GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Proverbs 24:5-6; 13-14
5 A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.
God’s wisdom is good for you. There is not a situation that we face where God’s wisdom can’t help us and cause us to move forward.
In our Proverbs for today, the man who was famous for wisdom is speaking. Solomon was considered the wisest man that ever lived until Jesus came. Solomon was the young king who asked God for wisdom above everything else on his wish list. When the Lord asked Solomon what he wanted, the biggest thing on Solomon’s heart was wisdom to lead well. God was so pleased with this mature and unselfish request that He gave Solomon amazing wisdom. And God gave Solomon massive wealth, worldwide honor and peace in his kingdom for years. Wisdom was the right request.
Now, we have Solomon speaking to the benefits of wisdom. A wise man is strong. We typically separate wisdom and strength, but Solomon equates the two. A man of knowledge increases strength. There has been an axiom in the business world for years that knowledge is power. So, before the business sector figured this out, Solomon said it first. The NLT translation says, “The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisors.”
There is a condition to the wise advisors. They need to be wise in God’s wisdom. There is a wisdom of this world, but it always needs to be held up to the light of God’s wisdom. I have received counsel and advice over the years, and looking back, some of that counsel was not wise and did not help me fight the battles I was facing.
Verses 13-14 give us insight as to when God’s wisdom is coming to us. It’s like honey to your soul. It just sits right. And when you sense God’s wisdom, there is a future, and a hope, a positive expectation.
When we tried to start a church in my hometown many years ago, it was not God’s wisdom. After looking all around North Carolina for the place to plant a church, nothing felt good to our souls. Nothing fit, and nothing seemed like a plan I could go to war with. When God’s wisdom came our way, it was honey to our souls. We could see a future, and our expectation was back. I can so relate to the honey analogy. Nothing scratchy or harsh about honey. Honey is smooth and sweet, and so is God’s wisdom. When we know what to do from the Lord, there is the strength to carry out and the vision to keep us going.
There are many things we can pursue in life, not all of them turn out well. But we will not go wrong pursuing God’s wisdom out of a sincere heart to honor Him and bless others.
PRAYER
Lord, I seek You and Your wisdom for my life. I need the strength and vision Your wisdom provides.