The Bible talks a lot about wisdom. The word wisdom appears over 200 times in any translation of the Bible. It is used 46 times in the book of Proverbs alone. This begs the question, what is wisdom? One definition is this: Wisdom is the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

That seems like a good definition to me. But there is another question that begs an answer. What is God’s Wisdom? That question has a simple answer, Having godly wisdom means we strive to see life from God's perspective and act accordingly. Seems like a simple answer but is it hard to get God’s wisdom? To really get it and know how to use it? Solomon who wrote most of the book of Proverbs asked God for wisdom. He valued it above any riches or anything else that God had the power to grant him.

The request by Solomon and God’s answer is recorded in the book of Kings:

“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.  Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern these great people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.  So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,  I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.”

Wow, seems so simple, doesn’t it? Just ask for wisdom, and a discerning heart so that one can know when to make wise decisions. I doubt it works out exactly like that. I think that when you ask God for wisdom, he puts your life on a path that gives you wisdom in doses served to you by circumstances and experiences. You will get it but you may have to really want it a lot and also be willing to live through the ways that it comes to you.

I read a story about a young man who asked an old man to teach him wisdom. The old man took him out into a river. The elder man then pushed the younger man under the water and held him there. When letting the younger man up he asked “Do you want air?” “Yes” cried the young man. The old man pushed his face back down into the river, this time holding him longer. When he brought him up again he again asked “Do you want air?” “Yes, Yes”, the young man said while panting for oxygen. Once again the old man pushed the young man back under the water, this time holding him longer. He held him until the young man started kicking and fighting. He came up coughing, desperately gasping for air.

“Old man, what are you doing to me?” He asked in disgust. “Are you trying to drown me?”

“Do you want air?” the old man asked

“Well, of course I do you old fool!” the young man answered.

The wise old man then said, “When you want wisdom as much as you want air, then you will get it!”

Proverbs 2: 1-22

1 My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.

16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a]
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.