Get Smart
Bible Reading: Proverbs 2:1-5
Listen to me and treasure my instructions. . . . Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1, 5
Let’s assume you want to get smart—so smart, in fact, that you’ll know how to do what’s right all the time. What are the best ways to learn right from wrong? Score the following options between 1 and 10 (1 means a lousy place to learn, 10 means the best place to get brainy):
____ Search the Internet—someplace other than your favorite joke page
____ Rely on your younger brother—after all, he’s surely learned from watching your mistakes
____ Ask your older sister—she says she’s so much smarter than you
____ Ask your parents—your built-in fountain of wisdom
____ Read the Bible—the wisdom God thought was important enough to write down for you
God puts many sources of wisdom in your life. But of all those choices, one source trumps all the others. Do you remember all the qualities of God’s Word that David rattled off in Psalm 19? “The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight to life” (verses 7-8).
The wisdom you want for life is plain in the Bible. But it doesn’t fly off the page and into your life without some effort on your part.
Talk about it: What does today’s Bible passage say to do if you want God’s wisdom? Did you find the following six things to do?
1. Listen to God—you see him as your best source for wisdom
2. Treasure his instructions—you hang on to what he teaches you
3. Tune your ears to wisdom—you pay attention
4. Concentrate on understanding—you think hard
5. Cry out for insight—you tell God you want his good sense
6. Search for wisdom—you hunt for it as if looking for buried treasure
When you do these things, there’s a promise. You’ll find God’s wisdom—and understand why it’s great to follow God!
TALK: How do you feel knowing that God has so much wisdom he’s willing to share with you?
PRAY: God, we cry out for your wisdom! Teach us what is right and good!
ACT: How hard are you trying to get smart God’s way? Which of the six things to do will you work on today—and how do you want to do that?