Choosing WisdomSample

WISDOM IS GRANTED BY GOD

Proverbs 2:6–7 (NLT) For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

Mindful Minute

The very reason we are reading this devotional today is because we desire more wisdom in our lives. Choices of our past, and their related consequences, show us just how much wisdom we lacked in the moment. And it hurt. Over and over again, non-believers and believers alike share how much they love the wisdom of the Bible, yet using it when it comes to decision-making seems out of their reach.

Today’s verse tells us that God grants us wisdom. And the NLT translation used here includes its own exclamation point! It is as if the writer is saying, “Wake up! This gift is yours and you do not even realize it!” The verse then goes on to explain that from His mouth comes the knowledge and understanding we need.

How do we hear what comes from His mouth? There are two ways, but the first is critical to accessing the second. The first way is to be in His Word. He left us with inspired Scripture so that we could hear His voice. We cannot use His wisdom without knowing Him intimately through His Word. It is simply impossible. The second way to access His knowledge and understanding is to actively listen to His voice. This comes in the midst of our reading of Scripture, and it also comes from quiet time with God, pausing after our requests and listening intently to His voice and His discernment.

There is an enemy at work in our lives who is called the commander of the powers in the unseen world (Ephesians 2:2), whose responsibility is to distract us from the truth of His Word and offer us a false version of the gospel and its message. The only way we can acquire the shield He promises us in today’s verse is to walk in integrity with God, understanding His truth, listening to His voice, and using His wisdom to choose the direction of our life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I desire the treasure of common sense that you promise in this verse today. I want to gain access to this by committing to spend time in your Word and hearing your voice directly. Thank you for wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.