"The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge" (Prov. 15:14).
If you want to live in such a way that brings glory to God, you must be teachable. Because teachability is so important to every Christian, I will spend the rest of this month examining how to be teachable and how to study the Bible. Being teachable means you recognize your need to learn and to grow in wisdom. It means being willing to listen to instruction, to accept discipline and rebuke, and to put aside your own hasty opinions. It means putting yourself under the instruction of the wise. It means taking the time to form solid and wise opinions so you will not be tossed by the foolish thinking of the world. And, finally, it means studying the Word of God from which all pure knowledge and wisdom flows. It is not enough to obey your parents, to be attentive to teachers and pastors, or to accept rebuke and discipline; you must know the Word of God. To grow in godliness, to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you need to commune with God through His Word. Without it your life will stagnate, and you might even backslide into grievous sins.
Because Solomon was writing to his son, he was particularly burdened with this subject. The pride of man was no stranger to Solomon, and he knew that pride would cause his son to despise instruction if it continued unchecked. So he warns his son time and again of the need to seek knowledge and wisdom, of the importance of seeking the counsel of the wise, and of the necessity of learning at the feet of God.
Solomon also knew that bare knowledge was not enough. Profitable knowledge is that which is put into practice. Such wisdom does not remain in the head, but penetrates the heart, the conscience, and directs the course of one’s whole life. Thomas Watson once wrote, “The bare knowledge of God’s will is inefficacious, it does not better the heart. Knowledge alone is like a winter sun, which has no heat or influence; it does not warm the affections, or purify the conscience. Judas was a great luminary, he knew God’s will, but he was a traitor.”
As you study the Bible, remember the words of John Milton, “The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.”
In our modern age, we have access to a lot of information. How many sources of information do you have at your disposal? Is it useful information? How do you divide your time between accumulating information and gaining profitable knowledge? Today, distinguish between what is profitable for wisdom and what is not.
