Blogging Through Proverbs Part XVII - 3:13

Studying: Revelation 5-7
Memorizing:Romans 1:1-25
Thoughts:

"How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding." - Proverbs 3:13, NASB

Throughout the book of Proverbs there appear these "thesis" statements, one might call them. Here Solomon makes a plain and simple statement, and in the following verses he's going to explain further just what he means by "blessed" here. But for now, suffice it to say, here is the opening idea, that the wise and understanding man is "blessed."

What does it mean to be "blessed?" Some would say money, wealth, power, etc. And I suppose, indeed, those things are blessings. Life itself is a blessing, that we are merely granted another day to live. Our possessions, certainly, and our families and friends. Our health is a blessing and our jobs are also too blessings. But what about things like cancer. Is cancer a "blessing?" Is the death of a loved one a "blessing?" Do we normally think in those terms.

I can assure you that about two months ago when the sewer backed up from the toilet onto our kitchen floor that the first thought that came to my mind was not "boy this is such a blessing!" But was it?

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1:2-4, NASB

It would seem consistent with Scripture that even the "bad" stuff can be a blessing to us. Now the question is, how does that tie into here with what Solomon is saying about wisdom?

If we look back to the beginning of these posts we defined wisdom as "knowing the right thing to do and the right way to do it." Wisdom is knowing how to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Therefore, wisdom and understanding are such blessings because they allow us to use whatever God gives us to that glorious end. Wisdom and understanding allow us to see how to use our resources that God has given us for his kingdom, how to honor him through our marriages, our friendships and jobs. But wisdom and understanding also grant the new widow eyes to see with faith. Wisdom and understanding grant the parents with a dying child a shred of hope to hold on to. Wisdom and understanding keep the believer firmly grounded come pain or loss.