Monday, September 24, 2012

Isaiah 33:6 -- On Wisdom and Knowledge

"And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure."
Isaiah 33:6


Isaiah is talking about the last days here, the period before the Second Coming, and the period in which we live.  He mentions some specific things that will help us find stability in these times: wisdom and knowledge.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the everyday struggle... paying bills, feeding ourselves or our families, making sure we can keep the basics going like food, shelter, clothing, and health insurance... that it seems pretty tough to find time for education.  But education, in this verse, seems to have a primary importance in our lives.  The education that Isaiah talks about here doesn't necessarily have to be formal, or degree-seeking, but if wisdom and knowledge are going to be the stability of our times, it's probably something that we should fit into our lives. :)  And I think that we can. 

One way to gain wisdom and knowledge is to read the scriptures... and look, we already are doing that, and we can probably do a little more. :)  Prayer is a given as well, and again, hopefully we are doing that, and can do more.  But there are opportunities for education in our everyday lives, all around us.  How often do we wonder things each day?  ... I wonder what kind of bug that is, or I wonder how to say that in Spanish.  We have the internet now, and worlds of information at our fingertips.  There are websites and apps that let us take classes for free about so many things.  And there is also formal education, which helps with knowledge, wisdom, and maybe even financial strain. 

The people around us are sources of information and wisdom as well.  We all know things that we can help others with, and knowledge and wisdom about interpersonal relationships is gained through interacting with people that we aren't already familiar with. :)  Which brings us back to the end of the verse: "the fear of the Lord is his treasure" ... interacting with God also teaches us a lot, including respect for who God is, what he can do, and a healthy fear of what our lives would be like without him.  We need him.  Today, let's talk to God about how we can fit in some more time for wisdom and knowledge... and let's start with learning about him, and from him.

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