Condition And Promise Of Wisdom

Wisdom--something all of us need but can never seem to get enough of. Is it available to us, or just a select few Christians? Is there a price to be paid to receive it? Let’s see what the word of God has to say in the book of Proverbs, chapter 2.

The Condition (vv. 1-4)--Notice the Verbs:

1. Receive (v. 1) my words

2. Hide (v. 1) my commandments

3. Incline (v. 2) thine ear (in others words "listen on purpose, pay attention")

4. Apply (v. 2) thine heart to understanding

5. Cry (v. 3) after knowledge & Lift up your voice for understanding

6. Seek (v. 4) for as silver and Search for as hid treasures (Notice Proverbs 3:13-18)

I believe there is a price to be paid! If we want the blessings of vv. 5-9 then we have to follow the "recipe" of

vv. 1-4.

The Promise (vv. 5-9)

1. We will understand the fear of the Lord & find the knowledge of God (Prov. 1:7 & 2:5)

2. We will understand that true wisdom comes from God Himself (Prov. 2:6)

3. He will shield us (be our buckler) and His wisdom will be "laid up for us" (Prov. 2:7). Think about a pantry and in the pantry is everything you need to make a cake. However just because all of the ingredients are there does not mean a cake will magically appear. You must follow a recipe and instructions for the cake to turn out right! This verse tells us that all the wisdom we need has already been "laid up" for us in the pantry of God’s Word and His indwelling Spirit! However, we will not become magically wise! We must follow God’s instructions found in the first 4 verses! It’s laid up for us, we can’t just be hearers, we must also be doers!

4. He will take care of us (v. 8)!

5. We will begin to understand some things (v. 9)!