Proverbs 4: 1 to 9 - Wisdom is Supreme

¹ Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.

² I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.

³ When I was a boy in my father's house,
still tender, and an only child of my mother,

⁴ he taught me and said,
"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.

⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷ Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

⁸ Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.

⁹ She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."

A father's plea to his son to get wisdom. Wisdom is always portrayed as a woman in the book of Proverbs. This woman is in stark contrast to the foolish woman and the adulterous woman who we are constantly warned to beware of.

Firstly who is this lady called Wisdom? The New Testament reveals to us that 'Wisdom' is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself ( Read: 1 Cor 1:24, Colossians 2:3, 1 Cor 1:30). So now how can Wisdom be a woman? The answer is that in both Hebrew and Greek the noun wisdom is feminine (Much like our Indian languages where there may not be a neutral gender.)

These verses urge us to get hold of wisdom though it cost us all we have. Are you truly seeking for wisdom, then go to the one person who is wisdom. Wisdom not of man but of God.

Ref: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+4&version=NIV ; 'Be Wise' by William MacDonald.

Proverbs 3: 27 to 35 - Do Good

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.

²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—
when you now have it with you.

²⁹ Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.

³⁰ Do not accuse a man for no reason—
when he has done you no harm.

³¹ Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,

³² for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.

³³ The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴ He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.

³⁵ The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame.

Ref: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%203&version=NIV

So here I am back again after a really long time. I'm sorry that I sorely neglected this blog after getting caught up in a dozen different things in the past month. The month of April was a busy but wonderful month; I got to spend time teaching children at a VBS, crossed over to the dark side of 20's ;) and joined a writing course that was a long cherished dream but too expensive for me to afford at one time. All along this blog has been at the back of my mind nagging me to write. Today I'm going to quote from William MacDonald's book on Proverbs 'Be Wise'. (my thoughts in italics)

" 27. Here are four verses that begin with the words "Do not..." Do not refuse any inward prompting to do good. It came from the Lord. You miss a great blessing when you fail to act. Have you been putting of some action of good that the Lord has been prompting you to do? we always complain about lack of time or we sit waiting for the right time when now is the right time.

28. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do for your neighbor today. Tomorrow may be too late. A soul may be lost, a heart may be broken or a life may be ruined.

29. Don't plot against your neighbour. There is something very valuable about the tie between neighbors. Our Lord Jesus goes one step further asking us to love our neighbors, like the good Samaritan.

30. Don't strive with a man who hasn't done anything wrong to you. Inasmuch as possible live at peace with all men (Rom 12:18).

In the last four verses of this chapter, the writer contrast four types of people in whom the Lord finds no delight and four who please him...

34. Those who treat the word of the Lord with scorn and contempt are subject to divine contempt. But he showers humble people with His favor.

35. God will honor those who show their wisdom by trusting and obeying Him. Fools will inherit nothing better than shame and disgrace. We all reap what we sow. "

Proverbs 3: 21-26 Safe and Secure?

21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,

do not let them out of your sight;

22 they will be life for you,

an ornament to grace your neck.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble;

24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 for the LORD will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being snared.

When faced with family ruin, sudden disasters, calamities, death or sickness, life suddenly seems to take a downward spiral. Trouble seems to follow more trouble and all hope seems to vanish.

Many times looking back, we realize that a lot of trouble we face in life could have been avoided, if we had just been a little wiser or a little cautious. Unfortunately, most of us learn things the hard way.

Then again, if we look at the life of Job, we see that not all disaster can be avoided by being wise. What then is the use of all righteousness and wisdom if it can’t give you a guarantee against bad things happening to you? This is the part where I always seem to have a problem with Proverbs. It seems to put things in a cut and dried manner- Good will happen to those who are good and bad to those who are bad. And when I look about me all I see is the opposite happening.

It’s easy to question the truth of these words. Even King Solomon in all his wisdom found this a though question to answer. (Read Ecclesiastes) So what then must we conclude?

I found that the answer to this question is not learned easily. It needs to be experienced to actually say with confidence that the LORD will keep me from all harm and disaster. I am thankful that the Lord taught me at a young age that he is true to his promises. When my family went through a time of crisis, at a time when we had lost almost everything, the Lord showed us his mercy and carried us through, and although we never recovered all the material things that we lost, we as a family gained a lot more in spiritual wisdom, more than any book would have taught us.

Looking back these are the things I learned:

1) A lot of time trouble can avoided if we are not so naive about how the wicked and unjust the world really is. The truth is that there are people out there who will always wish you harm. Hence the need for “sound judgment and discernment.”

2) Even though we went through tough times the Lord never let us down. When we were foolish, we learned to depend more on HIS Wisdom rather than ours.

3) Evil may seem to win but that will not last forever. If you count you loss or trouble in terms of material wealth or blessing, it will always seem that the bad guys always win.

4) A person who trusts in the Lord need not have anything to fear, no matter how bad the situation seems to look at the moment, it will always bring forth blessing you may never have imagined.

Trust is the most important thing, sometimes it easy to doubt. Faith is built one step and one day at a time. It’s only when we look back that we realize how far we have really come.

Proverbs 3: 19-20 : Created with wisdom

19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

Words cannot describe the feeling that I get when I think of the beauty and precision of the universe. Men boast of reaching new heighst in science every day, we boast of going to the moon and giant telescopes and sending probes to other planets. Yet the more we learn about the universe, the more we realize that we are creatures of very little significance. Our minds cannot begin to grasp the vastness of the heavens above us.

With wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations. He set the earth in the perfect spot in the milky way, at the exact distance from the sun, made it the perfect size, set a single satellite at the exact distance, all so that life will be possible on earth. How much coincidence can lead to such perfection? For the earth is perfect in all regards for it to sustain life.

If you are in India please visit the Asha Kiran Planetarium Belgaum to learn more about the Universe and the God who created it. Visit http://ewei.org.in/ for more details.

Proverbs 3:13-18 - Life giving wisdom

¹³ Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,

¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Have you found wisdom yet? Are you still searching in all the wrong places? Blessed is the person who finds wisdom… the question is; “Where will you find wisdom?”

The Lord Jesus Christ once asked his disciples if they were going to continue to follow him inspite of his hard teachings. To this Peter replied “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…” (John 6: 60 to 68) There is only one person in this world you can go to, who can grant you life giving wisdom. The world can offer you all kinds of wisdom on “How to live your life, how to make loads of money, how to make your home look pretty, how to stay healthy and fit…” but what will it profit you, if you lose your soul? At the end of it all, you will die just like anyone else in the world.

Stop looking in all the wrong places. Go! Find that one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who holds with him the words of eternal life.

(Ref: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206:%2060-69&version=NIV)

Proverbs 3: 11,12- Tough Love

11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke,

12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Does God punish us when we do something wrong? That’s a difficult question… I am not a bible scholar to answer that one. It is, however, clear from these verses that the Lord does disciplines his children.

If you are a child of God and knowingly continue to sin then be ready for some discipline. The Lord could use anything to discipline his children; it could be a sermon you listen to which pricks your heart, a bible verse, a Christian friend, or the circumstances you find yourself in as a result of sin. Rebuke and discipline is never pleasant or easy. The hurt of it could sting for days.

One must remember however, that not all bad circumstances are a result of God’s discipline. If you are going through troubles of some sort then closely examine your life to see if there is sin in your life. If there isn’t, then it could be that the Lord is using those circumstances to build your faith and make you stronger in him. No matter what the circumstances though, the most important thing is, to never doubt the love of God and never question his ways.

To read more about God's dicipline in the Bible, please read Hebrews 12: 7 to 12. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2012&version=NIV)

Proverbs 3: 9, 10 - A matter of giving to God

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

This is very direct, honor the Lord with your wealth. What is the point of storing up treasures on earth? One thing I have seen an experienced in life is that God never lets his children suffer any lack. If you are a Christian and still worry about wealth and money problems or if you withhold from giving to the Lord because you think you won’t have enough for yourself then it’s time to stop worrying and start giving. It’s a wonderful thing to experience God’s provision first hand when you depend on him. Commit to the Lord not just your money but also your time.

Proverbs 3: 5 to 8 - A question of trust

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bone

I’ve been listening to these verses since the time I was a little girl. I must admit that it was easier to trust in the Lord, back when I was a little kid compared to now. Actually, trusting in the Lord is the easy part. When it comes to the part about not leaning on your own understanding... well that’s the part I find the toughest. It’s so easy for me to rush into things and do things in my own understanding and wisdom. This whole task of reading proverbs every day is just to remind me not to lean on my own understanding.

It’s so easy to get carried away with emotion or worldly wisdom or just plain thoughtlessness. I’ve always been wise in my own eyes. It’s only when I realised my own shortcomings and foolishness that I came to appreciate God’s wisdom and Love.

Sometimes I face situations which I cannot understand, I can’t seem to comprehend why things turn out the way it does or why nothing seems to work out as planned. That is the time when giving control to God is the toughest task to do. At these times I’ve learnt that I just have to give up fighting for control over my life and let the Lord take over. It’s still not easy, but maybe one day I’ll get there.

Proverbs 3: 1to 4- Do not Forget

Proverbs 3: 1to 4

1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (NIV)

Forgetting is both a blessing and a curse to us. On one hand, it helps you let go of all the bad that stuff that has happened in your life, it makes it easier for you to forgive people who hurt you, let go of grudges, overcome embarrassing moments and helps you enjoy simple pleasures of life without thinking of the past. Then on the other hand, if anyone would curse forgetfulness, it’s me! I sometimes crown myself the queen of forgetfulness. Leaving things behind like my purse or bags, forgetting my friend’s birthdays, important tasks, paying my bills on time, the list is endless. I constantly have to set reminders on my phone and inspite of that, I still forget things. I have to remind myself to set reminders and then forget to do it.

It’s so easy for me to forget what I read in my morning devotion. I start off the day resolving to keep in heart all the things that I've read, but then too often, when I look back at the events of the day I feel like I am like the person in James, “like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1: 23, 24)

Some times the Lord takes us through circumstances that make us not just remember his word for a few hours or minutes rather we find that his word comes through so clearly that the words get etched in our hearts and minds, such that we can never forget it. At other times though it is best to stay alert and keep God's word close by lest we get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and lose sight of what is really important. It takes a conscious amount of time and effort to remember it's not something that is going to come automatically.

Oh that I may bind the word of God around my neck and heart.

Proverbs 2:16 Silky, Seductive words

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,

13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. [a]

18 For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Men whose words are perverse, Women with seductive words. Men whose paths are crooked, houses with lead to death and paths that lead to the spirits of the dead.

Once again, a warning to stay away from men who plot wicked schemes. There is no shortage of men and women out there waiting to pull us into schemes and scams. All I have to do is read the newspaper each day to see the wicked and evil things people come up with everyday. I may never know when someone somewhere will try and get me. It’s clear that the Lord does not want us to be simpletons who are gullible enough to believe anything that people tell us. That is why, Knowledge too, is so important along with wisdom. The next time someone tries to talk you into doing something, it’s always good to first check whether, what you are getting into is right or wrong. I truly can’t say God didn’t warn me after I get duped.

Verse 16 is the first of many warnings against adultery in Proverbs. Here it warns us against seductive words; Words which sound so sweet and tempting. Very few people in the world are immune to flattery. I know I am not. If we live in a world where marriage vows no longer have any value, a world where promises are made only to be broken, why then should we trust the sweet words of a person who is not your partner; only to find heartbreak and a broken home? Our instincts may prove us wrong many times when it comes to trusting people. I can’t comment further on this topic since I am not married, however, no temptation is easy to overcome and it’s better to be on guard and forewarned by taking this to heart.

Proverbs 2- Steps to wisdom simplified

Proverbs 2: 1 to 11
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. 10 for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

The first 4 verses in proverbs 2 give us a few things we need to do to get wisdom.
1) Accept my words and store up my commands: “Store up my commands” that sounds pretty much like what you would do if you were writing a computer program. God wants us to store his commands for ‘us’ his programs to function effectively. We need to click OK and accept his words 2) Tune your ear and apply your heart
3) Call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding: What better thing to do when faced with a difficult situation. The Lord promises to hear our cry and answer it when we call on him.
4) Look for it: Nothing comes easy. Think of it as a treasure hunt. We already have the map, but we still have to look for it.

Verses 7, 8 and 9, give us a few characteristics that a person ought to be; Upright, blameless, just and faithful if we have these “Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path” . This is something that I have found extremely hard to follow. If the Lord were not forgiving, gracious and understanding, it would be impossible to become any of these things with my own effort.

Wisdom for Sale

Proverbs 1: 20 to 33
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; 21 at the head of the noisy streets [c] she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: 22 "How long will you simple ones [d] love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. 28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

The picture that comes to mind when we hear ‘Search for wisdom’ is something like, a trek to the Himalayas, meditation, pouring over old books or joining a secret society. Nobody thinks that, wisdom can be found on the dusty, crowded, noisy streets being sold like vegetables in a street market. Yet, that’s what these verses seem to tell us.

People spend their whole life looking for answers. Wisdom, on the other hand, is crying herself hoarse, for people to come to her and learn. People would rather seek for wisdom in all the wrong places, rather than just go to the one person with wisdom, and ask for it. It is no wonder then, that Wisdom mocks us when we end up in trouble.

Everyone wants to be wise, but when wisdom calls they’d rather run away, and call it old fashioned or out dated. The wisdom of the Bible is timeless and it is still calling out to people.

Get Rich Quick

Proverbs 1:10 to 19
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; 12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, [b]and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"- 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. 17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! 19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

It’s not every day that someone comes up and says “hey, let’s go rob someone” or “let’s go and beat up someone and steal their money” not unless you were in a gang that is. So on first glance, these verses seem like advice which is not really relevant to me. After all, I would never think of doing something like robbing a bank or stealing a car.

I’ve heard this a lot of times from my own friends, “hey, what are you so worried about”, “you’re not breaking a law”, “everybody does it”, “Just once won’t make a difference”, “nobody will notice a thing”. Things like, adding a little more than you actually spent for on your office reimbursement form or changing data in reports to make your final report look good, or exaggerating facts during appraisals. These verses warn us against running after ill-gotten gain.

One of the best examples of greed would be, those mails we get from people asking for help in retrieving millions of dollars of some dead man, with no relatives. There are many foolish people, who actually reply to them and then end up being swindled out of their own money and sometimes put their lives in danger, just because they believed a 'get rich quick scheme'.

The world is full of schemers and conmen, thieves and tricksters; Proverbs warns us that “These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!” . If it’s not an honest way of earning money then we need to stay away from it.

Fathers and Mothers

Proverbs 1:8, 9- My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother. For they will be a graceful ornament on you head, and chains about your neck.

There are children in the world who are not fortunate enough, to have had parents who could instruct and guide them. As children, growing up under our parents rules always seemed like a pain. We grow rebellious and frustrated at times. It’s only when we are older that we begin to see the wisdom of their words.

These verses are most obvious and direct, something which every culture and religion in the world will agree upon. However, the question is, how many parents today take the time, effort, and trouble to instruct their children? There are parents who are so busy with their jobs and their own problems, that they have little time to spare for their children; instead, they depend on television and schools to teach their children what they ought to be teaching them at home.

The problem today is, not of children disobeying their parents, but of parents themselves, who do not know what is right and wrong, and are therefore unable to teach their children. When I say ‘right and wrong’ I do not mean things like “don’t play with matches" or "do your homework” sort of thing. Rather I mean, answering questions like “Who is God?” or “where do we go after we die?” Or teaching them to be kind, generous, honest and truthful; teaching them how to prioritize the important things in life.

If Parents don’t seek wisdom, who is going to instruct Children?

Does fear make you wise?

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Job 28:28 And he said to man, ''The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.' "

The bible keeps telling us that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. But what does it really mean to fear God? I guess it would depend on the meaning of the word 'fear' in these verses. To be precice according to a dictionary it would mean "to have reverential awe of". So, how does this kind of 'Fear' actually make a person wise and knowlegeable?

A person who truly fears God would be a person who would naturally consider not doing anything that would displease God. Take the example of a small boy, who has been taught by his parents to always look both ways before crossing and not talk to strangers. This boy as he grows will always keep these instructions in mind not because he is afraid of something bad happening to him, because children don’t really understand most of the rules we give them, but he will listen because his parents told him to and he is more afraid of the consequence of disobeying his parents more than the fact that a car may hit him or a stranger may kidnap him. Most of us as kids didn't understand the need for the rules are parents gave us and yet followed them eventually helping us to grow into the people we are today.

In the same way we may conclude that following the Lord’s commands would without a doubt lead us to making wiser and smarter decisions. The first thing the fear of the Lord does is give you a moral conscience. So you find yourself in everyday situations choosing right over wrong, good over bad. Not breaking traffic rules, not lying or cheating, not trying the bribe government officials, not trying to purposefully hurt someone; Easier said than done isn’t it. We look at the world around us and see that it’s not the good but the wicked that prosper. The powerful corrupt politicians, the rich land grabbing business tycoon, the criminals who get away with murder and rape, or even the everyday common people like the person who pushed you to get into the bus first, the greedy auto driver, the colleague who lied to get a promotion, all these people seem to be getting ahead in life while goody two shoes you is left feeling like a loser.

So is does fearing God really make you wise? The book of proverbs is filled with verses about the righteous and the wicked. It always predicts ultimate doom for those who do not fear God and blessing to those who fear him. With closer examination of the lives of those who do evil we may find that the book of Proverbs is not wrong after all. Further studies on Proverbs will show us that.

Now, we need to remember that Fear of the Lord is not just a moral compass to help you decided and choose between Good and Bad or Right and Wrong. It is just the beginning. It sets us on the path to wisdom and knowledge unlike anything the world can give us.

The Search for Wisdom begins

Proverbs 1: 1to 6 (King James Version)
1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

I always thought that wisdom is something you get when you pray for it. You pray and ask God for wisdom and he gives you wisdom. It’s true that God grants us wisdom when we ask for it but what I didn’t realize is that wisdom is not just something that comes to your head when you ask for it. A person doesn’t become wise just by praying or sitting under a tree. You have to study, you have to search, you have to experience and you have practice it to truly become wise.
So where do we begin our search for wisdom? What better place to begin than starting with God’s word. When God said he will give us wisdom (James 1:5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.) he says he gives it generously, all we have to do is take a little trouble to look in the right place for it.