Wisdom’s wealth
“So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul” — Proverbs 24:14
Oftentimes we associate wisdom with knowledge, however, this is a flaw of human philosophy. We have the very first account of sin as an illustration: Eve saw that the fruit was good for gaining knowledge, but it was not in wisdom that she took it, it was in foolishness. Sadly, this perception is trampled underfoot in the current age of increased knowledge and it is vividly illustrated day in and day out by what transpires around the world. Men boldly parade their knowledge, but for the discerning, they equally reveal their folly. We see this clearly manifest in man’s attempt to unshackle himself from God’s bonds. What they fail to comprehend is that freedom from God is not freedom at all, but bondage to the devil. That evil slithering snake, who deceived Eve into believing that through rebellion and disobedience she would gain knowledge and freedom, continues to ply the same ploy – and it is sadly working. Jesus said His yolk was light, and according to the psalmist, those who were in rebellion against the LORD found themselves chained in deep pits. This is as vast and contrasting as night is from day, light from darkness!
The application of wisdom from God’s perspective is not to the sole attainment of knowledge, nor to the exultation of status, nor to the procurement of power. It is the finding of God’s principles; it is the application in one’s own heart of His statutes; it is the yielding of one’s will to His authority and decrees; it is understanding His precepts and ways and following them; and it is seeking God’s influence in all you say and do. As honey is sweet to the taste, so is wisdom – God’s wisdom – sweet to man’s soul. Such wisdom flows straight from the heart of God, through the channel of the Holy Spirit, and it ignites the heart of the man who finds it. It is like a feeding tube linked to the immeasurable tree-of-life-filled silo of God’s infinite wisdom resource that nourishes the being and soul of the man who possess it. All the while such a man draws from the resource he will be supplied, for God will not deny him. Yet let not such a man seek his supply elsewhere, or feel that a divided provision will improve his position. For the feed will become contaminated and poisoned, and the tube filled with mildew and rot. The man’s whole being will weaken and wizen, and no matter how much extra he seeks to obtain, it will always fall short of a sufficient and nourishing supply. The sweet drops of revitalising honey that once brought nourishment and joy to the man’s soul, will turn acrid and gnaw the very marrow in his bones. O beloved, if this be your practise, forsake eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and seek your sustenance only from the Tree of Life.
God’s wisdom is a tree of life to those who lay hold of it, and it is the source of life. Jesus is that tree of life. The source of wisdom is found in the depths of the Creator, for the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding. Saint, let Jesus rule richly in your heart, nourishing and growing you in all spiritual truths, and guiding you in soundness of mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let Him, who is wisdom, sustain you in all ways and all things. Reader, if this not be your portion and the interest of your heart, know this: Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her (Proverbs 3:13, 15).
Judson McCawl