Proverbs 2:9-15
As Fred indicated yesterday, today’s reading continues describing the benefits of seeking (and gaining) wisdom: Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path… (v. 9)
One thing that strikes me in both yesterday’s and today’s readings is the notion of God’s protection coming through wisdom. We read words like “shield”, “guard”, “deliver”, “watch over”. (See Prov. 2:7,8,11,12.) One form of protection that wisdom provides is to keep the wise out of bad situations so that they do not become the victims of evil. For example, we are advised to lock our doors, and heeding that advice can prevent (or at least deter) burglary. But there is another form of protection that wisdom offers (and this is what really strikes me): wisdom guards against becoming the perpetrator of evil. And that is far more important.
As I’ve been reading about wisdom these last couple of days, a question or two came to mind. More specifically, the question is: “How do I acquire wisdom I don’t even know I need?”
In Proverbs 1:22 people who lack wisdom were called “simpleminded” or “simpletons”. I don’t think these terms imply mental illness or deficiency nor someone who is stupid. Rather I think these terms refer to someone having a lack of knowledge or understanding of what they need. And therein lies my question… How do I acquire or seek wisdom if I don’t realize I’m lacking it?? Why would I seek something I don’t realize I need??
There has to be a desire from within to seek God and to know Jesus. There has to be a need to fill, a desire to be closer to Him. Sometimes (as with me) this desire comes only from exhausting every other way of trying to fill this need (on my own) and finally saying, “Lord, I can’t do this on my own. Please help me!” God answered this prayer by putting me together with loving men and women who had the maturity and wisdom I desired and who helped point out my defects or sins that were standing in the way of letting Jesus fill the need in me. And truthfully it took a while for me to figure out what I needed or even that I had a need.
I am enjoying these chapters and verses in Proverbs. Good stuff for all of us.
Nouns again. Wisdom: knowledge, discretion, understanding, deliverance. Just that…