Are you ready for another “GGism”? Maybe I’ll write a book titled, “Everything God Taught Me Through My Dog.” Did you notice that I phrased that in the past tense, as if I already know everything God wants me to know? Well, lately I realized this week that when he is overwhelmed (when more than two people are walking toward him), if I have him sit, he can be calm when he would otherwise be very anxious and barking. If he has a chair or something to jump up on, he’s even happy to greet those approaching. So now, instead of being embarrassed that my dog is barking at people, I am pleased when they walk by or stop to pet him. This little change transforms my relationships with visitors and new residents. The solution is based on my knowledge of GG’s temperament, understanding the things that push his anxiety button, and having wisdom to apply that knowledge and understanding. In wisdom Scripture, we are encouraged to seek biblical wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from God, who gladly gives it to those who walk with Him. As those in Christ, the Holy Spirit influences us to be increasingly attentive to these spiritual treasures, and apply them with integrity and discretion. For example, do you know people who are grieving the loss of someone special? Is your understanding of their struggle heightened because you have learned how to move on after the loss of a loved one?* Doesn’t God give you the wisdom to approach your friend based on that knowledge and understanding?
Storing up God’s Treasure of Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom
“If you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.” (Proverbs 2:1-11) “The first result of heeding wisdom is that one will understand the fear of the Lord. This knowledge is possible only because the Lord gives it to the upright. Thus, while wisdom is to be sought diligently and cultivated in practice, it is not something merited by the actions of an individual. Verse 8 states that the purpose of the gift of wisdom is to protect the paths of the saints [he is a shield…guarding…watching]. The second result of heeding wisdom is that one gains an understanding of righteousness and justice and equity because wisdom takes root in the heart and acts to protect the person who embraces it…the means by which the Lord will be ‘watching over the way of his saints’ is through the wisdom and understanding he will give them.” (1)
The Source of Knowledge and Wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (1:7; 9:9-10) “‘The fear of the Lord’ [is] the main theme of Proverbs…[and] is the only basis of true knowledge. This fear is…the reverent awe and worshipful response of faith to the God who reveals Himself as the Creator, the Savior, and the Judge…The Hebrew [for the ‘beginning of knowledge’] means either that [the fear of the Lord is] the starting point of knowledge or its best part. The former is in view here, not as in a starting point that one leaves behind, but as in mathematics, where one uses the numbers learned at the beginning in all of the later courses. While in His common grace God enables unbelievers to know much about the world, only the fear of the Lord enables one to know what anything means ultimately…Wisdom recognizes an important principle of human nature: there is no standing still; one progresses in the direction of one’s choice. Wisdom accumulates more wisdom. [‘For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’] (Matthew 13:12).” (2) As holders of wisdom through Christ, we are called to be increasingly attentive to God’s wisdom for discernment and discretion, always moving forward.
Building Our Spiritual Dwelling
The idea of the building is prevalent in Scripture. Consider the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11), the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Gen. 20), the building of OT altars for remembrance and sacrifices (Gen. 23; Deut. 25, 27; Joshua 22; Judges 6), Solomon’s temple (2 Sam. 24; 1 Kings 5:5), and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple after the exile (Nehemiah 2). In the Psalms, Scripture points to the temple building as God’s spiritual dwelling place and location for meeting with Him (Ps. 23, 89). In Psalm 127, Solomon wrote, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (v. 1).” In Proverbs 24 we read, “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 24:3-6) “The images of wisdom’s benefits (a house…built, established, and filled) include material provision in addition to a blessed family life. However, the means by which they are received are presented in Proverbs as stemming from the fear of the Lord…The source of true strength is found in wisdom; by implication, strength and might apart from wisdom will be ineffective…Wisdom carefully acquired and applied is the means of success in all of life.” (3)
A Wise Caution
“No one book of the Bible gives us the whole picture of God’s salvation and truth. Proverbs makes the case that because God is the creator, wise actions normally lead to good results in life. The key word, however, is ‘normally.’ There is much abnormal about our world, so that prosperous people often are not hardworking while many poor people are. The relationship between behavior and reward is—not completely but to a significant degree—disrupted. It’s possible to over-read Proverbs to teach that ‘good things…happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.’ While Proverbs acknowledges the disruption of order, the books of Ecclesiastes and Job (also part of the Bible’s Wisdom literature) explore it.” (4) “Then I said in my heart, ‘What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?’ And I said in my heart that this also is vanity…How the wise dies just like the fool!” (Ecclesiastes 2:15-16) “Proverbs says that, in general, the godly are remembered and the wicked forgotten. But here Ecclesiastes 2:15–16 observes that often a good, wise person is no more honored than a fool. Ecclesiastes and Job, then, must be read together with Proverbs if we are to learn wisdom. Does it surprise you that in our broken world good behavior does not always lead to favorable outcomes? Do you find yourself blaming God for this? Or are you learning to be wise in a broken world?” (5) “Have you found that God is destroying your little human wisdom and knowledge? The Lord be praised! God wants to wound the pride of your intellect. God does not use the wisdom of this world to express His thoughts; nor should we think our own thoughts and then ask God to bless them. God wants to think His thoughts through us, and then make us a blessing to others.” (6)
“Jesus’ disciples and NT believers are doubly blessed. God’s grace has made their hearts, ears, and eyes receptive to the revelation of His kingdom; and they live in the era of the fulfillment of God’s promises, for which OT believers earnestly hoped.” (7) No one is in a better position to practice and share wisdom than we who are in Christ. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16-17) May Christ be seen and enjoyed through God’s wisdom in us, through our relationship with each other, our relationships with God, and even through our treatment and relationships with God’s creatures.
Related Scripture: Job 28:28; 32:8-9; Psalm 25:14; Matthew 7:24-27; 16:15-19; Luke 10:23.
Notes:
* If you are looking for help to journey through your grief with others, I highly recommend GriefShare (www.griefshare.org). I am on the leadership team for our group and am greatly encouraged by the program and our members who support each other.
1. English Standard Version Study Bible Notes, Proverbs 2:1-11, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.
2. The Reformation Study Bible, Proverbs 9:9-10, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.
3. ESV Study Bible, Ibid, Proverbs 24:3-6.
4. Keller, Timothy and Keller, Kathy, God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life, March 3 Viking, New York, 2017.
5. Keller, Ibid, March 3.
6. Chambers, Oswald, My Utmost for His Highest, March 13, https://utmost.org.
7. Reformation Study Bible Notes, Matthew 13:16-17, Ibid.
March 20, 2025
Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin 