PASSIVE WON'T CUT IT

PROVERBS 2:1-6 NKJ 
2 My son, if you receive my words,  
And treasure my commands within you, 
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, 
And apply your heart to understanding; 
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, 
And lift up your voice for understanding, 
4 If you seek her as silver, 
And search for her as for hidden treasures; 
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, 
And find the knowledge of God. 
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; 
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 

In this passage, we see an attitude revealed. It's the attitude that is foundational to receiving wisdom from God. It is not passive.  

Here the author, most likely Solomon, uses action words to describe the person pursuing God's wisdom. 

Receive. Treasure. Cry out. Seek. All of these words reflect intentional focused pursuit of God and His wisdom.   

Solomon understood the pursuit of godly wisdom. He was the one who, when asked what he wanted from God, asked for the wisdom to lead God's people. This request pleased God, and He gave Solomon amazing wisdom. The fact that Solomon would put wisdom to help others above money, fame, and victory in battle opened a big door. Not only did God give him wisdom, God gave him the material things and fame that he did not ask for.   

Solomon had it in his heart to ask for wisdom, so he understood its value. Things of value are worth the effort. Later Jesus would say that the effort you give will directly impact what you receive (Mark 4:24).   

APPLICATION: 

We tend to spend time, effort, and resources on the things we value. And people place value on so many different things. Wisdom is universally valued, but godly wisdom even more so.   

God's wisdom can make such a difference. But God's wisdom is not a function of intellect or education. God's wisdom is spiritual wisdom that can impact all areas of life. But we must have a heart for it. We cannot be passive and wish it would just fall on us. We have to pursue God's wisdom.   

Start with receiving and treasuring His word. Ask God for discernment and understanding and expect to receive. This passage says if we'll go after God's wisdom, we will find it because God is giving, not withholding His wisdom.   

Jesus would later talk about not being passive. He said for us to ask, seek and knock. And that's not passive.   

PRAYER: 

Father, I desire Your wisdom. Wisdom to be a blessing to those around me. So, I will seek Your wisdom wholeheartedly.