It is the choicest and most cherished treasure one can obtain (Prov. 3:19). It is worth more than gold, silver, and precious jewels combined (Prov. 3:14-15). It keeps you safe from ruin and ensures prosperity and honor. It is a gift that God is delighted to bestow upon those who ask Him for it (1 Kings 3:5-9). And it is a quality highly regarded in the Scripture and lowly regarded in society, namely, wisdom.
Contrary to what is generally assumed, wisdom is not a quality belonging only to the elderly or experienced. King Saul died as a 72-year-old fool, while David exceeded him in wisdom when he was still a youth (cf. 1 Sam. 13:1; 18:14-15; 31:4-6). As a boy, Samuel the prophet had better discernment than his mentor, Eli the priest, who was ninety-eight years old (1 Sam. 3:1-21). Indeed, some wisdom is obtained from old age and experience as an old stone gathers moss. But a stone freshly cut from the mine gathers moss just as quickly if it is planted in the right place.
Wisdom is also not the same as knowledge. Going to Harvard or Yale won’t insulate you from foolishness or its repercussions. As Charles Spurgeon once preached, “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”
Indeed, according to the Bible, wisdom is knowing the will of God and obeying it. It is the right use and application of knowledge from God’s word. Being wise means knowing and using the holy Scripture as your instruction manual for everyday life. Wisdom entails being a lifelong student in the school of godliness. Wisdom is all about knowing what God wants you to do and doing it.
The profit to be acquired from wisdom is of greater value than anything else this world affords. That’s why Solomon of old wrote in Proverbs 3:13-15, “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” And all you need to do is ask God for it: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.
Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:
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