Wisdom is Moral

“But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its worth. . . .
It cannot be bought for gold. . . .
God understands the way to it,
And he knows its place. . . .
He saw it and declared it;
He established it, and searched it out.
And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Job 30:12-28

I was struck by the simplicity of these verses this morning. Wisdom is moral discernment and righteousness. “It cannot be bought for gold.” This reminds me of the highly valued “college education,” which is purchased. Wisdom cannot be obtained this way. Wisdom is different than knowledge. One can have knowledge and not discernment and righteousness. You can determine how wise you are based on whether your not you can discern evil and whether or not you turn away from it.

Making Plans?

If you are making plans, consider these Proverbs:

“Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”
Proverbs 19:2

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Proverbs 19:21

“Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.”
Proverbs 20:18

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Proverbs 21:5

Efficiency

“If the iron is blunt,
and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom help one to succeed.”

Ecclesiasts 10:10