My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. 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. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted. These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths. They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil. Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong. Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman. She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave. The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life. So follow the steps of the good, and stay on the paths of the righteous. For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted.
Proverbs 2:1-22 NLT
We can get wisdom from many places: thinking, experience, listening, discipline, mentors, and more. But Solomon made it clear that all wisdom is from God. Knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing. Our culture overvalues knowledge: we evaluate young people on their grades and elevate adults who are experts in their fields—without prioritizing their character. A person can have knowledge without integrity. Wisdom is more than knowledge; wisdom is understanding and right choices. Wisdom shapes our character so that we become good people—God’s people. It brings us joy and practical rewards.
The first part of this book is directed at the young, in hopes they will learn wisdom from God before they make mistakes that may ruin their lives. Two dangerous paths are talked about this chapter: bad company and sexual temptation. Make no mistake, these two things are still ruining lives today. And what is amazing is that the fool has no desire to leave his or her path of ruin—they ruin their lives and even call these foolish ways “normal” or “good.”
Are you pursuing knowledge or wisdom? What does it mean for you to follow God’s way, even if it is hard?
