HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 355
page A353
Wisdom comes from the Holy Spirit who lives in you when you believe in Jesus Christ.
• PSA L M 2 5 :8 -9 | The Lord . . . leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
• PR O VE R B S 3 :7 | Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and
turn away from evil.
Wisdom comes more easily when you are humble.
• PR O VE R B S 2 0 :1 8 | Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.
Wisdom often comes to you through the counsel of thoughtful, godly people.
Is wisdom something you can learn or acquire—or do you have to be born
with it?
• PR O VE R B S 4 :5 | Get wisdom; develop good judgment. (See note on page 562.)
Wisdom can be acquired through diligent search of and obedience to God.
• 1 K I NG S 3 :9 | “Give me an understanding heart so that I can . . . know the difference
between right and wrong.”
Solomon made wisdom and understanding the priority of his life with God.
What are some of the characteristics of a wise person?
• PR O VE R B S 1 8 :2 | Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own
opinions.
The Bible describes fools as having the following characteristics: (1) refusing to acknowledge
the existence of a loving God; (2) making no attempt to develop wisdom and self-discipline;
(3) being entertained by making fun of what is good and moral; (4) speaking carelessly and
thoughtlessly about others; and (5) thinking they are always right. Therefore, a wise person
must have the opposite characteristics: (1) acknowledging a loving God who deeply cares
about you; (2) actively disciplining yourself to pursue wisdom; (3) respecting what is good
and right and standing up to wrong; (4) finding the good in others and encouraging them;
and (5) being humble enough to know you don’t have all the answers.
Does old age produce wisdom?
• J O B 3 2 :7 -9 | “I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.’
But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them
intelligent. Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand
justice.”
We do well to remember that life experience does not automatically produce wisdom. It
is life experience filtered through a teachable spirit and prayerfully linked to the truths of
Scripture, that gives one the full spiritual benefit of old age.
Does spiritual wisdom guarantee success?
• PR O VE R B S 2 4 :5 | The wise are mightier than the strong.
• PR O VE R B S 3 :5 -6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own
understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
While wisdom itself does not necessarily guarantee success in worldly terms, it is the
road to spiritual prosperity.
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 :1 9 -2 0 | “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the
intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars,
and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.
Spiritual wisdom allows us to avoid the folly of the world’s wisdom.
• PR O VE R B S 5 :1 -2 | Pay attention to my wisdom. . . . Then you will show discernment.
HelpFinder
• PR O VE R B S 1 4 :1 | A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with
her own hands.
W
• PSA L M 1 4 :1 | Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
• PR O VE R B S 1 :7 | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline.