Seek Wisdom and Understanding
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her (Pro.3: 13 - 18).
The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom of God as a precious gift (I Cor.12:8). Jesus was filled with wisdom (Luke 2:40) and increased in wisdom (Luke 2:52). In Acts 6:3, we find that the seven men of honest report chosen by the apostles for ministering to the widows were "full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom". These men were not only filled with the Holy Ghost but also with wisdom. The people who heard Stephen speak were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:10). The wisdom of God which we receive as a gift from Him is in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom (I Cor.2:7). This wisdom is hidden from the people of this world. When we receive the wisdom of God, we are led by the Holy Spirit to teach, not in men's wisdom, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (I Cor.2:13).
Happy is the man who finds wisdom. If you find wisdom and get it from God as a gift, you will be happy. If you are filled with wisdom, even your sorrow will turn into joy because wisdom will help you overcome the sorrow. Your enemy cannot stand before you because wisdom will be revealed through your mouth. "I will give you a mouth and wisdom which your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist" (Luke 21:15). Your financial problem will vanish the moment you are filled with wisdom because it will guide you to invest in His Kingdom so that you may not become bankrupt. God will turn the heart of your loved one to you because wisdom changes the heart of your loved one. Wisdom flows from your mouth to your loved one and touches the heart of the latter. You will not speak any word that will further antagonize your loved one other than words of wisdom.
According to the school of thought prevailing in this world, a man is happy if he gets all the material prosperity, good spouse, good children, good job, etc. But according to God, a child of His who does not have the good things of this world will be happy if he finds and gets wisdom. In the whole book of Proverbs, the Holy Spirit speaks about the importance of wisdom. If you find wisdom, you will be able to excel in your research work, in your career or in your study. The wisdom in you will be greater than the wisdom of this world. The wisdom that you receive of God is neither the wisdom of the wise nor the wisdom of this world (I Cor.1:19-20). "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! (Rom.11:13).
Happy is the man who gets understanding. If you have wisdom, you will get understanding. We should understand the Word of God at any cost. It is through wisdom that we should understand the Word of God. Nowadays, the people of God do not understand the Scriptures at all because they have not received wisdom from God. They should ask God to give them wisdom as a gift.
One day, I taught the students of my prophetic school class in India about the meaning of salvation. I taught, inter alia, about "a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David" (Luke 1:69). Many times, you would have read this passage. When I taught to my students, I received the understanding of this particular word. God "has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David". Jesus is revealed not merely as a Savior but as a horn of salvation. Rhinoceros is an animal with a single horn, known as unicorn. The horn is so powerful that even a lion is afraid of attacking it. Jesus is a Rock of offense and whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed (Rom.9:33). Our Lord does not only reveal Himself as the Crucified Christ but also as the Glorified Christ with "His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace..." (Rev.1:15). The Horn of Salvation bulldozes any political or devilish power in this world. Nobody will go unpunished after persecuting or attacking the people of God. No power on this earth can stand against this horn of salvation. A young man who was saved from the Hindu religious background was there. He told me that the Hindu fundamentalist elements did not allow him to worship the Lord in his church. I told him, "You can go and start the church service in your place because Jesus, the horn of salvation, will bulldoze any power that works against you and your enemies will fall before you". The horn of the Antichrist or horn of any world ruler cannot stand before the Horn of salvation.
Wisdom or understanding is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. It cannot be equated with any valuable thing in this world. It cannot be measured in terms of money. The gain from wisdom and understanding is better than fine gold. If you get unlimited quantity of fine gold, you will be considered as the richest person in the whole world. But wisdom and understanding will bring you gains that will exceed that of this unlimited quantity of fine gold. You will be able to do great things for God than what a king or a ruler who has all the military, economic and political power can do. Wisdom from your mouth (word of prophecy) will bring down any political power from his throne. Wisdom from your mouth will destroy the work of the devil in your midst.
When Jesus taught in the synagogue, people were astonished at His doctrines and said, "Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?" (Matt.13:54). Through wisdom, Jesus did mighty works (Mark 6:2). Similarly, we can do mighty works through wisdom today.
Wisdom is more precious than rubies and all the things that you desire cannot be compared with her. Wisdom has two hands. In the right hand, it has length of life. In the left hand, it has riches and honor. You need not beg for funds from anyone if you have wisdom. Funds will come your way when you are filled with wisdom. You will find honor wherever you go. You need not seek honor. It will come your way. You can have long life if you have wisdom. You need not get your life insured for a hefty sum of money because wisdom gives you long life. Even if you have any disease, it will not stay on your body and wisdom will prolong your days on this earth. If a child of God dies due to a disease or is on the deathbed, if you pray for him/her to be filled with God's wisdom, the former may not die but may live long.
Her ways (ways of wisdom) are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. A child of God with wisdom leads his/her life with pleasantness and there is abundance of peace through his/her life. Others receive pleasantness and peace through his/her life.
Wisdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retains her. According to the standards of this world, if you have money and power, you are blessed and happy. But, according to God, if you have wisdom, you are truly blessed of Him. Wisdom causes a tree of life to grow in your life. People around you find eternal life in you. The tree of life gives life to them who have lost their hope. People around you witness the living waters coming from your life and drink it through you.
Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus, you should lay hold upon wisdom and if you find and retain it, you will be happy in this world. Do not seek material prosperity but wisdom. Do not seek wealth but wisdom. Do not seek fame but wisdom. I hold a big platter in my hand. The platter is full of gifts, both visible and invisible. The visible gifts occupy half of its space. I tell you that the other half portion of this plate which is seen empty is full of the spiritual blessing of wisdom which is not seen. As I carry on this platter wisdom, which is not visible to your eyes and a bundle of dollars or a diamond necklace or ring, which is visible to your eyes, and bring it to you, which one you will choose? Wisdom or money/diamond? You will naturally choose what is visible. And you will not believe me for the spiritual blessing of wisdom because you do not see it through your physical eyes. Wisdom is unseen but spiritual whereas a material blessing is seen but temporal. Happy is the man who finds wisdom because it is better than rubies, fine gold or the merchandise of silver. He who finds wisdom also gets riches and honor. But happy is not the one who finds only the temporal blessing.
We find wisdom not as something intangible or abstract but as a person who has eyes to see, two hands to stretch, a mouth to utter her voice and to cry in the chief place of the concourse (Pro.1:20-21), etc. Wisdom as a person is represented in feminine gender in the whole book of Proverbs. You receive this gift from God in the form of a person. This gift stays with you in the form of your spiritual mother. She advises you to walk in the right direction. She warns you against the snare of the devil. She reveals the motherly love of God for you. Wisdom is justified of her children (Matt.11:19).
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