Proverbs 2:6-11
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, . . . “

Wisdom can be defined as the proper application of knowledge in any given situation, or simply knowing what to do. We have all felt, at times, that we do not know what to do. We are faced with a problem, and are crippled with indecision. It is comforting to know, God promises to give wisdom to His children. The question that remains is, how do I get my hands on the wisdom He has? There are at least three simple steps.

First, we must understand there is a difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of this world. Not all advice is godly, and not every direction will lead us closer to Him.

Second, we must cry out to God for His wisdom. James wrote that if we lack wisdom we must ask Him for it and He will give it to us (James 1:5). Solomon wrote that we should search for it as you would for a precious treasure (Proverbs 2:4). When we do not know what to do, we should look up to Heaven and cry out for help.

2 Chronicles 20:12 “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Finally, wisdom is acquired by asking God, and looking into his Word. Since the wisdom of God differs from the wisdom of the world, the means by which we find it, will also differ. Heaven’s wisdom is not found on the TV screen or at the box office. It is rarely listed in the advice columns, or even in university text books. Instead, the wisdom of God is found in the pages of His Word. When Israel was about to enter the Land, God told them, if they followed His Word, the nations around them would be stunned by how brilliant they seemed. They would ask where they acquired such know-how and wisdom. Their answer is recorded for us:

Deuteronomy 4:6 “Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”

When we apply the Word of God to our lives, we will find that our own lives are better, and we become a witnessing tool to those around us. Let’s be careful to seek wisdom as a precious treasure.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Proverbs 2 
1. How are we to search for wisdom and understanding? 

2. When you do this, you will understand the fear of the Lord, verse 5. Do you understand the fear of the Lord? Proverbs 1:7, 3:7, Deuteronomy 6:2, 10:12, Psalm 115:11, 1Peter 3:15 

3. How is the “immoral woman” described? Where does her house lead? 

4. Verse 19 may be described in our vernacular: the innocence lost is never regained. Sin can bring on consequences as described in chapter 1 when we do not listen to wisdoms call. Never forget 1 John 1:9 and Romans 8:28. Are there things in your life you need to confess to the Lord? Take time now to lay it at the feet of Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:17, be obedient allow Him to cleanse you! 

5. Verses 20-23 again show us what happens if we seek wisdom or try to do it without God’s help. Which choice will you make? 

Old Testament:
Daniel 11- Times Like These
Daniel 12- The Shining

Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

We often find ourselves in the middle of situations where we do not know what to do. Arriving at a fork in the road, without road signs, we feel lost and confused. Often, the most difficult concern is the fear of making a bad decision. The Bible promises, in those times, the believer can call out to God, who will give us a liberal serving of wisdom. No matter what you are facing, the Bible will direct you to a good and godly decision. The purpose of the book of Proverbs, is to provide heavenly wisdom for earthly living. Solomon begins this long journey, consisting of hundreds of nuggets of godly advice, with the secret to obtaining wisdom. He tells us, all wisdom and knowledge must begin with a healthy fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord might be best defined as simply desiring to be pleasing to the Lord. The first step to problem solving is to ask ourselves, “What is most pleasing to the Lord?” If you are facing a problem in your personal life for which you need heavenly direction, the first step is to ask what God wants you to do. It is vital to remember, the answer to that question will be found in the pages of your Bible.

One of the most important of all the proverbs Solomon penned, is a word of warning found in Chapter 14.

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Instead of trying to figure things out on your own, or doing only what you think is best, take the time to look into the pages of God’s Word and do what He says.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Proverbs 1 
1. Verses 1-6 offer a lot of benefits to heeding to instruction. Verse 7 sums up the how to receive these benefits. What is the beginning for this instruction? 

2. How do sinners entice you? Verses 8-14 

3. What is the outcome of the enticement? Verses 15-19 

4. Wisdom cries out to us in verses 20-23, in what ways has wisdom spoken to you? 

5. Verse 7 says that “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” In verses 24-32 gives us a scary picture of what happens when we do not fear the Lord and listen to His instruction. How many times have you heard someone cry out to God when things are a mess, yet never obey His Word? 

6. Have you ever felt like you were in something you couldn’t understand? How is the Lord speaking to you in verse 28-29? 

7. How would you describe verse 31? So many things we see in the world’s wisdom today relate here. Read Romans 1:18-25 

8. Proverbs is full of principles of life; God’s Word is full of promises. Principles are a way of life, promise are sure foundations of those principles. As you read verse 33, take time to look at Psalm 91, Jeremiah 17:5-8, Matthew 11:28, Philippians 4:19. Are you holding to God’s promises and principles? 

Old Testament:
Daniel 10- Fasting