My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
Proverbs 2:1-9
In a quick-fix culture where we have instant coffee, instant messaging, instacart, instapot, and instant gratification, the long search for wisdom can really put us off. Solomon describes the quest as a long and multifaceted one: receive, treasure, incline your ear, apply your heart, cry out, lift up your voice, seek as for silver, search out–only then will you understand the fear of the Lord. Think of how you and so many people have said, “How is it possible to fear a God who is love?” It takes wisdom, and that wisdom takes time and effort to obtain.
The Lord doesn’t withhold it but gives it in knowledge and understanding. He stores it up for the upright and acts as a shield to those who walk that way–nothing can rob them of this wisdom (v. 7). It’s a great and emboldening comfort to know that the Lord has wisdom in store for those who want it. In the challenges and hardships that may be soon and certainly will eventually be coming your way, He will preserve His saints in the path and bestow an understanding of righteousness and justice so that you’ll know which way to go.