Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs – Part 1 – Why Be Wise?

The Bible says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7, KJV).

What does this statement mean? Various translations use different wording to convey their understanding of the thought.

Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight. (Proverbs 4:7, Good News Version)

 “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
   And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.” (Proverb 4:7, NLT)

“The first step to becoming wise is to look for wisdom, so use everything you have to get understanding.  (Proverb 4:7, ERV)

As Christians, followers of Christ, apprentices (disciples) of Christ we really MUST seek wisdom if we are to bring pleasure to our Heavenly Father. These Scriptures are urging us to make the pursuit of godly wisdom one of the top, if not THE top priority of our lives. I believe for most of us, there is room for recalibration in this area. We could do better.

Wisdom is deeply related to the person of Jesus Christ Himself.

but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24)

So the pursuit of wisdom and the pursuit of Christ are really parts of the same thing, especially for us who are believers.

I hope we can get away from the idea that pursuing godly wisdom, and pursuing a personal, experiential relationship with Christ through the Spirit of God and the Word of God is something that will lead to a lack of inner satisfaction. Satan’s minions whisper such thoughts on a regular basis into our brains. They are always trying to tell us that pursuing worldly pleasure is where true peace and fulfilment are to be found, and that pursuing God will take away inner satisfaction which can only be found in satisfying these cravings. This is a lie that takes a little time to expose and debunk. But for now I would like to urge my readers to TRUST GOD that when God says he REWARDS those who diligently seek Him, and those who seek godly wisdom, that GOD will definitely do it in a way that brings deep satisfaction to your soul.

The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. (Proverbs 19:23 NKJV)

This verse tells us that fearing God will cause you to ALWAYS BE SATISFIED internally. It is the state of soul that really everyone is looking for, but very few know how to find, because they are listening to their own hearts, the voices of the world, and thought structures implanted by evil spirits more than to God and His Word.

Solomon, who at the time of writing the Proverbs was considered by God to be the wisest man in the world, spends part of the Book of Proverbs actually selling to us the benefits of wisdom.

Wisdom offers protection.

“He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
    He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.” (Proverbs 2:7 NLT)

Wisdom offers a satisfying long life.

“My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
    Store my commands in your heart.
 ^“If you do this, you will live many years,
    and your life will be satisfying.” (Proverbs 3:1-2)

Applied wisdom offers favour with God and people, and a good reputation.

“Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! … Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.” (Proverbs 3:3,4 (NLT)

Most of us don’t realise the importance of God’s favour until later in life. The favour of people also makes a big difference, but the favour of God is the most important if you have to choose between the two – because God is more faithful and more powerful than people. Sometimes though, we needlessly lose the favour of men because of our disloyalty. This is not wisdom and will cost us a lot.

Guidance and a relatively smooth path is promised to the wise who trust in the Lord with all their heart, and seek to know Him along the way.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct^[ your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5,6 NKJV)

Other benefits are promised to the truly wise. Health is one of them.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:7,8)

“My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20-22)

There are plenty of Bible scholars who will tell us that the Book of Proverbs promises too much, that it doesn’t really mean what it says for one reason or another. I have to make a choice as to whether I believe these Bible scholars who are going by their experience perhaps, or the Word of God itself. I do believe if we put God first and diligently apply wisdom, faith and prayer over a period of time that God WILL make a difference, even if answers are delayed for an uncomfortable season at times. During the trials of our faith it is not the time to give up on the promises of God. And since none of us can claim to have done the things the Book of Proverbs tells us to do PERFECTLY, not one of us is qualified to say that the promises are not real. On the other hand, many thousands of people can tell you how seeking God and doing His will has resulted in tangible blessing for them. There is power in wisdom, but the results are not always immediate. Ultimately they will be fulfilled in the age to come. In the age to come we will also discover what could have been ours in this life had we known how to pray better, and if we had lived in the fear of the Lord more consistently, seeking out ALL God’s advice on every matter.

Early Warnings Before the Proverbial Sayings – Value Wisdom and Stay Away from Evil

The Book of Proverbs actually spends a lot of time warning people, especially young people, to run away from sin and people who recommend sin. It warns us to stay away from violent people.

“My child, if sinners entice you,
    turn your back on them!
 They may say, “Come and join us.
    Let’s hide and kill someone!
    Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!” (Proverbs 1:10,11 NLT)

It goes on to say:

“But these people set an ambush for themselves;
    they are trying to get themselves killed.
 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
    it robs them of life.” (Proverbs 1:18,19 NLT)

The Book of Proverbs similarly warns young men of the extreme dangers of yielding to the seductions of sexually immoral women, ESPECIALLY if the ones who are already married. (See Proverbs 5, 6:24-35).

The vast majority of people between the ages of about 14 and 60 have strong sexual desires, especially males. The Book of Proverbs advises us men to pursue a godly marriage in which sexual love is enjoyed. If you have the gift of celibacy then you won’t have a driving urge to marry, and you can spend your extra energy in another way – serving the Lord. But this is a rare thing. For most men, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22 NKJV).

Marriage is God’s way, but Satan is against it. Satan wants to damage men, women and especially children by weakening the family unit. One way to weaken marriage is to promote sexual images on the internet and television. Many sexually attractive women are lured by promises of fame and some extra cash to use their bodies to promote sexual lust in boys and men. This is one of Satan’s methods of damaging sexual love and fulfilment. It takes a willingness to die to fleshly desires through the power of the cross of Christ to overcome this kind of thing, but it can be done. Until the right woman comes into your life, young men, you need to pursue God extra hard and be satisfied through the moving of the Holy Spirit in your life. And even after you are married, you will need God’s Word and God’s Spirit to stay faithful to your wife. The battle in this area can be quite intense. One important piece of advice is to feed your spirit with good things, and stop feeding your natural appetites and thoughts with worldly rubbish.

I just alluded to the importance of the Holy Spirit in giving the believer satisfaction and life which overcomes the allure of sexual and other sins. In the end, it is the Holy Spirit who enables you to love the Word of God, to love the wisdom of God, and to truly KNOW God and Christ in an experiential way that satisfies. The Holy Spirit is the one who connects you to God’s plan and purpose in this life, so that you CAN be disciplined and avoid destructive sins – what the Book of Proverbs calls “foolishness”.

If you have never connected with God before, and you want to have God’s wisdom and a brand new life, why not call upon Jesus today? You just need to thank Him that He died to pay for your sins. You need to believe in your heart that He rose again and is alive. You need to commit yourself to Him, and be ready and willing to learn and implement all that He shows you to do. He will forgive all your sins as you put your trust in Him and forgive others. Then you will be off to a good clean start in pursuing God and His wisdom and finding the joy of knowing Him and doing the very best things you can do.

Please write to me if this is what you decide to do. I can be contacted on Facebook.

I hope to write more on wisdom soon.