Thought for the Day

Verse 10 - The first step in obtaining wisdom is having a reverent fear of God. To understand life and why man was placed on the earth, we must first know the God who created all things. Knowing God leads to understanding in everything else. "The knowledge of the holy," is gained by studying the Bible. This understanding is imparted to us as we surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are born again, we are given the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. Our understanding and relationship with God grows as we study the Bible and obey Jesus' commands.

Verse 11 - If we walk in God's wisdom by applying what the Bible teaches to our lives, we are promised certain blessings. One is that "our days shall be multiplied" and the years of our lives increased. The word multiply in Hebrew can mean "to enlarge." One might say that our days and years will be more profitable. It is amazing what we can do in a day by giving it to the Lord. We are able to accomplish things that would be impossible without His help and strength. When our priorities are focused on Him, our days and years bear much fruit for His Kingdom.

Many people look back on their lives with remorse, feeling they were wasted. They do not have anything to show for their contribution to the world, nor do they have many heavenly rewards to look forward to. If we wisely serve the Lord, we will not find ourselves in that state. At the end of our lives, when it is time to meet the Master, we can look forward to a greeting like that of Matthew 25:23: "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

Verse 12 - Wisdom has its own reward. If we scorn it, we only hurt ourselves. God gave us free will. He will not force us to make the right choices. What we do with our lives is our own decision. If we ignore God and His wisdom, we will suffer the consequences and reap what we sow. However, on the positive side, if we yield to the will God and ask for His help to lead a righteous life that is full of wisdom, He will grant our request. As we follow and obey Him, He will bless us, fulfilling the promises He has given in the Bible.