⁶For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. ⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, ⁸guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones.

Wisdom comes from the Lord, no question. Sometimes God provides miraculous guidance for our path in life, as we see in the apostle Paul’s second mission tour recorded in Acts 16, where the Lord used a vision to redirect his plans. At other times, the Scripture simply tells us of Paul’s planning process, like in Acts 19:21: “Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem … saying, ‘After I have been there I must see Rome.’” One is no more spiritual than the other when we understand how God guides us. If we think of wisdom as the practical application of knowledge and discernment to life situations, then Scripture teaches that wisdom comes in various ways, but always comes from God. And as believers, we trust God will guide us whether supernaturally or through wise planning and decision making.

The key is to live our lives for the Lord and in submission to Him. As Paul wrote, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). The book of James adds:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit… Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” (James 4:13, 15)

The Lord [Yahweh] is the one who gives wisdom. The use of God’s divine name in Proverbs clarifies that just being a theist, one who believes a supreme being exists, is insufficient for gaining true wisdom. Many people believe there is a God, but it makes little difference in how they live, except perhaps for a slightly higher moral standard than that of an atheist or agnostic. Even demons believe that God exists, but that doesn’t make them wise (James 2:19)! But God is personal and acts on behalf of those who believe He is living and active in our lives. As repeated in Proverbs and elsewhere, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov. 1:7, 9:10, 15:33, Job 28:28, Ps. 111:10, etc.).

So we read that the Lord provides wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. It is there, stored up in God’s presence, for those who want it, a free gift:

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him … Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:5, 1:17)

Wisdom has its benefits—or better, we should say that God provides benefits to those who seek and live by the wisdom He gives. Our lives will be sound, that is, solid and sure. When we walk authentically in God’s wisdom, He promises to shield us from the calamity of those who live foolishly, of which the Book of Proverbs has much to say. We will make our plans with the full assurance of right choices and security that our life and time are in His hands.

Since the benefits of seeking wisdom and living wisely are so great, why would anyone not want that free gift from God? It is not for lack of knowing how to gain wisdom, for God has provided the Book of Proverbs as a foundation to build on as we practice the wisdom God gives, which leads us into greater wisdom. So why doesn’t everyone seek God for wisdom?  The answer is quite simple: some people do not fear the Lord. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, they choose what they think is a better way, one that leaves God out. Had that first couple feared the Lord and respected His instruction, they would have discovered the wisdom and knowledge God wanted them to have. It all goes back to the fear of the Lord.

Can a person make wise decisions without fearing the Lord? To some extent, yes. Our Lord taught that God’s liberality sometimes overflows to benefit those who don’t believe in Him: “[God] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45). If an unbeliever lives by the teaching of Proverbs, he will become wiser than if he ignores these wise teachings. How much more will God give wisdom to us who fear Him and seek His wisdom in its fullness?

Lord, I humbly bow before You, the giver of all wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. May my living wisely show Your glory to others, that they too may fear You and discover Your wisdom.