The Key to Wisdom Is Not Intelligence
Proverbs 2:1-7 NKJV
1 My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
This is not a knock on intelligence. When it comes to intelligence, more is better. But when it comes to godly wisdom, intelligence is not the determining factor. So what is the key to wisdom? In a word, desire.
The desire for wisdom is the main theme of the first four verses of Proverbs chapter two. In looking at these verses, look at the verbs that are being used: receive, treasure used as a verb, incline, apply, cry out, seek, and search. All of these verbs are describing the person who can tap into the wisdom of God. God has made wisdom available to us. He didn’t put it in our hand, but He put it within our reach. Wisdom is available, but not to those who have no desire or heart for it.
So the person who is receiving God’s Word and places great value in it will find wisdom. The person who is listening for wisdom and applying their heart towards greater understanding. Like those paying attention to this devotional. They are the ones who find wisdom. The ones who are asking God for His wisdom, praying about gaining understanding, are the ones who find wisdom. It’s so easy to just go along and wonder about something without ever asking God for His wisdom. God’s wisdom is more valuable than money, so seeking His wisdom as we would hidden treasure makes sense.
And so you will find. Jesus said seek and you will find. Proverbs say that when we seek and cry out and search and ask for wisdom, we will find it. For the Lord gives wisdom, out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Verse seven says God stores up sound wisdom for the upright. God has wisdom stored up. And it’s stored for those who desire it. He is not storing up wisdom for Himself. But as far as storing up wisdom, maybe that image will help us. God is not having to generate wisdom from scratch He already has it stored up for us. I want to make sure I receive what He has stored up for me. I don’t want to keep driving by the storehouse. I want to go in and put God’s wisdom, what He already has for me, in my cart. We are not outsiders; we are club members. And just like you can go to Costco if you are a member, your desire and search for God’s wisdom gains you access to what He has stored up for you.
Let’s go after God’s wisdom. His wisdom is guaranteed to make a difference in our lives.
Prayer
Lord, I do so desire Your wisdom in my life. I am seeking, asking, and pursuing the wisdom You have stored up for me.