The Treasure of Learning ,Wisdom

Probably one of the most well known verses on wisdom is James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Years ago when I worked in the Explorers, we did a skit and our theme was Girls Town. One of the Explorers played a traveling preacher who quoted that verse with such emphasis and authority. I never hear that verse without thinking about that time and hearing it just that way !!


If “Knowledge” is the facts…. And “Understanding” is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts… then “Wisdom” is knowing what to do next…. how to apply knowledge and understanding to our lives.

Long ago, a former elder at Open Bible, August DeVos…told me a way to remember these three…and I still remember it! He said a man studied and knew all about tobacco….the types, the soil needed, how it was hung to dry and harvested etc . He had knowledge of tobacco. Another man knew all about how tobacco was made into cigarettes and how smoking caused a very deadly cancer. He had an understanding of tobacco. The third man, because of what he had learned, would not even try smoking or allow smoking in his house...this man had wisdom.

Knowledge and understanding need to result in Wisdom. There are many who have great knowledge and understanding but, lacking wisdom, they consistently do the wrong thing. Wisdom should be our goal, and not just any type of wisdom…. Godly Wisdom!

James 3:13-15,17 “ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy”

If we allow the Lord’s Spirit to guide us, with His wisdom, through knowledge and understanding, we will be able to rightly divide the Word of Truth. 2 Tim 2:15 says “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.

So to put the three elements together Prov 3:5-7 says “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.” And Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

The three Traceable, Trustable Treasures of Learning….Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom

The Treasure of Learning, Understanding

I spent this past week end at a Ladies Retreat. There were ladies there from all age groups and life circumstances. That has always been such a wonderful blessing to me~ To watch the interaction between the early twenty year olds and the fifty-year olds...the “younger”moms
( are you smiling Mel? ) and the great-grandmothers …..mothers and daughters, friends and newcomers….studying and learning ….praying and singing, fellowshipping and eating, laughing and playing games …. Storing up knowledge, gaining understanding together. We do not have these gifts in the same measure, thus the Lord has given us this awesome family of ladies so that we might be able to reap the full benefit of learning.

This weekend we talked about discerning what is the will of God and Eph 5:17 says “Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” And Proverbs 23:23 says "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding."

We learned that knowledge is knowing facts and knowledge of the Lord is “to know” the Word of the Lord…the scriptures are literally “in” you . But, it is possible to have knowledge and lack understanding; to have the facts, but to have no clue as to their meaning or what to do next.

Understanding is the ability to draw meaning out of Knowledge.; to "see through" the facts to the what, how, and why. Understanding is a lens which brings the facts into focus. Understanding produces principles. But our own understanding just like our own knowledge is shallow and can causes us to be prideful…puffed up.

Scripture warns us in 1 Cor 1 "But God has chose what the world calls foolish to shame the wise... that no man may boast in the presence of God..” Our understanding is worthless next to God’s understanding…..because our understanding is based on our own simple ways   Prov 9:6 says "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding" Then in Prov 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..."

Job tells us in chapter 36…. "How great is God, beyond our understanding!" And in the letter to the Philippians, Paul declares “ Then, the peace of God, which is beyond our utmost understanding, will keep guard over your hearts and thoughts, in Christ Jesus."

What better place to draw our understanding from that the fountain of God? Involved in His understanding are His attributes: greatness, goodness, peace, trustworthiness, justice mercy and love (Is that all? Not by a long shot)

Could we with ink the oceans fill and were the skies of parchment made: Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade…To write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry; and could the scroll contain the whole tho’ stretched from sky to sky…Oh Love of God how rich and pure….how measureless and strong. It shall forever more endure, the saints and angels song.

What a beautiful song…about a Traceable Trustable Treasure…. And I think I now understand....

The Treasure of Learning, Knowledge

Involved in learning are at least 3 stages…knowledge, understanding and wisdom. I wanted to take a look at them separately in light of what the scripture says about each. Everyone may not have these gifts in the same measure, thus the Lord has given us the family of God to be able to reap the full benefit of each part of learning.

First lets look at knowledge~~Knowledge is the learning of facts and information. God gives us knowledge to help fix things…an auto mechanic has knowledge of cars so he can repair them, doctors have knowledge of the human body so they can fix it. But according to Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: Those who have the knowledge of the LORD (and we get the knowledge of the Lord through His Word) have truth. What they do with that truth is important! They can accumulate more and more knowledge or they can help to fix broken people by sharing that knowledge and showing us what the Lord (through His Word) would have us do in certain situations. How the Lord would have us to allow His love to express itself through us….a worthy calling, I think. The fear of the Lord, it seems, is the beginning, center, and ending (the whole) of knowledge.


Knowledge in and of itself can be a dangerous thing….it can cause pride in that knowledge and puff us up. Where, we find, love humbles us and builds or edifies others instead. Knowledge does not have to cause us such trouble but it can so easily be misused. That is why scripture cautions us as it does. In 1 Cor 8:1b, Paul says to the very knowledgeable Corinthians “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”. And in 1 Cor 13:2 he reiterates “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge…. but have not love, I am nothing.”

2 Peter 1:2-3 says Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue

So today we looked at Knowledge......Knowledge is the first stage in Learning….Knowledge is the facts. Next is Understanding.... Understanding is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts, followed by Wisdom..... Wisdom is knowing what to do next; how to apply all the rest . Be assured…. 1 Cor 12:8 says To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit.

They fit together like 3 puzzle pieces..they are three Traceable, Trustable Treasures

Treasure the Truth

Well I guess it is about time to add to my blog again…..I haven’t written much lately, because I have been doing some thinking….thinking relative to why I was doing my blog !! Was it to encourage others ….I think so! That is good !! Was it to share what the Lord had laid on my heart….I think so! That is good too!! Was it to demonstrate my spirituality….I think so !! That is probably not so good !!  I think that is part of why I was writing then….tho’ hopefully not why I am writing today. …I pray it is not.  Because I am sure that the last reason was not pleasing to the One I am suppose to be writing this blog for and about. As a matter of fact, it is no longer too pleasing to me either! I can’t prove how spiritual I am….that has to flow from my heart and be seen by those who read my words.

Most all of my life I have lived in a Christian home, a Christian environment…with the Lord as the center of my life. I firmly believe that without Him I could do nothing and that with Him all things are possible. And I do believe that with all my heart. But I also know that at times my heart is deceitfully wicked and it blinds me to the truth of the matter. So, that is what I think has happened and why my blog has gotten stuck in the mud, so to speak! Because my focus was on who was reading my blog and what they had to say…how many followers I had and who they were. Writing my blog was a good thing but a good thing done for the wrong reasons is still sin …..Whew, that said, I feel a bit better!  I think so ! It is never easy to look at the sin in our own lives but knowing the faithfulness and forgiveness of my Lord helps a lot. He understands that we are frail and human and HE LOVES US anyway…. How can we not love a God like our God ??

You know, saying those two earlier statements brought a song to my heart and my lips! In fact it brought two…One is an older song "Without Him"
Without Him I could do nothing…Without Him I'd surely fail
Without Him I would be drifting….Like a ship without a sail
Oh Jesus, oh Jesus Do you know Him today Please don't turn Him away
Oohh, Jesus, My Jesus Without Him how lost I would be

One is a newer song by Hillsong “All Things are Possible”

Your praise is always on my lips, Your Word is living in my heart,

and I will praise You with a new song, my soul will bless You Lord.

You fill my life with greater joy, Yes I delight myself in You

And I will praise You with a new song, My soul will bless You Lord

When I am weak You make me strong… When I'm poor, I know I'm rich

For in the power of Your name ..All things are possible

So am I going to continue my blog…..I think so. I trust that I have the right attitude and a clean heart now….and also that I will be writing for all the right reasons this time . I also trust the Lord to show me when I am not writing for the right reasons…I want to bring honor and glory to Him alone. HE is such a TREASURE…a Traceable, Trustable Treasure