“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.”

  - Proverbs 8.12, 22, 23

The beginning, the principle, from whom all things are is the Father; the beginning, the principle, through whom all things exist is the Son. The Father speaks His Word – the Father brings forth His Wisdom – and all things are made. The prophet said, “In wisdom hast Thou made them all.”

  - Eriugena, Homily on John 1.1-14, Irish, 9th century[1]

There is an indisputable link between being wise and having power, power for righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

The Wisdom of God Who speaks in Proverbs 8 is the eternally-begotten Word, in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Wisdom of God has power to create (vv. 27, 28), to rule (v. 15), and to administer what God has made through Him (vv. 29, 30).  The Wisdom of God is more valuable than gold and silver (v. 19), for He leads us into the paths of righteousness and justice (v. 20). Those who hear and embrace this Wisdom, who seek Him daily and wait for Him with longing, know the favor of the Lord and find full and abundant life (vv. 34, 35).

All the wisdom of God is contained in Jesus Christ (Col. 2.2, 3), Who has power over all created things (Heb. 1.3), and power over life and death (Jn. 14.6). The wise person seeks God’s Wisdom in God’s Word. There the Lord Jesus is revealed for us to know, love, rest in, serve, and proclaim. The wise person patterns his life after the example of the Wisdom of God, and because he lives in step with God’s Wisdom, he knows God’s power to love selflessly and from the heart.

That power, the power of God’s Wisdom, can transform not only those who know it, but those who are touched by it.

Paul says that we must not live like fools, who insist that God has no business in their lives. Rather, he says, we should live like wise people. The wise person trusts in the Wisdom of God in every area of life, at all times, for all things (Prov. 3.5, 6). Living this way is making the most of every opportunity to be filled with the Spirit, to order our lives for the glory of God, and to serve others in love (Eph. 5.15-21; 1 Cor. 10.31; Eph. 4.16).

Sadly, many who profess faith in Jesus have never learned to walk with the Wisdom of God in the everyday details of life. They feel put upon by others, overburdened by their circumstances, and helpless to do anything other than to struggle just to get through each day. They find rest in their weekly moments of turning to the Lord for worship or study or fellowship with others. But they have never discovered the power of Wisdom for making all things new because they’ve never learned to live in Wisdom, redeeming every moment and situation with praise and thanks, for the love and honor and glory of Wisdom Himself.

We’ll know that we are increasing in wisdom when, like the very Wisdom of God Himself, we live in the fullness of holiness and hope, and serve others in love.

Wisdom, in other words, is no merely cerebral attribute; Wisdom comes to expression in all the fine details of life and proves His mettle in the gracious touch, the edifying word, the thoughtful gesture, the self-denying sacrifice.

Would you have power to live each day for the Lord? Seek the Wisdom of God; plead for Him earnestly (Jms. 1.5).

Would you be wise and not a fool? Begin each day seeking the Wisdom of God in His Word and praying for the people in your Personal Mission Field, especially those you will see that day. Resolve to go among them as a servant, hoping in glory and waiting on the Lord and the fullness of His Spirit. Let the Wisdom of God express Himself through you, and you will have power to rejoice and glorify God in even the smallest details and most trying situations of your life.

The world has enough fools as it is. Let us seek Wisdom, and the power of God that accompanies Him, that we might show Jesus to the people we meet today.

Psalm 111.10 (Manoah: “When All Your Mercies, O My God”)
All they who would true wisdom know must learn to fear You, Lord,
And in that wisdom daily live and praise You evermore.

Lord, help us to fight wise battles day by day, that we may gain the prize of Your Kingdom. Adapted from Beccán mac Luigdech, Fo Réir Choluimb

Preparing for the Journey
Each day we set forth on the next leg of our journey with the Lord – a journey, hopefully, along the path of wisdom, rather than the path of folly. Are you as prepared for this journey as you might be? Our brief study, Preparing for the Journey, provides an overview of the outlook and disciplines essential for a fruitful and joyous daily walk with the Lord. This study is excellent for personal or group use, so click here to order your copy, or to order copies for your study group.

May the Lord continue His blessings upon you in all things.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.