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. Proverbs 2:1-5
To discern and learn the wisdom of God requires effort. This is of course is not a work unto salvation (that was completed on the cross by Jesus), but a work towards the practical application of knowledge gained in and of the Lord. King Solomon allegorically compared the hunt for wisdom as an enterprise a prospector might pursue in order to discover precious metal or gemstones, implying that much effort is reasonable if you desire such a prize. Most would agree, but I’m kind of fond of Socrates’ straight-forward approach on the topic.
The story is told of a young man who came to the Greek philosopher in his quest for wisdom. Socrates supposedly said, “Follow me,” and he walked down to the ocean. He waded out into waist-deep water and the young man remained at his side. Socrates suddenly grabbed the lad and thrust him beneath the water. The terrified boy struggled vehemently against his strong grip. The great thinker finally released him and said, “You will find wisdom when you crave it as much as you did a breath of air.”
Do we hunger so greatly after godly wisdom? We should. This type of pursuit leads us to better understand what it means to fear the Lord, which will in turn lead us to a prosperous walk in the Lord and a walk that is pleasing to God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding…in (Him) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs 2:6 and Colossians 2:3
He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 
I’m reading Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala and am finding the perfect balance of prayer & bible study both rewarding and challenging. It always seems that one is stronger than the other at any given time. But these verses perfectly nail what God is impressing upon me each and every day.
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Another book I haven’t read — I feel so illiterate
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I’m reading Larry Crabb’s book, The PAPA Prayer (2006, Thomas Nelson). Have you read that? He writes about praying in such a way that we focus first and primarily on our relationship with our Father (Abba – “papa,” “daddy”). I haven’t finished the book, yet, and I haven’t learned all the parts of the PAPA prayer (PAPA is an acronym), but it speaks to me, so much. Yes, I’ve prayed often for wisdom, discernment, insight, understanding–all of those–but God has been making it clear that what He wants from me, these days, is to focus on growing closer and deeper in Him. Crabb says, too, that, as we do that, we will find more and more that Christ really is living through us, as our wants and desires come increasingly in line with His. Then wisdom, etc. flows through us as a fruit of our being in close relationship with Him.
I can’t tell you how deeply I want that!
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No I haven’t read that. Sounds like a good read. It sounds like you and I are in the same place!
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I’ve certainly been in worse places! Which reminds me…I was out all morning, have been home for about an hour, and haven’t had my time, yet.
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