I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. (Proverbs 8:12)
Wisdom doesn’t do its job on its own; it operates and dwells with prudence. What is prudence? It’s the careful, thoughtful approach to what you do and how you live. Prudence is the opposite of being impulsive. It’s pausing before you speak or act. It’s really the act of self-control rather than self-indulgence. Prudence can be described by the carpenters’ words, “Measure twice, cut once.”
This verse in Proverbs tells us one thing prudence will do. Wise people read the Word, listen to God’s voice, and live a prudent lifestyle. To them, God will share knowledge of witty inventions. Believers should be known for their witty inventions. Think about the things you use in everyday life: the paperclip, the post-it note, the zipper. All these inventions were created because someone saw a problem and looked for a solution. God’s wisdom finds answers when other people see obstacles.
George Washington Carver, a wise man and inventor, said that the wisdom that he gained didn’t come from textbooks and schools. He prayed in the Holy Ghost and asked God for wisdom and revelation. Carver’s many ideas for peanuts, inks, dyes, and plastics changed the world. No man could have taught him those things. He wrote that his wisdom wasn’t just intellectual; his wisdom came from God.
How did a small store selling chicken sandwiches that closed on Sunday out profit McDonalds and Burger King? Chick-fil-a grew and became extremely successful because the owner purposed to sow into the kingdom and honor God by being closed on Sundays. Although that seemed counter-productive and counter-intuitive to the world of fast food, it was an idea of wisdom from God Himself that was blessed with favor. Don’t trust money. Don’t trust the world’s wisdom; seek God for answers and insight and it will yield far greater results than the world could ever bring.
Practical Application
When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to give you His insight about things you see around you. When there is a problem, seek God’s supernatural wisdom and witty solutions and be bold and brave enough to step out and do things no one has ever done.