Thought for Monday, February 13th

February 13, 2012

Having Wisdom Beats Being Smart

The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Proverbs 3:35

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 Proverbs 1:2-7

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Proverbs 2:10

Quote of the Day:

“The door of wisdom swings on hinges of common sense and uncommon thoughts.” – William Arthur Ward

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

To have wisdom does not preclude one from having knowledge: but it does mean that he/she has a better grasp of understanding the proper place and time to employ that knowledge and the right way in which to do it.

Knowing some thing often isn’t all it takes to make a person wise.  You can know how to build a house but if you try to build it in the middle of a hurricane  - you are most definitely not going to achieve a high degree of success

The same is true of our spiritual or Biblical knowledge.  We may know what the word says but we also need to know more than what it says: we need to know when and where and how to actively and affectively allow our knowledge to become productive in our day to day living.  For example we need to know when to stand up and testify boldly and at others times we need to know when to be still and wait upon the Lord.  We can have knowledge of both Biblical principles but if we fail to maximize the potential of our knowledge by exercising wisdom in our applications we are missing the best God has for us.

Simply put, often it takes more than just knowing something to be successful with what we know.  Often it is taking what we know and using God given wisdom, which we receive by His spirit working in and through us to accomplish His will and our optimum potential in service for Him.

So learn all you can: but in learning also seek wisdom and ask for God to give it to you.  He is willing – if you are. 

We need to remember this, “A wise man is like a tack – sharp and pointed in the right direction.” – Anonymous

Our prayer should be, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

Today’s Prayer

Father you are all knowing and all wise: may I be both willing to learn from you but also willing to allow you to make me wise.

“Knowledge is horizontal; wisdom is vertical and comes from above.”

-          Billy Graham

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me