THE PRICE OF WISDOM
PROVERBS 8:17, 34-35 NKJV
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
Wisdom is speaking in this chapter and her insights are valuable. Notice I said her. The word for wisdom in the Hebrew language is a feminine noun - as all the ladies give a knowing smile.
But gender aside, the real importance of this chapter is the perspective we gain into God's wisdom. Here we can see the timelessness and power of Heavenly wisdom. And we gain an understanding of how we can obtain this precious commodity.
Wisdom loves those who love her. This is not referring to God's unconditional love for us, but rather, the heart we must have for wisdom. If we seek God's wisdom diligently, we will find it. If we are casual and uncaring about God's wisdom, it will elude us. In a sense, wisdom has to be pursued, like how men would pursue a woman they were interested in. I realize how old-school that just sounded, but a truth is there.
In verse 34, wisdom defines who gets blessed by her - those that listen. Those that watch daily for her and those who are waiting where wisdom can be found. The emphasis is clear. If we want God's wisdom in our lives, we will have to pursue wisdom on a regular basis. If you caught the 'daily' part, you can appreciate why we encourage Bible 365. This Bible plan is a daily pursuit. But more than just ticking a to-do box, this is vital to gaining wisdom in our lives. Daily Bible reading is so much more than my pet project. Diligent daily is a price for wisdom.
But the benefits of God’s wisdom are worth any effort required in the pursuit. Blessings and life, and that would be spiritual life. And the one who finds wisdom obtains favor from the Lord. Favor being God's goodness toward us and His causing us to find favor with people.
Blessings, life, and favor make up a big part of what many are looking for from the Lord. So instead of seeking blessings, seeking life, and seeking favor, seek wisdom. She's pricey but available.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for making Your wisdom available to me. And thank You for showing me how to obtain Your wisdom.