The Pursuit of Wisdom

Proverbs 18:2

A fool does not delight in understanding,
But in revealing his own mind.

Proverbs 2:1-5

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God

Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1

If you Will Receive my words…

David Wilcox: The View From the Edge
Like the ones up on the towers
Who really feel it sway
And they’re dashed against the railing
And the railing breaks away
And they’re hanging by the wreckage
And they feel it start to give
If they had the time to tell you
They could tell you how to live

Proverbs 2:1

Treasure my commands within you…

Proverbs 2:2-3

…incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding

J I Packer: Knowing God
“Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.”

John Maxwell:
‘People change in four different seasons:
When they hurt enough they have to.

When they see enough they are inspired to.

When they learn enough that they want to.

And when they receive enough that they are able to.’

VIDEO

What is Discernment? Webster defines it as: “…the power or faculty of the mind, by which it distinguishes one thing from another, as truth from falsehood virtue from vice;”

Proverbs 2:4

If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Proverbs 2:5

Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

2 Samuel 6:6-7

“6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly overturned it. 7 And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.”

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

John Bevere: The Awe of God
“One who lacks holy fear easily succumbs to this force and slips into the mindset of believing that God doesn’t take notice, or care about what they do.
Thoughts begin to form such as I’m an exception; I’m exempt: I’m no different than most:

God overlooks my motives, words, or actions, all the way to There’s just too much going on for Him to keep track of.”

1. We Must Be Receptive (Proverbs 2:1)
2. We Must Be Responsive (Proverbs 2:2-3)
3. We Must Be Resolute (Proverbs 2:4)