Proverbs 18:2 and 19:8, NIV
“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions . . . he who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.”
No-one likes being called a fool – but, sadly, many people behave in a very foolish way in respect of understanding the things of God! Not having knowledge or understanding of God’s Word puts them in the situation of being ignorant about the most important things of life! The Psalmist also told us that someone who says that there is no God is a fool. (Psalm 14:1).
There are people, however, who are foolish, even though they don’t deny the existence of God. They are so full of their own ideas and opinions, that they never stop to think about whether or not they are right or wrong or listen to what others are saying. As our Scripture for today makes so very clear, they do not even seek to gain understanding. When God was speaking to his people through the prophet Hosea, he said, “My people are destroyed through lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6).
Faith is, of course, absolutely essential for salvation – without faith it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). But when it comes to day to day living, as believers in God, we should be sure to be diligent in seeking to gain understanding – both about God and the ways of God. For then we will have a better perception on situations as they develop and be in a much better place to make good choices and godly decisions. Many of the people whom I have had the privilege of ministering to over the years, have had plenty of faith in God, but they are still having to live with the consequences of not having sought understanding and wisdom. They made choices that left them with, sometimes, serious lifetime consequences.
But the end of our Scripture for today encourages us with a wonderful promise – that if we cherish understanding and then, presumably, make godly choices, we will enjoy God’s blessing on our lives.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to always seek to gain knowledge and understanding of You and Your ways, so that I will be in a much better position to make godly choices in all the decisions of my life. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.