Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT
'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.'
‘Wisdom’ derives from the root word meaning ‘to see’. The very name of our species, homo sapiens, signifies ‘wise man’. Yet, wisdom is not something that is taught. Indeed, the great philosophers of old recognised that wisdom was not a form of knowledge but a recognition of the limits to their own knowledge. As Socrates said: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” And this is how we are to approach God. Always with a recognition of our lack of understanding and in humility. Wisdom, then, is not enhanced understanding or knowledge, rather it’s a way of seeing life and building a perception on life, one that is built upon God.
As we go in search of wisdom we are invited to focus upon God’s word. Knowledge of God can never be reduced to an accumulated list of Christian truth. Rather, it’s the ability to remain in close proximity to God in whatever circumstances I find myself. It isn’t to yearn for some other experience, or to compare myself unfavourably with another’s experience of life in an attempt to escape my present. Wisdom is seeing how I am with God, where I am. As the philosophers established, this is the work of a lifetime. Perhaps one reason wisdom was often associated with age.
There are no short cuts to discovering God and his ways. You can find plenty of information about God a click away, but wisdom demands the desire to discern God’s perspective and the courage to inhabit a space where you alone will make your home with God.
QUESTION: Would others describe you as a wise person?
PRAYER: I want to tune my ears to your wisdom. Give me insight and understanding so I may discern your perspective on the life I lead.

Released on 23 Jun 2020