Some say that wisdom comes with age. In fact, Job 12:12 say that “Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.” There is a proverb that says, “Experience is the father, and memory the mother of wisdom.” And, in March 1917, The Janesville Daily Gazette in Janesville, Wisconsin, said, “Wisdom is digested experience.” But, as Oscar Wilde once said, “With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” All kidding aside, while it may be true that as we get older we do grow wiser because of our life experiences, age alone does not guarantee wisdom.
So how do we obtain wisdom? That very question shows up in Scripture. Job 28:20 asks, “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?” The next verse says that wisdom is hidden from the eyes of humanity. So, if wisdom is hidden from our eyes, how do we find wisdom? God’s Word is clear that true wisdom can be found in God alone. Job 28:23 tells us that only God understands the way to wisdom and only He knows where it may be found. And so, if we desire wisdom, we can find it only in God. Job 12:13 says, “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are His.” And Proverbs 2:6 tells us that “the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
The first Scripture passage that I ever memorized was Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
These are great words to live by! God’s understanding is far superior to our own limited understanding. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so God’s ways and God’s thoughts are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9). God knows what will happen in the future before it ever comes to pass (Isaiah 46:10). If we want to succeed in life, if we want to live a life guided by true wisdom, we need to trust in the wisdom of God. It’s no surprise that the next verse of Proverbs 3, verse 7, begins with the words, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A Worshiper's Journal 