Day Ten
WISDOM
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
—PROVERBS 4:7
Wisdom is the supernatural ability to apply information at the right time, in the correct way, in order to prosper and succeed. We do not learn wisdom, per se. I have not heard of any classes that teach wisdom. The principles of good study and acquisition of information can certainly be taught; however, wisdom is developed through a much different process—it’s called the fear of the Lord.
Scripture makes it clear that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (see Prov. 9:10). I talk about this at length in The Prosperous Soul book, so for the sake of time, I want to give you some practical teaching on the connection between wisdom and study (which you learned about yesterday).
Wisdom is what makes your study profitable. You cannot become wise without study, but neither will study make you wise. Study provides a knowledge base for wisdom to draw from. While study is the acquisition of information, wisdom is the application of study.
On the other hand, years of study will not necessarily translate into wisdom. There is a “wisdom from above” (see James 3:17) that is determined by our relationship with the Creator and Wise King. He is wisdom personified and He has given us the Spirit of wisdom (see Isa. 11:2), who is the Holy Spirit living within us.
Take studying the Bible for example. There are many who have given their entire lives to gleaning theological information from the pages of Scripture, but they do not walk in wisdom. The Bible they study does not profit their everyday lives. To walk in wisdom is to know how to actually put what’s written in the Bible to work in an everyday, relevant manner. One can approach the Bible as a textbook yet never benefit from the depth of revelation it offers.
God’s Word is His divine blueprint to position you for prosperity in every realm of your life. It is not just about gaining health and wealth, as many have overly emphasized. Those are simply two aspects of the complete Shalom (Hebrew for peace) or Sozo (Greek for salvation) of God. Salvation is holistic in nature. It is multi-dimensional. There is no access into the Kingdom of God apart from your sins being forgiven and your spirit being born again through the work of Christ. This is fundamental; you cannot ever minimize it! The problem is that people are born again into a Kingdom that they know very little about.
What we are learning in The Prosperous Soul is how to live as successful Kingdom citizens. A key to walking in this supernatural citizenship is operating in the wisdom that God has made liberally and freely available to all who ask (see James 1:5).
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Explain how you understand the difference between study and wisdom:
Read Proverbs 9:10. How is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom? Write down your thoughts on this verse in the space below.
Why is your relationship with the Holy Spirit important to walking in wisdom?
ACTION STEPS
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.
—JAMES 1:5 NLT
Wisdom can become a very abstract concept if we do not consistently keep it grounded and practical—yet this is how God meant it to be taught—practically. Wisdom is your key to walking in good success every single day of your life. No, it does not assure you a trial-free, seamless coast through your remaining days on earth. It does give you the ability to walk in victory, even when you are experiencing opposition and difficulty. What is the key to accessing this supernatural wisdom? Asking.