April 17, 2016 (Proverbs 4:5,7)

“Get wisdom! Get Understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Wisdom is the principle thing: therefore get wisdom; and in all your getting, get understanding” (Prov 4:5,7). Wisdom is gaining appreciation for the ways of God as opposed to the ways of man. And to get understanding is to gain insight as to need for application of wisdom to our daily lives. Wisdom is not something gained apart from God’s revelation combined with a diligent effort on the part of man. For wisdom is not simply ‘head knowledge’ but is knowledge which promotes spiritual transformation as a result of God’s influence on the heart which becomes reflected in life known as grace. However to live as God has designed calls for a renewing of the mind which only occurs by washing of one’s thinking in the water of God’s Word combined with treasuring God’s wisdom as being more valuable than silver, gold or precious jewels so it is joyfully applied to our thinking, speech and behavior. Jesus is the perfect and total illustration or manifestation of God’s wisdom and living a Christ-centered life should be the utmost goal of every born again believer. So when scripture tells us that wisdom is supreme and is to be sought as more valuable than anything in life, leading us along straight paths, we must be careful to not dismiss gaining understanding so that our steps will not be hampered. “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life” (Prov 4:13). Our hunger and thirst for godliness must never be permitted to wane in intensity, lest lukewarmness be allow to gain a foothold wherein we leave the path of safety and become entrapped in a snare of the enemy. So it is the apostle Paul exhorts us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).