January 20

Proverbs 4:5-9: “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.  She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

Yesterday I spent an enormous amount of time booking airline flights in and out of a capital city to spend a precious four hours with family members. As I worked on the booking for the flights, I prayed, asking God for wisdom. After about six hours of Internet searches, I “found” a credit I had completely forgotten about, that paid for one of my flights, and which would have expired in twenty days. Why did it take so long for me to remember it?

God gives us insight and wisdom in innumerable ways when we ask with a humble heart and an open mind. His guidance is uniquely wise, and always glorifies Him, often bringing others into His presence with thanksgiving. When we embrace God’s wisdom, He guards us from taking the wrong path or giving up entirely. “…walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:16-17)

Seeking and asking for wisdom involves loving and embracing God. It requires personal affection for God and valuing your relationship with Him. If you or I expect to become wise through the “right” Internet search engine, approach to success, or financial management, we will get exactly what we ask for—intellectual knowledge based on worldly standards. But if we grip Christ, with sincere devotion to be used by Him, He will place a garland and beautiful crown of wisdom on our heads.

Perhaps it took six hours for me to truly embrace Christ, since I had about given up. Emptying ourselves of the “I can do this” attitude is an excellent precursor to godly wisdom.