We will be greatly helped in life when we realize that the devil is a liar. He has been calling sweet bitter and bitter sweet from the beginning. And because he got our first parents to believe his lies, we’ve all been impacted by his deception. Now we are terribly confused about what is good and what is not.
Being confused about what is good is a terrible curse. The curse is, you pursue what you think is good and then on pay day, you get garbage. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23). Death is what sin pays its employees on the 1st and the 15th.
God is kind to us in that He gives us instruction in His Word that reverses this curse. He tells us what is really good so that we can pursue it. God says wisdom is really good. In the book of Proverbs He speaks about how valuable it is. What’s so valuable about wisdom?
First, wisdom enriches. A wise father once said to his sons, “I give you goodprecepts” (Proverbs 4:2). If the father gave boring precepts, or useless precepts, then the son may have a reason not to listen. But the wise instruction of the father is valuable. We hear of the richness of wisdom in Proverbs 3:14 which says, “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.” I don’t think anyone reading this would turn down a bag full of silver and gold. But if I had a bag full of silver and a bag full of wisdom. Which would you choose? Get wisdom.
Wisdom not only enriches, it protects. “Do not forsake her (wisdom), and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you” (Proverbs 4:6). Wisdom is not only like money, it’s also like a fortress. And we need a fortress. We need sound words to shield us from worldly propaganda, the temptation of the devil, and dumb ideas that rise up right out of our own flesh. If you get wisdom, you can stand against the enemy. He will fire those arrows at you and you’ll deflect them all day! Oh how dreadful it will be for those who laugh at the teaching of wisdom’s protection when they find themselves face to face with the most vicious enemy they’ve ever seen, exposed.
Third, wisdom exalts. “Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you” (Proverbs 4:8). Wisdom always lifts up. You can bank on it. The person who gets wisdom will do what is honorable and in the end be recognized for it. On the other hand the pursuit of fame and stardom is the distortion of this principle. Those who lust after the glory that comes from man forsake the pursuit of wisdom. And in the end, such people will be sitting in the worst seats at the table.
Along with exalting, wisdom beautifies. “She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown” (Proverbs 4:9). Wisdom will bring marvelous realities into your life. If you don’t get wisdom then your life will be dull, drab, and dreary. If you get wisdom, your life will be full of the opposite. You will look upon glorious, splendid, and magnificent things. If this son gets wisdom, if he holds fast to it, he will be able to sit down at the end of his life and say to God, “You have done glorious things.”
Here’s a summary of the value of wisdom. The wise father says, “Keep my commandments, and live” (Proverbs 4:4). Live an enriched life. Live a protected life. Live an honorable life. Live a beautiful life.
