The Art Of Living Well

Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
–Proverbs 4:5

Somebody has defined wisdom as the skill to follow God’s pattern for every area of life. If you want to become a wise person, then you will shape your relationships, your finances, your career, and your life after the pattern that is given in God’s Word.

Acquiring wisdom requires effort. Since this skill does not come naturally to us–since it goes opposite our natural inclinations–we have to search for it. Many years ago, I visited the Billy Graham Museum at Wheaton College. In a display case there, I saw an old, worn Bible that had been given to Albert Einstein. On the flyleaf of that Bible were these handwritten words: “Straws on the surface flow, but he who would search for pearls must dive below.” Whoever gave this Bible to Einstein was saying, “As great of an intellect as you are, Albert, you cannot discover God’s truth with a surface study of the Bible. You must go deep to appropriate the truth of God’s Word.” That is the truth about wisdom.

The book of Proverbs says acquiring wisdom is like going on a treasure hunt for great riches. Proverbs 2:4-5 says, “If you seek [wisdom] as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.” And in Proverbs 3:13-15, we learn, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. [Wisdom] is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her.” Wisdom is even more valuable than money. It is more valuable than silver. It is more valuable than gold. And the reason God’s wisdom is so important is that it is the key to success in every area of life.

Where do we go to find God’s wisdom? Thousands of years ago, the wisest, wealthiest, and most powerful man in the world–King Solomon–collected some pithy and practical truths in a book we call Proverbs. In the book of Proverbs, we find the wisdom necessary to live well.

If you truly want to live well, then you need to learn the essential skills found in the nuggets of wisdom collected in Proverbs. Throughout the book of Proverbs, we discover God’s pattern for success in every area of life.

God wants you and me to experience His best in every area of life so that other people can observe our lives and be motivated to become God-followers as well. When we follow God’s timeless wisdom for living in the book of Proverbs, it is a win-win situation. We get the benefits, and God gets the glory.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “The Art Of Living Well” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2013.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.