"For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:6).
Proverbs 2 answers the question, “Where shall wisdom be found?” We have been warned against turning from the call of wisdom, now we are instructed in how to obtain it.
We receive wisdom through the instruction of God in His Word. Bridges reminds us that this reception must not only be in the mind, but in the the heart. It must be attended by diligent study. Such attention to the Word of God must also be accompanied by prayer. “Without this spirit of prayer there may be attention and earnestness; yet not one spiritual impression upon the conscience; not one ray of Divine light in the soul. Earthly wisdom is gained by study; heavenly wisdom by prayer. Study may form a biblical scholar; prayer puts the heart under a heavenly tutelage, and therefore forms the wise and spiritual Christian. The word first comes into the ears; then it enters into the heart; there it is safely hid; thence rises the cry—the lifting up of the voice.… Every verse read and meditated on furnishes material for prayer. Every text prayed over opens a mine of ‘unsearchable riches,’ with a light from above, more clear and full than the most intelligent exposition. David and his wise son sought this learning upon their knees; and the most matured Christian will continue to the end to lift up his voice for a more enlarged knowledge of God.”
We must diligently and prayerfully study God’s Word as we search the Scriptures with delight. “This habit of living in the element of Scripture is invaluable. To be filled from this Divine treasure; to have large portions of the Word daily passing through the mind; gives us a firmer grasp, and a more suitable and diversified application of it,” Bridges wrote. Such diligent, heart-wrenching, prayerful study of Scripture will lead any man by the Spirit of God in the ways of wisdom—wisdom that will preserve us from the devices of Satan, from the lies and manipulations of men, from the perversity of the wicked, from the adulteress, from all that would seek to lead us away from godliness. If you want to live a life pleasing to God, seek wisdom in His Word, gain understanding at the feet of the Great Teacher, attend it with prayer, take pleasure in it, and implement it in every area of your life.
Read through Proverbs 2. Don’t just skim it, but meditate on it. Pray as you read, asking God to show you how you need to apply this to yourself. Ask Him to use these words to burn your conscience. Do not leave this study without making at least one practical application to your own life.
