(Proverbs 19:20 "Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." When you read the book of Proverbs, you read much about the importance of wisdom. Proverbs is replete with wisdom. James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that given to all (men) liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." God tell us that if we ask for wisdom from God, He'll give it to us. God wants us to obtain wisdom. God expects His children to use wisdom. The very fact that Proverbs mentions wisdom repeatedly says how important it is for God's people to have wisdom. The online definition of wisdom is common sense; good judgment. It also means the ability to discern what is true, right, or lasting, insight. Proverbs 9:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you are going to obtain wisdom as a child of God, you must first fear the Lord. If you have no fear of God, then you won't obtain wisdom. When you have a reverential fear of the Lord, then wisdom begins and progresses from there. As Christians grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, then they'll grow in wisdom. I can't overstate the importance of Christians needing wisdom from God.
We've all heard the old adage "Knowledge is power." Actually, "Wisdom is power." I'm all for knowledge and it's vitally important we take advantage of all the opportunities possible to enrich our knowledge base. Consequently, there are people that possess a world of knowledge but don't know how to appropriate knowlede in their life. Knowledge is important, but it's of the utmost that we know how to apply that knowledge. For example, a man can spend a whole day studying an auto manual and learn all the book knowledge concerning how to fix an automobile. However, if he doesn't know how to transfer the knowledge he learned from reading an auto manual into being able to perform mechanical work on a vehicle, how will that knowledge benefit him? I'm all for knowledge, but we must know how to appropriate that knowledge. This is one example of applying knowledge on a practical level. Now we're going to speak of knowledge on a spiritual level. A born again Christian can read their Bible on a daily basis and acquire all the knowledge that's found in the Bible. They can quote scripture, perform well in Bible quizzing, and be thoroughly grounded in the knowledge of the Word. But they lack discernment. They make poor spiritual decisions. You can be thoroughly versed in God's word but not be wise.
Why is wisdom important? Why do God's people need wisdom? Life is a spiritual battle. We battle daily with the world, the flesh, and the Devil. I'm speaking of God's people when I make this statement. If you're saved, you have to battle with the world, the flesh, and the Devil. As a result, it's imperative we know the wiles of the Devil. God's people need wisdom from God in fighting Satan. I Peter 1:7 says that the trial of your faith is more precious than gold. We face battles in life. We face battles that we don't understand. The Devil will do everything in his power to confuse and bewilder us. We would be absolute fools in not seeking wisdom from God in dealing with life's battles. Many parents are in the process of raising children. Parents need wisdom from God in rearing their children for the Lord. There are multitudes of reasons why we need wisdom. Wisdom from God is something we should seek as Christians. There are different ways we can obtain wisdom from God. I'm going to list some of the ways Christians can obtain wisdom from God.
1. Prayer - James 1:5 says that if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all (men) liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. We should pray and ask God for wisdom. We should pray for wisdom on a daily basis during our normal prayer time. We're always facing situations on a daily basis that will require wisdom. We should prepare our hearts so God can speak to us and give us guidance.
2. Read the Word - John 5:39 says to search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life. We should be diligent in reading scriptures. If we don't have a daily diet of the Word, we'll be lacking when it comes to obtaining wisdom. The source of wisdom comes from scripture. The scripture is there to guide us. It's a spiritual compass.
3. Faithfulness in Attending the House of God - Hebrews 10:25 says to not forsake the assembling of yourselves as we see the day approaching (paraphrasing). It says so much the more as ye see the day approaching. . As time draws closer to the coming of Christ, it's more imperative than ever that God's people be faithful in attending church. There's something about worshipping the Lord and being in fellowship with God's people that's crucially important. You miss out when you're not faithful to church. God could manifest his presence in a magnificent way and if you're not in attendance in a particular service, you're missing out on God's presence. We need to be in fellowship with one another. There's much we can learn through fellowship. There are many times when I've heard brethren testify about how God's worked in their lives. God has used Christian people to speak to me about areas of my life. We can learn from one another in the House of God. We can obtain wisdom from being in fellowship with one another provided we're in fellowship with the right people in church. There are some church members you can't have close fellowship with. Those that walk with the Lord you can learn words of wisdom from them. Those that have been faithful in serving God over the years can provide wisdom when it comes to living the Christian life.
4. The Preaching of the Word - Another way Christians can obtain wisdom is through the preaching of the Word. Any congregation who has a man of God that preaches the Word in spirit and in truth need to be thankful for what God has given them. There aren't many pastors behind the pulpits today that preach the whole counsel of the Word of God. It's imperative that God's people follow the man of God as he follows Christ. The messages that God gives the pastor can be a help to us if we're willing to appropriate those truths in our lives. A man of God that's seasoned and worth his salt will be preaching "words of wisdom" from the Holy Bible. As said earlier, you can obtain wisdom from reading God's word. You can also obtain wisdom by the preaching of the Word provided that congregation has a true man of God behind the pulpit. I Corinthians 1:21 says that it's the foolishness of preaching that saves them that believe. God's instrument when it comes to the conversion of the sinner is preaching. It's through preaching that conviction comes. God places a high premium on preaching. II Timothy 4:2 says to preach the word in and out of season. A man of God preaches for the purposes of rebuking, exhorting, longsuffering, and reproof. Preaching is to help us. Preaching is to guide us in our Christian lives. Wisdom can be accumulated by those that hear and practice God's word.
These are a few examples on how Christians can obtain wisdom from God. Wisdom is very needful and necessary. You can't live without wisdom. You won't make it in this journey in life unless you receive wisdom from God.
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