Proverbs 18:4 TPT
“4 Words of wisdom are like a fresh, flowing brook—
like deep waters that spring forth from within,
bubbling up inside the one with understanding.”
Solomon’s Call For Wise Men
Proverbs 1 (TPT)
“1 Here are kingdom revelations, words to live by, and words of wisdom given to empower you to reign in life written as proverbs by Israel’s King Solomon, David’s son. 2 Within these sayings will be found the revelation of wisdom and the impartation of spiritual understanding. Use them as keys to unlock the treasures of true knowledge.
3 Those who cling to these words will receive discipline
to demonstrate wisdom in every relationship
and to choose what is right and just and fair.
4 These proverbs will give you great skill
to teach the immature and make them wise,
to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny.
5 For the wise, these proverbs will make you even wiser,
and for those with discernment,
you will be able to acquire brilliant strategies for leadership.
6 These kingdom revelations will break open your understanding
to unveil the deeper meaning of parables,
poetic riddles, and epigrams,
and to unravel the words and enigmas of the wise.
7 How then does a man gain the essence of wisdom?
We cross the threshold of true knowledge
when we live in obedient devotion to God.
Stubborn know-it-alls will never stop to do this,
for they scorn true wisdom and knowledge.”
Knowledge, wisdom and understanding are choices we make. We choose to seek after them or to ignore them. By wisdom, we learn to gain understanding and how to use knowledge. Knowledge without wisdom and understanding is useless and can be dangerous. We can use so many examples. “Alligators are dangerous” is a truth or word of knowledge. Yet without wisdom and understanding we can be led astray. Being from Florida, I have known a lot of alligators in my life. They have habitats in our local lakes. They build mini-caves under the edges of the pond or lake. They like murky water to hide their house in. They travel mostly at night [though we have seen them walking across golf courses during the daylight hours] and like to go lake to lake at that time. This is why unsuspecting people have been in their yards at night and encountered a gator. They also feed at night more than in the daytime. That is why it is dangerous to swim in lakes and ponds at dusk. They drown their victim then eat them later. All these facts add to understanding, but wisdom tells you to avoid swimming at dusk in ponds or lakes, to watch where to walk at night and to not walk in fear just because alligators share your pond or lake.
The same can be said of so many things we fear when we have no knowledge, understanding or wisdom concerning them. Ignorance is the foundation for prejudice. Which means to pre-judge a person, place or situation. Humans are notorious for pre-judging things and people. Our history books are filled with stories of our unfortunate tendencies. Yet the Bible says, wisdom is shouting in the streets calling us to listen to her.
Lord, help us to listen to Your voice of wisdom, in the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
