That part is true, but is intelligence the same as wisdom? I have known some very intelligent people who have made some very poor decisions in life and have not exercised wisdom in their decisions. Personally, I think we all have made decisions that we regret. So, wisdom must be more than just smarts and not just defined by one’s genes. The scriptures teach in Proverbs 1:7: “The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom.” And it says in Proverbs 15:33: “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom….” Both of these verses interchange the use of wisdom and knowledge for poetical reasons, but in either case, wisdom/knowledge stem from the fear or reverence for the Lord—that there is a God and to the degree that I believe that and act upon it will largely determine my behavior and the decisions I make.
Let me explain how reverence for the Lord works in me. First, all my interactions with my fellow man are governed by a standard that is not “me” centered but “other” centered. Through the relationship I have with the Lord God, I know He “has my back,” so I do not need to be “me” focused—I can be focused on others. If I did not have that reverence/relationship, I would by default need to be “me” focused. Next, the fear of the Lord causes me to see my proper place among humanity. The value/love God places upon me, He has for everyone else as well, so it’s not just me that’s “special.” We are all special. So because of that, we all stand on equal ground and have equal worth and access before God. We can choose to not be obedient to Him or not have a relationship with Him and reap the consequences of our own decisions, but why when God is so willing to partner with us in this life?
Lastly, the fear of the Lord affects how I use my finances. We spend money often times because we perceive our purchase will make us feel more important, look better, or fulfill an emotional need or void we have inside. Whereas, in reality, these purchases are just “things” that are made to serve a function, not inflate our ego or “fulfill us.” Through reverence/relationship with God, I am able to see through the things in this life that we tend to make into “little gods” and not be trapped by them or spend money on them other than for the service they were designed to do.
The fear of God makes God big, makes me small, and makes the problems in this life manageable. We have said this before, but a reminder is always helpful. It allows me to see and weigh things with eternity in mind, which affects every decision I would make, from relationships to purchases; hence, from this then, is Wisdom founded. For the reverence of God causes these changes in one’s being, and wisdom is therefore that ability to live in the world, seek to be beneficial to all, but not get trapped or sucked into its materialistic, worldly views and values. To be in the world but not of it, to rather be about God’s work—having His values and living for something more than just the here and now—can only be accomplished through the fear/reverence of God. This, then, is wisdom, which is much different from “smarts.” Through our emotional-need system, our “smarts” can easily be duped into making something or someone more important than what/who they are.
Father God, thank you for this study. Cause me to understand how easily, via the window of my emotions and perceived needs, I can make decisions that are not the best. Let me see that by spending time with You, growing in reverence for You, I become “protected” from becoming prey to my emotions and the worldly system of materialism. Thank you and Amen.
Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur