Wisdom is described as “the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments” (Cambridge English dictionary). Wisdom is one of God’s great attributes. The Bible teaches that God is God of wisdom and this is clearly demonstrated throughout His word. God used wisdom when He created the world, as the Bible tells us, “The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:19). Way back then, our sovereign God recognized that wisdom was essential in His creation of the world.
No one knows the importance of wisdom more than the Almighty who desires that it is vitally important for us to get it. He says wisdom is the “principle thing.” This seems to indicate that is is not an option for one to have. “Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). Wisdom and understanding go hand in hand. Understanding means “having insight.” Far too often serious situations which produce negative consequences could have been avoided if wisdom and understanding were applied.
Consider King Solomon, who “spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs were 1,005” (1 Kings 4:32). God gave Solomon wisdom, making him wiser that all other men. “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore. So that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than other men. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:29-3,34). Solomon and others wrote the book of Proverbs which has wisdom as its theme.
God said to Solomon, “Ask what I shall give you” Solomon responded, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father and made me king in his place. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people” (2 Chronicles 1:7-8,10). Obviously, Solomon realized that, as king, he could not govern effectively without God-given wisdom. In the same passage, God noted that Solomon did not ask for possessions, wealth, or honor, although God also granted him these. As we saw earlier, the Bible says, “Wisdom is the principal thing.”
Wisdom is needed in just about every aspect of life and in all human relations, whether in the home, on the job, at school, in the church and just about every profession. In writing on the subject of the “testing of faith,” the Apostle James inserts, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously to all without reproach and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). And the wisest man wrote, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding” (Proverbs 3:13).
Shouldn’t we all consider the importance of wisdom in our individual lives and if it is lacking, then we turn to God as He has requested to obtain it. God says, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding” (Proverbs 8:14). It is abundantly clear that God puts much emphasis on wisdom and understanding.