“The discipline to gain wisdom takes patience and additional time to discover and discern.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 31, 2022
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. Proverbs 19:8
Wisdom works. In life, work, finances, physical health and relationships, wisdom works. The discipline to gain wisdom takes patience and additional time to discover and discern. When you rush to get results, you often settle for less than the best, being deceived into drawing the wrong assumptions or compromising character. Wisdom waits. Wisdom is measured. Similar to a juror who waits to hear all the facts before drawing conclusions, wisdom waits to gather appropriate information and understanding to make the wisest decision. Wisdom works.
According to the proverb above, wisdom romances life with passionate love, while cherishing understanding that will soon prosper. How does wisdom love life? James 3:17 gives us a helpful answer as he describes wisdom from heaven as: pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. So, the essence of loving life is a pure heart, one who is able to see God and glimpse into His divine perspective. In addition, a person of peace calmly blesses others. Wisdom shows love by considering how to submit to God and others, while being full of mercy to those who silently suffer. Holy Spirit fruit, impartial and sincere, are hallmarks of how wisdom works in expressing its love of life. Wisdom works.
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13).
For you to enjoy wisdom and its delicious fruit—initiation and cherishing are required of you. By initiation, I mean being prayerful about being on the lookout to harvest wisdom all around you. Wisdom may be easily accessible from a writer you respect and because of her life experience and approach to communicating the written word, she tends to resonate with how you absorb truth. And, by the Holy Spirit’s power, her words are transformed into wisdom for your life. This morning I read Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite writers, who reminded me of the wisdom in befriending pain as an opportunity to experience God’s deeper love, “What are we then told to do with that pain, with that brokenness, that anguish, that agony that continually rises up in our heart? We are called to embrace it, to befriend it… and say that is my pain and I claim my pain as the way God is willing to show me his love.” Wisdom works when you work to gain wisdom.
Once you obtain wisdom, cherish it like you would your most valuable possession. What you value, you buy insurance to replace in case of loss and you guard against intruders. In the same way, your humility cherishes wisdom in your decision-making and in your lifestyle to help you prosper in relational wealth. Wisdom saturates your relationships like a soaking irrigation hose in a garden, budding fruit blossoms and becoming luscious and tasty to all who ingest its nutrients. Wisdom works if you work to cherish and share it with other teachable souls hungry for health. As James reminds us, serve others in humility, with actions whose origin you discovered from wisdom. Wisdom works, because the Lord is the author of all wisdom and His word never fails.
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me patient trust to wait on your wisdom before I move forward at work and home, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
In what area of my life do I need to slow down and seek out wisdom: relationships, finances, work, family, etc.?
Related Reading
Deuteronomy 34:9; 2 Samuel 14:20; Psalm 104:24, 111:10; 2 Peter 3:15
Worship Resource
Keith & Kristyn Getty: Perfect Wisdom of Our God
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