"My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off." - Prov. 24:13-14
I have tasted honey fresh and straight off the comb. My dad kept bees when I was a kid, and one of my favorite times was when dad would get in his white bee-suit and go out to get the honey. He would bring it in the house after he smoked all the bees away, and setup downstairs. He would then proceed to get the honey off the slides. At any rate, he would let me come down and watch. But he would also let me get a piece of the honeycomb and eat it. It was amazing! Just like the proverb says, it was incredible and sweet to the taste.
Yet, as the years of my life went by, I was always searching for something that was sweet, but life seemed to be somewhat empty and painful, even though my childhood was a great one. There was something deep within my soul that knew that something wasn't right with the world and with me.
Then be the power of God, I found something sweeter than honey that gave me a future and gave me hope. I have been eating of this sweetness for the last 18 years everyday. That sweetness is wisdom as the Proverb says.
But what is it?
Well, it isn't just facts. Facts are cool and are good at parties to show that you are smart, but facts aren't sweet. It isn't just knowledge either. Knowledge is deeper than facts, and is related to the understanding.
No. Wisdom, the wisdom that I have experienced, that is sweet, is a relational direction, or life direction. But it was not something that I got in one step. There was something that happened in me first.
A creative, renewing work happened in me that changed my soul and made me a new person. This was a supernatural, creative work of God called the new birth. I was born again by the Spirit of the Living God, the Holy Spiriit. The one who hovered over the waters at creation, and has b en actively involved engaged in His world ever since opened my heart to God. It was then that I began to have wisdom and seek after it.
Earlier in the book of Proverbs it says this:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." - Prov. 1:7
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength." - Prov. 8:12-14
Essentially, wisdom is the fear of the Lord. But fear does not mean a frightened, servile dread, but rather a holy reverence and awe. This is wisdom. Wisdom is recognizing and knowing who God is and that you truly know him on a personal level. The fear of God is knowing that you are really a created being that owes his/her life to God, and not a breath of yours happens without Him granting it to you. Wisdom is knowing that you are broken and have missed God's mark of perfection, and are guilty before Him. Wisdom is knowing that God won't wink at this evil, but must punish it. Wisdom is knowing that God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to pay this penalty for your missing his mark of perfection. Wisdom is accepting and acknowledging this truth, and confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord, that Jesus who died for you is your Master and King, and you will submit to Him in all things.
Wisdom is hating what God hates and loving what God loves. It is seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. It is not living for self, but living for God.
You will know when the new birth that is given by God happens when you suddenly know, believe and accept God's message. The new birth enables you to long for wisdom and experience its joy and sweetness, because the reverence and awe you now have for God comes because you personally know Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Knowing that God is not far off but close brings a sweetness that is so far beyond the sweetest thing you can experience in life.
Why? Because He made us, loves us, and takes care of us. When we know we are valuable in His sight, we no longer have anything to fear, we have value and significance. Then have a relationship with our Maker, the Creator, and the One who holds the universe together. This is joy and this gives hope.
Why? Because we know that one day we will see Him face to face, and instead of an angry look, we will get His smiling face as He sees us as righteous and perfect through His Son's work.
So how do you get wisdom?
"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown." - Prov. 4:7-9
You get wisdom by acknowledging yourself as missing the mark of perfection that God has, and accepting the free gift of Christ's righteousness, and the offer that He gave of taking your debt. Then by submitting to Him as you read His revelation found in the Old and New Testaments. It is found coming from the mouth of God which can be read in the Bible.
This wisdom is so sweet and wonderful. If you have experienced it, then I hope it still has joy. If it doesn't, pick up the Bible and start reading again. If you haven't experienced it, then ask God to forgive you, because of Christ's work on the cross, for missing His mark of perfection, and if you have done this, you more than likely have already been remade. If so, then you can begin to get wisdom by learning and seeking after God with reverence and awe.
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