King Solomon writes three books in the Bible, the Song of Solomon, the Book of Ecclesiastes and most of the Book of Proverbs. The Book of Proverbs is God’s wisdom being applied to our earthly life. Wisdom is more than information; it is the application of truth from God as the Creator, the all-knowing One who cannot make a mistake. There are eight words in the first four verses of the book that describes wisdom’s application to life.

The first word, “instruction,” means “to teach” or “to correct.” It is used in a positive means of chastisement, which is “to be teachable.” Wisdom is not knowing everything and being willing to learn. No one will never be wise if they cannot be corrected or disciplined. Wisdom must come from a source outside us, from the One who is all wise. God’s wisdom is perfect and correct and we must establish Him as the authority for this life and eternity.

The second word is “understanding.” It comes from a word meaning “miscarry” or “to be bereaved.” It is the process of learning by personal experiences when the truths of God’s Word are applied. Wisdom comes from the “school of hard knocks.” Understanding comes from our personal tragedies and blessings that are learned from our decisions in life. There are those who speak with authority on certain subjects because of their firsthand understanding.

The third word for wisdom is “justice,” which means “to be just or righteous.” This word is used for kings, judges and leaders. A good example is “Lady Justice,” who appears in our courtrooms. She is known for her blindfold, which stands for justice without intimidation or favor, regardless of a person’s power or weakness. Her double edged sword will cut for or against any party. The scales in her right hand stand for truth, judgment without accepting false claims. Wisdom is justice without partiality or bribes from anyone and is also without prejudice toward anyone. It is above personal opinions, personal interests and personal goals.

A fourth word is, “judgment.” This is a courtroom term used to settle a case. It involves a charge, the evidence which is used to draw a verdict, and then pass a sentence. Judgment is served on people and circumstances by deciding if something is right or wrong according to God’s wisdom. Judgment is to know what to do and then carrying it out.

There are four more words for another study. Wisdom is called by some, “common sense” or “horse sense.” God’s wisdom can keep us from many pitfalls in life that our enemy the devil hides from us. Wisdom is the ability to understand or comprehend this life from eternity’s perspective by having the knowledge of God available to us.

STEVE CONWELL, pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church is heard mornings on WFLO and WVHL in “A Thought For Today.” His email address is SteveConwell@outlook.com.