Day 7 | Wisdom Definition

Read 1 Kings 3

To better understand God’s attribute of being wise or showing wisdom, we must first realize there is a distinct difference between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom (wisdom of man). Worldly wisdom is plentiful and can be found from multiple sources, but true wisdom can only be found in God, as He alone knows where to find it (Job 28:23–25). Worldly wisdom will lead us to be puffed up and pursue selfish outcomes, where godly wisdom will humble us and put us on a path of pursuing righteousness. The pursuit of wisdom is not a bad thing, but we must be sure that our pursuit is guided by the right motives and a desire to use the wisdom we have received for the right cause.

When we read 1 Kings 3:9, we see that Solomon desired a “discerning heart” to be able to lead God’s people and to “distinguish between right and wrong” (NIV). He could have sought guidance from wise men of his time, drew from past experiences, or trusted in himself to make the right decisions, but Solomon knew that true wisdom could only be found at the source. Solomon, exhibiting humility and meekness, asked God to give him wisdom above all the things the world could offer. He could have asked for anything, but Solomon knew that everything meant nothing without the knowledge of how to use those things properly.

Solomon and the psalmist were both intimately aware of this attribute of God. As said in Psalms 147:5, God is infinitely wise. This means He cannot be any wiser or any less wise. He just is! For Him to become any wiser would mean that new information would have to be presented to Him— something He hasn’t thought of—and Paul, in Romans 11:33–36, points out how that is an impossibility.

Pray for 10 minutes