The Dwelling of Wisdom and Prudence
Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? - Proverbs 8:1
On a morning that I was seeking practical, how to live in wisdom today sort of advice, I opened the book of Proverbs. I wondered why I could not hear her crying out. I’m sure you know how the mind works. You think you know something only to realize for whatever reason right then and there you don’t know. You’ve forgotten or maybe you never really ever knew.
O you simple ones, understand prudence…(8:5)
What is prudence? I had to look up the definition because I felt like I didn’t really understand what it meant. I kept thinking how sometimes people are called prudes and it usually seemed insulting. The definition is: 1. the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. 2. skill and good judgement in the use of resources 3.caution and circumspection as to danger and risk.
Since I am a Christian my reasoning should be as the mind of Christ.
For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
The careful use and consideration of what we have. Prudence isn’t insulting after all, it’s simply a person that has the discipline and self control to utilize the God given. A person who weighs out the good and the bad before taking an action. Prudence does take action I know this because,
“I, wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion. (1:12)
The definition for wisdom ( yeah I looked it up too because sometimes the actual definition of a word brings me clarity.) Wisdom 1. the ability to think and act using knowledge. 2.the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgement. 3.the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience or knowledge.
Wisdom and Prudence live in the same house, they walk down the same streets. Wisdom finds it’s ability to show discretion through prudence. Prudence is the quiet voice behind the crying out of wisdom. Wisdom knows how to get things done but prudence knows how to do it nicely with less words, less argument with the foolish, carefully and thoughtfully. One is not more important than the other, they seem to dwell as peaceful companions, each doing their part.
Wisdom is acting upon our knowledge the same way God did at the very beginning. Before there was ever an earth. When there were no oceans or mountains, no fields, no dust. Nothing but a void that God hovered over. Wisdom was there, God possessed it from the beginning.
God created the whole earth by wisdom by implementing carefully one day at a time. This seems amazing to me. All these actions, He prepared, He drew, He established, He strengthened, He assigned, He marked out foundations and limits and right there at the same time wisdom rejoiced.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there. When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, When He assigned to the sea it’s limits, so the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. Proverb 8:27-31
But what if God had taken 600 years instead of 6 days? What if God had said He can’t create in all this darkness and under these circumstances. I’m grateful He didn’t wait for all the experts to tell Him how to do it. I’m grateful wisdom was there with the mind of God before any work was started…maybe before creation prudence was having her say.
