Proverbs 4:7-9
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. ⁸Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor when you embrace her. ⁹She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
What is it that made King David teach his son King Solomon that wisdom is the principal thing? With all the exposure that he had, what made him exalt wisdom above all things to the extent of King Solomon asking for nothing else from God but wisdom and understanding? There is something about wisdom that made these great men have a high regard for the value of wisdom. Words are too limited to fully reveal the beauty and benefits that a human soul can enjoy as a result of having wisdom.
Scriptures are very explicit on the benefits of wisdom. From Genesis to Revelation, there are personalities who are symbols of wisdom. Their lives clearly show the impact of wisdom on a human soul and humanity at large. Individuals like Joseph, Daniel, Solomon, Nathan, Stephen, and Paul clearly show that wisdom has an elevating effect on those who are given to it.
From the quoted main Scripture Proverbs 4 v 7 – 9 concisely, it was stated wisdom promotes, brings honor, brings grace, and glory. Words can’t comprehensively reveal what wisdom accomplishes on this earth.Amongst the innumerable benefits, wisdom brings:
1) Long life Through the wisdom of God expressed in the Bible, we are taught the principles that create long and pleasant lives. From spiritual instructions, we know that if you honor your parents, you will have a long pleasant life on earth(Ephesians 6 v 1-3). From Proverbs 17v22 we learn a merry heart is like medicine and a broken spirit has the same effect on bones as arthritis.There are some premature deaths which happen to both believers and unbelievers which are a result of lack of wisdom. If we take heed of the Biblical life insights, our standard of living and length of life remarkably improve. By observing one instruction, “Do not commit adultery,” humanity could not have known one sexually transmitted disease case/death. For defying such wisdom millions upon millions have gone under, trillions of dollars are spent every year in researching, treating, and trying to prevent STIs.
2)Riches. Immense wealth is amassed when a person has some insights into business opportunities. Some without using their capital and energy but wisdom, earn in loads. The business world is ready to transact money in train loads to those who bring unique value, adding business insights to current challenges. Joseph for solving the famine challenge in Egypt was given a position of being like a father to Pharaoh.In Job chapter 28 and 29 you hear Job giving insights of what could have made him the richest man in the East. He was no ordinary man who did nothing but a man of God who had distinct wisdom, which gave him a competitive advantage in the marketplace.John D Rockerfeller for solving the energy crisis in America amassed a huge fortune. Henry Ford, for solving the transport challenge in the world, was enriched. Strive Masiyiwa for solving the Zimbabwean connectivity challenge made him world renowned. Aliko Dangote for solving Nigerian fuel crisis he is poised to more than double his billions. I once heard Peter J Daniels saying, “l earned more than US$1million in a year in board sittings…at some point l got more than $100 000 for giving a business solution within 20 minutes.” Wisdom pays a premium upto date.
3)Good judgment Each day, an individual has to make many decisions, which ranges from small and insignificant to huge and impactful. Surrounded by many uncertainities and within ambigious situations but still key decisions are still to be made. If wrong decisions are made, there are huge negative impacts. To make the right decisions with such limited information requires some divine inspiration. That’s where godly wisdom becomes a competitive advantage. For example, King Solomon became a renowned wise king for judging the tricky case of a disputed child between two prostitutes (1 Kings 3 v 16 – 28). Of all the possible good ladies or gents in this world, how can you pick the one to be your lifetime partner? As such current knowledge is limited, the issue has a lifetime impact, and how can a decision be made? With godly wisdom, one can make the right decision and enjoy the effects for a lifetime.
4)Escape from snares of life and tragedies. Through Joseph’s wisdom, Egypt escaped a severe 7 year famine. The conmen and tricksters of our day capitalize on lack of wisdom of those who seek to make quick riches by exploiting too good to be true business opportunities. In courtship, if one asks potential suitor wise questions, some key revelations that help to make an informed marriage decision are unveiled. Wisdom helps an entrepreneur to avoid dishonest and mischiveous business partners at initial contact. Through wisdom, at recruitment, a businessowner/manager avoids employing troublemakers. The tragic end of certain endeavors is very predictable at the start point if one engages wisdom. The wisdom of drafting good contracts and making sound control systems is to put under check the mischief and evil intents of other involved parties.
5) Joy and Peace. If you see yourself moving from crisis to crisis, constantly clashing with people, you need to seriously ask God for wisdom, for in wisdom lies your peace and joy. About some (not all) troubled marriages today hear what the Bible has to say in Proverbs 14:1; “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.” About some (not all) domestic rages and probably violence we are told in Proverbs 15v1; “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” The greatest joy and peace of yours lies in how best you deal with people. Some people are to be cherished and made very close to you. Some are good but to be kept at a distance, and some are to be avoided at any cost. You need wisdom to rightly categorise people for the sake of your peace and joy. Through wisdom you can be joyful in the midst of troubles because you appreciate certain things are out of your control so you are to leave them to God, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you;” 1 Peter 5 v 7. Surely it is not wise for you to lose sleep and be depressed over a matter which you have no control whatsoever. Yes, it might affect you, but you have no room to make any contribution apart from taking it to God in prayer. Take it to God in prayer, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind. (Philippians 4 v6,7).
The above 5 benefits are only a small glimpse into the benefits of wisdom. From Proverbs 8, you start to see that wisdom is Jesus Christ Himself. In other words, we can say that the beauty of Jesus Christ is the full beauty of wisdom. This explains how difficult it is to use words to fully explore and explain the benefits of wisdom. In short we can say all that you know that Jesus Christ can do for you is what wisdom can do for you since Jesus is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1 v 24 & Colossians 2 v 3) shown to the world. We can’t fully express Jesus Christ and be foolish at the same time. As you long to manifest Jesus from your life to the world, don’t omit the wisdom attribute.
