A reminder for
today
The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is
understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
Today is a much better day than the one we had yesterday. No
accidents on the way to work. It is another beautiful clear blue sky that folds
over our city as the morning traffic rushes by. What is wisdom and how do we
obtain it? Every time I think of wisdom I think of the following scripture: Give
therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may
discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a
people? (1 Kings 3:9). Of all the things Solomon could asked for, he asked for
wisdom (understanding heart).
This makes me think that wisdom is not so easy to come by,
nor can you buy it or just have it. I believe that wisdom comes from God and it
is granted by grace over time. We marvel at the snippets of Solomon’s wisdom
that are recorded in scripture for us. The book of Proverbs is only an example
of his wisdom. At that time, there were no news channels or social media feeds
that would permit someone to experience Solomon’s wisdom and wealth. It’s even
more amazing, then, that Solomon’s fame quickly spread throughout the world.
Other rulers travelled great distances just to meet Solomon and experience
his wisdom and power.
It’s interesting that Solomon didn’t use the word “wisdom”
in his request. God was the one who defined this as a request for wisdom (1
Kings 3:10-14). Solomon’s words give us an excellent description of what wisdom
really is, but let’s hold that conversation for another time.
I love the way Solomon phrased his request, and I want to
explore that at another time as well. This is clearly something he’s thought
about a great deal. God was pleased with Solomon’s request and told Solomon he
would give him not only wisdom, but great wealth, honour, and a long life.
Now, think back through the story; if Solomon hadn’t yet
received wisdom, then how was he wise enough to come up with such a wise
request? Solomon actually answers our question in Proverbs 4. He tells us here
that he learned this from his father from the time he was a young boy. This was
clearly one of the messages David regally taught his son. What would have
happened if David had not been bold enough to teach this to this son? Solomon
might have asked for worldly values like wealth and power, and the great store
of wisdom he received from God would have been lost.
This brings me to two thoughts. One: fathers are extremely
important to the growth of children and two: wisdom starts with the fear of the
Lord. Where would children learn the fear of the Lord other than from their
parents. How would children gain the wisdom to seek wisdom if not for their
parents? The role you have as a parent is so important and more so when it
comes to teaching our children the biblical truths and guiding them to
understand and seeking the Lord. Wisdom comes from God, but we need to invest
that wisdom into all those around us.
Lord, just as Solomon wanted an understanding heart, I pray
that you will grant us this blessing by giving us an understating heart and the
wisdom we need to be the people you designed us to be. In Jesus name.
Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus.
Cheers