Get Wisdom! (3)

Proverbs 4:8
Exalt her, and she will promote you;

She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.


We know what wisdom is. We know how important it is to get wisdom. We must desire it earnestly, prize it highly and 'exult her.' Wisdom must be valuable for us. We must be willing to sell all in order to buy it (Proverbs 2:4). We must do everything we can to obtain it. That requires knowing how to obtain it.

After examining Scripture I have come to the conclusion that there are at least four things we must do to get wisdom apart from earnestly desiring it.


The first of these is to study the Word of God. If wisdom is defined as knowledge of God and His will we must seek to learn more about them. They are both primarily revealed in His Word. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7). Apply yourself in study and meditation to know the Word and do it. Contained in this book is all you need to know to become wiser. Study and meditate for "The words of a [wise] man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook" (Proverbs 18:4).

The second thing we should do to get wisdom is pray. Solomon was not born a wise man. He prayed for wisdom and God said, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words" (1 Kings 3:11,12). And Daniel admitted that in himself he had no wisdom (Daniel 2:30), but he gave thanks to God for his wisdom and knowledge (Daniel 2:23). Paul prayed that the churches would be given "spiritual wisdom" (Colossians 1:9) and that they might have a spirit of wisdom and of revelation (Ephesians 1:17). And finally, James puts it clearly: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God" (James 1:5). The true wisdom that leads to true and lasting happiness is not natural or inborn. It is a gift of God. Therefore, if we seek wisdom, we must pray.

The third biblical instruction for how to get wisdom is to think often of your death. Or to think of the shortness of this life and the infinite length of the next. Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days so that we may get a heart of wisdom." If we think often of our death, surely that will inspire us to work hard at knowing God while we still can! Ponder the kind of life we would like to look back on when we come to die. There is great wisdom in such meditation. Therefore, think often of your dying.

Finally, there is one last, absolutely essential thing to do if you wish to "get wisdom": you must come to Jesus. He said to the people of his day, "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42). Jesus is far wiser than Solomon. Solomon spoke God's wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). To know and love and follow Jesus is to own the treasure of ultimate and eternal wisdom and happiness.

Therefore, the command, "Get wisdom," means to earnestly desire it; to read, meditate on and do whatever is written in God's Word; to pray for it; to think often of your death; and finally to come to Jesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom. This will result in the ultimate, everlasting happiness that we all seek.

Related/Similar Posts:
Get Wisdom (1)
Get Wisdom (2)
Acquire Knowledge
For more about thinking of death, read:
Contemplating Death