My Daily Pause

 ⁹ Then you will understand what is honest and fair 
       and what is the good and right thing to do. 
 ¹⁰ Wisdom will come into your mind, 
       and knowledge will be pleasing to you.
 ¹¹ Good sense will protect you; 
       understanding will guard you.

Proverbs 2 lists five fruits of wisdom. This second paragraph is about the many precious rewards wisdom provides.

Read about the first fruit, Finding God, here.

Read about the third fruit, Delivered from Evil, here

How do we reap the benefits of understanding God’s plan for us? We take the knowledge from our head and insert it into our heart by living it and allowing it to have dominion over us.

How can we earn these benefits? Study! 2 Tim 2:15 KJV

 ¹ My child, listen to what I say 
       and remember what I command you.
 ² Listen carefully to wisdom; 
       set your mind on understanding.
 ³ Cry out for wisdom, 
       and beg for understanding.
 ⁴ Search for it like silver, 
       and hunt for it like hidden treasure.
 ⁵ Then you will understand respect for the Lord, 
       and you will find that you know God.
 ⁶ Only the Lord gives wisdom; 
       he gives knowledge and understanding.
 ⁷ He stores up wisdom for those who are honest. 
       Like a shield he protects the innocent.
 ⁸ He makes sure that justice is done, 
       and he protects those who are loyal to him. –  Proverbs 2:1-8 NCV

Proverbs 2 lists five fruits of wisdom. This first paragraph promises that we will find God in our quest for wisdom.

Read about the second fruit here

Read about the third fruit here

We are expected to search for it in the same way men search for riches. Notice that the Bible teaches that while God makes available what we need, he doesn’t hand it to us. Manna for the Israelites needed to be gathered, the walls of Jericho had to be marched around and salvation is given conditionally (Mark 16:16, Matthew 7:21). In the same way we come to know God through our search for knowledge in the Scriptures.

¹ These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh.
This is his message to Ithiel and Ucal:
² “I am the most stupid person there is,
and I have no understanding.
³ I have not learned to be wise,
and I don’t know much about God, the Holy One.
⁴ Who has gone up to heaven and come back down?
Who can hold the wind in his hand?
Who can gather up the waters in his coat?
Who has set in place the ends of the earth?
What is his name or his son’s name?
Tell me, if you know!  –Proverbs 30:1-4 NCV

The writer sets an example of the humility we need to have in God’s presence. Contrast his admission of ignorance with the pride and arrogance of the average person today. Just as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8:2, We are only at the beginning of the things there are to know about God.