DATE POSTED: Saturday, 2023-04-15
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 2:1-5
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹ My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do. ² Listen to what is wise and try to understand it. ³ Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight. ⁴ Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure. ⁵ If you do, you will know what it means to fear the Lord and you will succeed in learning about God. 

OBSERVATION: It seems to me that the Creator of the universe is working though the wisest man on earth to help other individuals recognize that ‘if it’s to be, it is up to me’! In other words, we can find wisdom – if we desire it. We can know more about our Creator – if we desire it, put our desires into action, and pursue the necessary wisdom. Join me for the rest of this devotional as we try to discover how we could become wiser, and desirous of a deeper relationship with God.

APPLICATION: When we think of wisdom, or being wise, we may think of one’s level of education. But during my career I often joined with others in recognizing that the smartest person, scholastically, may not be the most practical person for the job, nor have the ability to show wisdom on the job. I love the description given by the dictionary for wise: ‘having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment’. I believe this is where the wisdom of an individual comes into practical use, no matter what type of job they are entrusted with. But how does one earn this wisdom? There is one Bible version that explains verse 3 as ‘crying after wisdom and crying for understanding’. We tend to do this when we are convinced that we must have something in order to move on in life. So in our desire to become wiser about God, His teachings, and His will for our lives, how might we achieve this, and what might we do to become wiser? Let’s take a minute to address the opposite. If a person did absolutely nothing, or if they settled for what they picked up naturally through interaction with other believers, do you foresee them becoming wiser about the things of God? Perhaps a little, but what they are really acknowledging is that they will only learn what falls into their lap. This may have some value if you go the extra mile to spend extra time with children of God willing to show their experience with God, share their knowledge of God, and uses all learned wisdom through good judgment calls. I believe that when one is crying out for wisdom, and they are in a Bible study, they will refuse to accept just the blunders of the teacher, but are instead, determined to understand and apply the Word of God in its simplest form. Attending church is an excellent way to worship God corporately, and to hear, understand and follow along with all the preacher is sharing with congregants. But what if you need clarification, or just need an additional example to help you better understand the Word of God and how you might apply it to your life? Some churches have ‘Sunday School’ while others have ‘Small Groups’. If your church is diligent about providing sound Biblical teaching to those interested in learning more of Jesus, then I would suspect that your knowledge of God will be expanded and you will be granted more opportunities to use your wisdom in helping another beggar find Jesus. If you don’t feel like you are receiving this at your church, then accept the invitation from friends to visit their small group. You can do this and still stay joined with your home church. Remember, in heaven there won’t be denominations, but simply ‘children of God’! As you become wiser about God’s Word, and you embed its truths into your life, then you might become like Solomon and share that wisdom with others who are crying out for wisdom. In Matthews 5:6 Jesus continued with the same teaching that we see in Proverbs: Jesus said it is when we hunger and thirst for righteousness that we are filled! And when we cry for understanding that it will be found!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Those who cry out for wisdom and follow the teachings of the Almighty will understand what it means to respect and to know the Lord God!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe that You have built into the heart of mankind to always search after knowing You better and in a more fulfilling way. Those with varying degrees of education could do this, as well as those with just minimal education. You created us all, and I am thankful that each of us can seek to know our Master personally and become wise in sharing our experience with others. Please forgive us Lord when we allow Satan to distract us and we grow weary in seeking more understanding of You and Your Word. Please Lord, strengthen our determination to know You better and to learn all we can about Your Word and its intent for us. We love You Lord and seek to know you better with each and every passing day. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!