Daily Devotional for Wednesday, September 17

Wisdom Is Necessary

“I wisdom dwell with prudence, and I find out knowledge of witty inventions,” Proverbs 8:12.

We like to personify non-living things. I often hear things like “the data says” or “science says.” Neither says anything because they are not persons but processes. Those who use the phrase “science says” are likely trying to enhance its perceived authority by assigning it the ability to speak to us. Science provides data, and people interpret the data and then say things. They mean, “Based on how I interpret the data, I  say the following.”

Our devotional verse and passage are in the middle of a series of proverbs that do that very thing. Wisdom is personified as a person, specifically as a woman. In this verse, Wisdom is speaking to us. This is a potent literary tool God inspired the writer to use; it brings to vivid life the good results of having wisdom versus the folly of not having wisdom. Later in this proverb, we see references to the Lord, and to say wisdom here is a metaphor for God might be reasonable.

God is the source of any sound wisdom that we might possess. Starting in the Garden of Eden, our history shows we generally need to make better choices. Most things have stayed the same for years. We humans have a poor track record.

Do you realize that it does not have to be that way? If you are a child of God, then His wisdom is available. You can go from being full of folly to great discernment in just a moment. That is when you toss your thoughts aside and seek the thoughts and will of God. Ask God for it. He will never rebuke or laugh at you but will give you all the wisdom you want (James 1:5).

To whom do you go and where do you seek wisdom? Is it someone like me, or is it God?

JUST A THOUGHT

Worldly wisdom is useless and even dangerous; Godly wisdom is perfect and secure.

Wally Fry