OUR WANT FOR WISDOM

"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path"
Proverbs 2:1-9

No matter who one may be or what station one holds in life, wisdom is needed! If you are father or mother, wisdom must guide you in the decisions you make as you raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. If you are a son or a daughter, wisdom must direct you as you learn to honor and follow your parents. If you are a pastor, the under shepherd of God's flock, then wisdom must be present in your life to enable you to lead the church according to the will of God.

In the Book of James, we find two sources of wisdom. (James 3:13-18) One source is earthly while the other is heavenly. Earthly wisdom is flawed because it is relies on human reasoning and bases its counsel on earthly circumstances, while heavenly wisdom is flawless because it bases its counsel on God himself and this will never cause one to err.

How may we, as the children of God obtain wisdom from the Lord? In this text of Scripture, I believe, we are taught how to obtain wisdom.

I. IF WE ARE TO OBTAIN GODLY WISDOM, THEN WE MUST RECEIVE GOD'S WORD (v. 1 "...receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;")

1. SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;"
2. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

II. IF WE ARE TO OBTAIN GODLY WISDOM, THEN WE MUST RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD (v. 2 "...apply thine heart...")

• SCRIPTURE: Psalm 119:133, "Order my steps in thy word:..."

III. IF WE ARE TO OBTAIN GODLY WISDOM, THEN WE MUST RESEARCH GOD'S WORD (v. 4 "...seekest her as silver...searchest for her as for hid treasures;")

1. SCRIPTURE: See Job 28:12-21
2. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 119:162, "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."
3. SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed..."