In this message, Pastor Ben tells us of three reasons the Christian must seek wisdom from God’s Word. 1. Wisdom is precious 2. Wisdom is God’s Word applied 3. Wisdom brings life and salvation
Dear friends, how important is this book to you?
It’s become something of a running joke in our church that our dear Pastor Matt preaches the same sermon every year between Christmas and New Year’s. The application is always the same: Read your Bible. Over the years, I pray we’ve taken that call to heart.
But since he’s absent today and I’m present, the duty falls to me.
So let me ask you again, and let it sink in: How important to you is the written Word of God contained in this sacred book?
Is it merely something you sit down to read in the morning or evening out of duty? Or is it something you consistently read—something that fills your mind, like a piece of gum you’re always chewing on, meditating on, treasuring in your heart? Do you look forward to it? Do you wake up—groggy as you may be—take a sip of coffee, and think, “Now I’m ready to meet with God in His Word”? Do the truths it proclaims ring loudly in your heart and mind?
Because, dear friends, the way we treat this book—and the Person it reveals—shows whether we are wise or foolish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Prov 14:12). Proverbs constantly contrasts the way of the righteous and wise with the way of the fool. This isn’t merely about intellectual cleverness—about consulting ancient sages, dusty scrolls, or secret knowledge. It’s about a choice: Have I chosen life-giving wisdom—wisdom rooted in who God is and what He has done to redeem His people in Jesus Christ?
Today I want to give you three reasons why every Christian must seek wisdom from the Word of God. We’ll draw our main thoughts from Proverbs chapters 2 and 3.
1. Wisdom is precious
Listen to Proverbs 2:1–5:
My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Notice especially verse 4: “if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure…”
God’s Word—and the wisdom it contains—is precious. Far too precious to be treated carelessly, obeyed half-heartedly, or ignored. And verse 6 tells us why: “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Where do we find the very words that come from God’s mouth? In Scripture.
Hidden treasure isn’t something you stumble across. Where are my ten-year-old boys? You don’t find buried treasure sitting in your china cabinet. You need a map, a spade, good boots, determination. You hike through bush, cross cranky neighbors’ yards, dig deep holes—and when you finally find it, oh, the rejoicing!
Wisdom is like that. The person who does not seek it, who pushes it aside or plugs his ears, is a fool. Foolishness isn’t low IQ. It’s an attitude: treating wisdom as worthless, as something you can easily live without.
Thomas Goodwin, the 17th-century Puritan preacher, once recounted hearing John Rogers preach at Cambridge. Rogers, in fiery fashion, spoke as though God Himself were addressing the congregation:
“Well, I have trusted you so long with My Bible. It lies in your houses covered with dust and cobwebs. You care not to listen to it. Do you use My Bible? … Then you shall have My Bible no longer.”
And Rogers stepped down from the pulpit, took the church Bible from its cushion, closed it, and began walking out.
Then, turning back, he impersonated the people crying out:
“Lord, whatever Thou doest to us, take not Thy Bible from us! Kill our children, burn our houses, destroy our goods—only spare us Thy Bible!”
And then, as God again:
“Say you so? Well, I will try you a little while longer. Here is My Bible. I will see how you will use it—whether you will love it more, observe it more, practice it more, and live according to it more.”
Remember: those people had only had the Bible in their own language for about a hundred years. For nearly a thousand years prior, most could not understand a word spoken in church. One of the great treasures of the Reformation was men like William Tyndale, who gave his life—martyred—so that ordinary people could read God’s Word in English.
Today, we live in the opposite extreme. Bibles are everywhere—on our phones, on Amazon for $8, in every hotel drawer. Yet do we truly seek wisdom with the same hunger? When you’re waiting at the doctor’s office, what comes out first? The phone—Facebook, Instagram, grandkids’ pictures, paying bills… anything but the Word.
We have a diamond in our pocket. Let’s treat it like one.
2. Wisdom is the Word applied
Wisdom is practical. It is the outworking of a living relationship with God. Look again at Proverbs 2:5–9: seeking wisdom leads to knowing God, fearing Him, and walking in righteousness. God is the source of wisdom, and He guards those who walk in integrity.
A helpful definition:
Biblical wisdom is living by faith according to God’s Word and commands in an ever-changing world.
This is not new. In Deuteronomy 4:5–8, Moses tells Israel that keeping God’s statutes will be their wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations—because they have a God so near and commands so righteous.
For us as New Testament believers, the principle remains, but the center is clearer: our wisdom is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. We have both an intimate relationship with God (through grace) and righteous commands to obey (because we love Him who first loved us—1 John 4:19).
Wisdom enters the heart (Prov 2:10), becomes pleasant to the soul, and guards us from evil—from perverted speech, crooked paths, and the delight of wickedness. When righteousness and knowledge are sweet to us, sin loses its appeal.
3. Wisdom is our salvation
Finally, turn to 1 Corinthians 1:27–31 and 2:1–5. Paul declares that Jesus Christ “became to us wisdom from God—righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” The gospel—foolishness to the world—is the power and wisdom of God.
The world mocks a crucified Savior. Jews demand signs; Greeks chase sophisticated philosophy. But we preach Christ crucified. And in Him we have both intimacy with God and a life to live that pleases Him.
Proverbs 3:5–6 brings it home:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
We cannot trust our sinful hearts or foggy minds. But we can trust the unchanging, merciful Savior.
Application
- If wisdom is precious — seek it diligently. Grab one of the Bible reading plans in the foyer today. Find an accountability partner. Read slowly, prayerfully, consistently. This is your life.
- If wisdom is the Word applied — go beyond reading. Meditate. Ask: Who is God here? What must I believe? What must I do? Use the Spirit’s light and the help of godly teachers—living and dead. The wise builder hears and practices (Matt 7:24–25). Your faith will stand when the storms come.
- If wisdom is our salvation — keep seeking, trusting, and abiding in Jesus. This whole Book is about Him. Look for Him in every page. When your heart condemns you, when friends mock, when the world calls it foolish—trust the One who is faithful.
This year, do not embrace death. If your feet have been slipping, slip no longer. Cling tightly to the rope of God’s Word. Christ will wrap His arms around you and hold you fast.
Let us pray.
Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness and for the precious gift of Your wisdom. We are foolish without You. Thank You for taking us from the way of death and setting our feet on the path of life. This year, as we seek You in Your Word, guard and keep us by Your Spirit. Teach us to love Your commands because we love You. And may all of this be possible only because we rest in Christ, who dwells in us to will and to work according to Your good pleasure. Protect us from every snare. Hallelujah for Your great salvation and Your powerful Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.