THE RETURN OF WISDOM
Proverbs 24:5, 13-14 NKJ
5 A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.
I am using 'return' in an investment context, such as the return on a certain stock or the return on a real estate investment. Whenever you invest, you want to see a return—make that a positive return. The Book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about wisdom, and our verses for today speak to the return that wisdom offers.
Wisdom is considered greater than strength. So a wise warrior is considered more valuable than one who is strong but stops there. The NASB says that "A wise man is strong." So wisdom and strength are connected. The NLT of verse five says, "The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger." Always keep in mind that the proverbs were penned by Solomon. He was the king who asked for wisdom before he asked God for strength, money, or the elimination of his enemies. Solomon prized wisdom, and God honored his request. Solomon was considered the wisest man ever until Jesus came on the scene. So if anyone had insight into the value of wisdom and what it would produce, it was Solomon.
In verses 13-14, Solomon goes into detail about the return of wisdom. Honey and the honeycomb were the candy of that day. The honeycomb was good and sweet to the taste. There is nothing bitter or sour with honey. And the same applies to wisdom. Wisdom is sweet to the soul. The wisdom that Solomon was referring to was godly wisdom. There is a worldly wisdom, but way too often it has a bitter aftertaste. Worldly wisdom is almost always steeped in selfishness. Worldly wisdom encourages us to look out for number one. Number one being us, not God. James would later write about God's wisdom, saying that the wisdom from God is different. "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere." James 3:17 NLT
Wisdom paves the way for a future, a good future. We all know of times when we acted in wisdom and had things turn out really well. And of course, we can all point to the times we did not get God's wisdom on the matter and wound up paying the price. Wisdom is worth the time and effort that it takes to receive from the Lord and His Word. There is a future in wisdom and expectation that wisdom brings.
PRAYER
Lord, I desire Your wisdom for all areas of my life. The return on Your wisdom is better than the return on gold or stocks.