Wisdom is not a point that we reach or a gift on which we can rest. It is a longing that continues to unfold the wonders of God’s glory.

I remember reading that when I was a kid and thinking, “Great! If I just ask God for wisdom, He will make me rich and powerful.” As you can probably guess, that is not how that passage is intended to be read. My heart craved the other things more, and I wasn’t going to be able to trick God into thinking otherwise. That’s a lesson I am thankful that God has allowed me to learn throughout my life. 

It is hard to prioritize wisdom over the other treasures which hold so much sway over our heart. We may have even convinced ourselves that we could do more good with riches and glory than with mere wisdom. While many of us wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to learn a thing or two, it is not necessarily something that we seek out with a great deal of intentionality. Furthermore, we might think that wisdom is out of reach. Riches and honor are hard enough to get on their own. How much more difficult is it to attain wisdom? 

Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount that if we have any need from God, all we have to do is ask, seek, and knock, “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:9). As He is teaching us to desire the things that God truly wants for His children, He is also revealing to us how we can receive these gifts from God. 

Ask

James tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask for it from God who gives generously (James 1:5-6). This might seem a bit too easy, but the point is that wisdom is not withheld from us like some other treasures might be. It is free for the taking, but we must go to the source and ask for it by faith. 

But if wisdom is so freely available, why don’t more people have it? The truth is that most people aren’t interested. When we are given the option to choose between wisdom and something else, the ‘something else’ usually wins out. Worse yet, whenever wisdom challenges the notions we already hold, we will often choose the familiar over the truth. We are a fickle bunch, aren’t we? 

Some people are threatened by the idea of wisdom. They would prefer to keep it simple, believing that knowledge is a threat to their ideals. “Ignorance is bliss” is their motto. There’s even Scriptural support, “Knowledge puffs up” (I Corinthians 8:1 - Taken out of context, mind you). However, ignorance is not to be mistaken for meekness. Neither is wisdom the antithesis of humility. It shines a light on the darkness in our own soul which can often scare us because we don’t want our own problems revealed. Ignorance is a lie from the devil that tells us we are better off not knowing the truth while it is the truth that will set us free. 

This is most prominently seen by the overwhelming biblical illiteracy in the Western Church. While we have access to more teaching on God’s Word than any generation before us, we are not better for it. That is because we have a tendency to read the Bible as a familiar text. We look for the things that tell us what we already know and what we want to believe, rather than searching for a greater understanding of who God is and what He wants from us. 

James goes on to reveal the two reasons we don’t have wisdom. First, we don’t have it because we don’t ask for it, and second, when we do ask for it, we don’t receive it because we ask wrongly, only to feed our own passions (James 4:2-3). Just as I misunderstood the story of Solomon as a child, we don’t understand the value of wisdom over the riches and honor that come with it. 

Seek

While wisdom is freely available, it is not our default state. We are born without knowledge and understanding. While some people seem better equipped than others to develop intelligence, it is not something that comes about without effort. Education comes more easily to those who want to learn, but it is in the wanting that the true gift of learning is found. 

Proverbs proclaims that we ought to seek wisdom. Wisdom is crying out in the streets and the markets to be heard. The problem is that wisdom is not the most popular voice in the crowd. There are so many calling out for our attention which are far more attractive to our desires. Wisdom is not hard to find, but she is easily overlooked. 

It is as if wisdom is hiding in plain sight. We can talk about wisdom all day long, but when we closely examine ourselves it can become obvious that we are simply referencing things we already know rather than pressing deeper into the immeasurable depths of the knowledge of God. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him because following Christ requires a constant pursuit of Him. Wisdom is not a point that we reach or a gift on which we can rest. It is a longing that continues to unfold the wonders of God’s glory. 

Knock

It’s easy to look at the story of Solomon and think that wisdom is dished out in a single serving. That couldn’t be further from the truth. True wisdom is a life-long journey that requires persistence and perseverance. 

In Luke’s Gospel, as Jesus is teaching on this principle of asking, seeking, and knocking, He shares an illustration of a man who goes to his neighbor’s house at midnight to ask for bread. The neighbor is already in bed and doesn’t want to get up, but because of the persistence of the man asking, the neighbor grants the request (Luke 11:5-10). The point is not to compare God to a bad neighbor but to praise the persistence of someone who seeks that which is good. 

God is a good God, and He gives us all good things freely, but He rewards those who show up each day to ask for their daily bread. Seeking the Lord daily, knocking on that door, praying for wisdom as we open the Scriptures in our devotions: this is what pleases our Heavenly Father. 

There is a temptation to think that we can just keep this promise in our back pocket and only pull it out when we really need it, but that is not the appropriate way to prepare for the challenges of life. True wisdom comes from the daily persistence of knocking on the door. Knowledge is gained a little bit at a time, but it is just enough for each day. Wisdom is accumulated over time, bit by bit, until we come to the end looking more like Christ than when we began. 

God makes His wisdom available to anyone who asks, He rewards those who diligently seek Him, and, like a loving Father, He provides us with just what we need for each day that we come knocking. Wisdom is not out of reach. It might seem hard to hear, but if we quiet our heart before the Bible and pray to ask God for guidance, He will make Himself known to us through His Word. 

 

Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. 

You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his articles on our website.