Proverbs 4:5-9
Thoughts from Pastor Josh
Dive Deeper
“Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not abandon her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your possessions, acquire understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Proverbs 4:5-9
Behind the Scenes
In verses one through three of this Proverbs, we learn that this is advice from a father to a son, advice that was passed down from the father’s father. In fact, this is King Solomon (arguably the wisest man to ever live) passing on advice given to him by King David (a man after God’s own heart). So we know that the advice about to be given is gonna be awesome! It brings to mind the image of a father and son, sitting side by side. The father leans in close to get the son’s attention. Memories of similar conversations with his own father fill his mind. This is a special moment.
And what advice does he pass on to his son? “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!” I love this. Because at the end of the day, so much of what we do and accomplish can be undone. But the gain we receive from wisdom and understanding is something that we get to carry with us through all time. It’s something that we can always keep no matter what season of life we are in.
But how does Solomon advise his son? He tells him that “the beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom.” Does this seem like circular advice to anyone else but me? It’s almost like when I was first starting out in the workforce, and everyone said you needed experience to apply but I couldn’t gain experience without working and you had to apply to work! Statements like this can be so confusing and the advice can feel so circular!
So, what is this incredibly wise king saying? We can guess that he has a point and that his intention was not to confuse his son more. And if you think about it, this advice is really good! What King Solomon is saying is that you need to be intentional about seeking wisdom. He is advising his son that he can’t just sit by and wait for wisdom to come his way. He has to eagerly and intentionally seek it out. The first step to gaining wisdom is to go after it!
Make it Real
This advice is so important for us still today. In a world that wants to feed us false wisdom in hopes that we will sit back and just accept what is thrown our way, we have to be eagerly and intentionally seeking the wisdom of God. Like Solomon learned, the most important thing we can gain in this life is the wisdom of God.
And as we grow in wisdom of God, we will naturally draw closer to Him who is the source of all wisdom. As we draw closer to God, we will naturally gain more wisdom. And on and on. So, where my example of gaining experience left me frustrated and feeling hopeless, the pursuit of Godly wisdom never will. Why? Because God has taken the first step in accepting us as His children and drawing us in. He has made Himself known to us and provided the means by which we can draw near- the redemption of Christ.
So, this week, I want to challenge you to do exactly what King Solomon advises: Seek wisdom! Acquire wisdom! It is precious and life-changing. And through the pursuit of God-given wisdom, you will gain a closer walk with God.
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Lord,
Thank You for making Yourself known to me. Thank You for making a way for me to find You. Thank You that I can seek Your wisdom and find it! Lord, teach me what this practically looks like today. Help me to find ways that I can always be looking for Your wisdom over the wisdom of the world.
In Jesus’ Name
Amen