Good morning. Today’s scripture comes from Proverbs 8:12, 13 (New Living Translation): “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.
The book of Proverbs is filled with verses about wisdom, which is why it’s often called the book of wisdom. Much of it is written by Solomon, called the wisest man on earth at the time. Solomon constantly challenges us to seek wisdom. This passage clearly states that the author of wisdom is God himself: “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.” When scripture capitalizes a term like LORD, it’s referring to God. In this case, Wisdom is capitalized. Hence, God is Wisdom.
Solomon tells us how to discover wisdom, through “knowledge and discernment.” The two go together. Wisdom is not just book smarts. We attain those traits through a relationship with God. Seeking God makes us more like him. Talking to God every day and seeking to please him helps us to think more like him. The New Testament is all about following Jesus Christ, God’s one and only son, and acting more like him. Part of that desire to have a personal relationship with God is to think like him. How we make decisions sets us apart from the ungodly. Those who love God will “hate evil” and love justice and mercy.
Solomon gives us a brief synopsis of how we should act: We should “hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.” Think about that for a minute. So much of society today is filled with pride and arrogance. Politicians, Hollywood moguls, athletes and entertainers, and big business leaders fill out news stories with corruption, sexual misconduct and bribery. You can’t watch a movie today without hearing an onslaught of F-bombs and God’s name being taken in vain. Who is next up on the infidelity headlines?
Solomon calls those acts “folly,” the opposite of wisdom. The New International version uses the word “prudence” instead of good judgment. Dictionary.com says the opposite of prudence is recklessness. When I went to my Thesaurus to look for synonyms to prudence, the list included calculation, care, circumspection, concern, deliberation, diligence, discretion, foresight, frugality, judgment, precaution, vigilance. Those are all traits we need to be seeking in our own lives, through our relationship with God, so that we can pass them on to our children. Setting a godly example is the best way to teach wisdom to our young people. Let them see wisdom in our lives by our actions and speech.
How does this apply to my life?
Today’s prayer: Lord, help me to set a godly example for my sons and my wife. I pray that others might see wisdom in my lifestyle. I ask for wisdom today in everything I do. Amen
This week’s reading plan can be found at
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