In this day when pluralism is so popular and everyone is suppose to get along with everybody this verse flies in the face of political correctness. Yet here it is, straight from God Himself. And it is declared for good reason–“evil communications corrupt good manners.“(1 Cor. 15:33). In the light of this, George Lawson wrote the following on 1821:

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...” Prov. 3:13

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom is not an easy thing to attain. Like diamonds, you won’t find it lying on top of the ground. It is something that many would like to have, but few ever mine the depths in order to discover where it lies.

I read a story of a young man who approached the great thinker, Aristotle, and asked him the profound question, “How can I have wisdom?” Aristotle smiled and replied, “Follow me.” The young man followed closely as they made their way down several streets, arriving at a shallow pool in the city square. Without any hesitation, Aristotle gathered up his robes and waded into the water. The young man stopped for a moment, but then followed him into the pool.

When both men were standing in the middle, Aristotle suddenly turned, grabbed the younger man by the neck, and pushed his head under the water. The student flailed with his arms, but to no avail. Aristotle was the stronger of the two, and he held the struggling lad’s head beneath the surface. At the last possible moment, Aristotle pulled him up, dragged him over to the edge, and sat him down. Coughing and gasping for air, the student could hardly believe what had just occurred.

Unmoved by the young man’s confusion and surprise, Aristotle simply asked him, “Young man, when I held you under the water, what did you want more than anything in the world?” He sputtered between coughs, “Air, sir. . . air!” Aristotle then responded, “When you want wisdom as badly as you wanted air, then you will find it,” and he walked away.

The test for wisdom is:  Do you believe you can live without it? If it isn’t as vital as food, shelter, or clothing—all of which can be purchased—it won’t be found. Although you may desire it, you’ll never find it. After a few scrapes with a shovel or pick, in search of this rare jewel, you’ll never get much farther than scratching the surface before completely giving up.

The Bible is all about wisdom. Read Psalms, Proverbs, Ephesians, or Colossians, and you will find this word used repeatedly. Proverbs 2:7 tells us that wisdom is obeying God’s commands and seeking to know His will; therefore, even believers can run low on wisdom! But when we first desire wisdom “as silver and hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4), and then ask God for it –James 1:5… as well as cherish what we find (Proverbs 3:5–6), we will become that rare person who not only pursues wisdom . . . but finds it. Ask the Lord to give you a longing for wisdom—that ability to discern between right and wrong—the quality of thinking that puts truth into action.(Wisdom for the Heart)

“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world“– Acts 15:18

Perhaps you have known, even recently, the unsettling and sorrowful experience of receiving a phone call, or a doctor’s report, or an employer’s notice that delivered unexpected and tragic news — “You have cancer.” “We’re letting you go.” “Your loved one has been in an accident.” No matter what form these moments take in our particular situation, they always remind us of our personal frailty and inability to control the details of our lives.

The great consolation from God’s Word, however, is that God never has such moments. He is never surprised by calamity that befalls us, He is never taken back by sudden tragedy, His plans are never disrupted by the unexpected. In short, He is never at a loss for a solution to any problem…or for the power to implement it… or for the wisdom to make sure it is the right solution.

God knows all His works (and subsequently, obviously, the events those works will be connected with) from the beginning of the world. It is for this reason that God can, and does, give us such rock-solid assurances in the midst of earth-shattering catastrophes. “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5); “my grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9); “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28); “trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3).

Beloved, in your moments of overwhelming pain, or grief, or disappointment, flee to the God Who is never disappointed or surprised, but is touched by the feelings of your infirmities. Rush to Him, rest in Him, believe on Him.–Baptist Bible Hour

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”–Proverbs 14:12

Pastor Stephen Davey wrote about a lesson he learned about scuba diving from one of his friends. He said—“One insight from his experiences made a profound impact on me. I learned that when a diver was deep under water, he could lose all sense of direction. He becomes weightless—no sense of gravity—and swimming without a natural source of light causes him to become disoriented and swim sideways, thinking that he is rising to the top.

In fact, a diver can become so convinced that his perception is correct that he continues to swim in the wrong direction until he eventually runs out of air and drowns. My friend then said that the only way to keep this from happening is to follow the direction of your air bubbles. “No matter how you feel, or what your brain may tell you,” he said, “the bubbles are always right.”

The world today is like a group of scuba divers: disoriented and void of direction. Absolutely convinced that their perception of right and wrong is correct, they ignore the warnings, while the bubbles of truth tell them otherwise. Instead, they willfully follow the directions of other disoriented expert divers who say, “Live like this . . . believe like this . . . think this way . . . go that way”—and all the while their tanks are running out of oxygen.

According to the book The Day America Told the Truth, 74% of Americans think it is all right to steal from people who they believe will not really miss it; 64% believe it is acceptable to lie, as long as no one gets hurt; 93% say they decide moral issues by their own experience or opinion. Choosing to ignore the bubbles, they swim to their deaths.

The Word of God has been given to us that we may have direction for living. As Christians, we have no excuse for moving through life disoriented; the verses in Scripture are like the air bubbles from a diver—they show the way up.

Make sure you’re swimming in the right direction . . . just follow the “bubbles”!

Thank the Lord for showing you through His Word how to live a life that pleases Him, instead of leaving you on your own, disoriented, and on a path that leads to death.”

“Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus“– Hebrews 12:1-2

Where do we find the strength for this grueling, often disheartening, many-obstacled race that is the Christian life? It is only found in fixing our gaze upon the God-man. Only as we look to Jesus do we find the persevering grace to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint.

Duty, without the beatific sight of Christ firmly focused before our eyes, will be nothing more than drudgery. On the other hand, to truly see Christ is to be transformed by the sight. There is no such thing as looking at Jesus and not being changed.

Do you struggle with personal purity? Look to Jesus, and be reminded of the superior pleasure of your perfect Savior. Are you wrestling with grief? Look to Jesus, and be comforted by the sovereign goodness of your God. Have you given into temptation? Look to Jesus, and see the forgiveness that pours from those cross wounds.

Only an unclouded, Bible-grounded view of Jesus can inspire us to faith, and give us the strength that we will need for faithful living. Fear of hell, fondness for family, love of fellowship, or hope of heaven—none of these are strong enough to build a joyful, persevering, self-sacrificing, Christ-exalting life upon.

Conversely, if we see our determination lagging or our strength diminishing, this is a certain indicator that our gaze has dropped, that our eyes are not fixed upon Jesus as they ought to be. As hymnwriter Helen Lemmel exhorts:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.  —-Baptist Bible Hour