Solomon could have asked for wealth or power, but He asked God for wisdom, so how can we gain more of the wisdom of God?
Seek Heavenly Wisdom
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To start with, the wisdom we seek is that which comes from above. All wisdom, all truth, and knowledge belongs to and comes from God alone, and yet God desires that we ask Him for it. God encourages us to seek godly wisdom, and even says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). If we ask God for wisdom, we know it is His wisdom that we seek and not human wisdom or logic. James writes, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly” (James 3:13), and that’s exactly the kind of wisdom I desire. When we seek wisdom from above, we know it will be right!
Seek Wisdom in Prayer
If we need godly wisdom, we have already read we need that wisdom from above, so where to start? If you are asking, that means you are praying. Pray to God earnestly for His wisdom that comes from Him (from above). Remember God promises that if anyone lacks wisdom, they need to ask Him, because He will give it generously, and without finding fault (James 1:5c). Later we’ll read that Solomon sought wisdom in prayer…seeking wisdom above all else. That is so wise.
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Read About Wisdom
What I mean by “Read the Wisdom” is read the Scriptures. There is God’s wisdom in black and white. We don’t have to guess about the wisdom of God that is revealed in the Bible. A good example of God showing us what godly wisdom in the Scriptures is in James 3:17 where God says, “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” So, right there it is…plainly revealed in Scripture what real godly wisdom is. Godly wisdom is to be merciful (as He is), to be impartial (as He is), and so on. Godly wisdom has tangible fruits like being peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, impartial, and sincere, so immerse yourself in the Bible, because God’s Word provides foundational truths…and is full of godly wisdom. Open the Word of God and you can gain some of the wisdom of God.
People With Wisdom
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I believe you become like those you spend a lot of time with. Either for good or for bad. Either way, we tend to gravitate towards being like those around us. So maybe it’s a good idea to have fellowship and spend time with godly people. You can probably already think of someone who you consider a godly person. You can look at their life and see their fruits, and maybe that will encourage you to become more like they are and have the godly wisdom that sometimes only comes with age. Who are your closest friends…or those closest to you in your church? “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Cor 15:33). Godly people tend to have, by experience, more godly wisdom. In many cases, like me, they learned this wisdom the hard way and the older you’ve lived, hopefully, the more godly wisdom you’ve gained by experience, but also from other people who have godly wisdom. People like that tend to rub off on people. Wise people are generally godly people. Paul writes, “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away” (1 Cor 2:6).
The Spirit Imparts Wisdom
Paul wrote in 1 Cor 2:7, “We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” That is, God imparted wisdom to Paul and then Paul imparted it to the believers. It wasn’t his wisdom, but God’s. And not one of the rulers understood this hidden wisdom (1 Cor 2:8). For example, most of the Jews did not expect the Messiah to come and die. They expected Him to come and rule…and He will someday, but not during His first coming to become our Savior. So the true wisdom from God comes from God; God the Holy Spirit. In the human spirit alone, no ear has ever heard and no eye has ever seen the things [like wisdom] of God (1 Cor 2:9). Why? It is because “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10).
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The Spirit of God and the Word of God births a child of God. They work together and bring us into the greatest wisdom we could ever gain and that is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. The Spirit reveals our need for Christ and no human spirit alone can do that (1 Cor 2:11). Pray for the Spirit to reveal more and more about Christ, to become more and more like Christ. In doing so, you may begin to know the wisdom of God so that you can gain godly wisdom. Even Solomon was wise enough to ask for that (1 Kings 4:29-5:12).
Conclusion
The wisest thing you can do in this like is to put your trust in Jesus Christ. To reject Christ is to reject your only hope to escape God’s wrath. This is why I pray that whoever reads this has already put their trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Here is some related reading for you: What is a Deacon? A Bible Study [5]
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.