In the world around us we see that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same can be said about our faith. Prayer results in us getting closer to God. Reading the Bible allows for us to better understand the desire of God. Sinning can only lead to a separation from God. Solomon lays out this same process in the search for wisdom.
"My son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom, and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding - applying all you powers to the quest for it..." Proverbs 2:1-2, Amplified
The first step in the search for wisdom is the reception of it. The whole idea for a search is to receive something when the search is over. One does not pursue the love of his life just to let her go when he finds her. Nor does one search for treasure only to leave it where he found it.
In verse one, Solomon paints a word picture for us. If we receive wisdom and treasure, or hide, those words within ourselves. There is an idea here that the Lord wants us to receive whatever it is that He has to say and we are to "stockpile" those words of wisdom. I Egypt, Joseph was commissioned to receive grain for the people to stockpile it for the seven years of famine that were approaching. The same can be said for wisdom. It is something that may not seem to be useful at the time, but when the time comes, those words of wisdom can be at the ready. How useful does the "stop, drop and roll" method of putting ourselves out if we were on fire sound? How often have we used that method? But how useful will that information be when we do happen to find ourselves on fire?
"Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding , if you seek Wisdom as silver, and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hid treasure..." Proverbs 2:3-4, Amplified
A few conditions need to be set in our search for wisdom. If. This is a very important word here. If can point to a variety of things. It can point the idea of a continuation of something so that it will never stop. Should a quest for wisdom ever stop? No. Four ifs are covered in these next to verses.
"If we cry out for." There needs to be a continual crying out for wisdom. This set of words gives the idea of "calling out by name". The word in the original King James is "knowledge". Crying out after knowledge. This is something that I want everybody to understand as I convey it. We are not to call knowledge by its name, but we are to cry out for the knowledge of whatever it is that we are seeking. Be specific in your prayers. Ask for the understand and knowledge of whatever it is that you seek. The other day I prayed for the Lord to help me understand how to fix my swamp cooler. I am not the mechanical type of guy, but He was faithful to show me whatever it was that I needed to complete me task.
"If we raise up our voices". Now this may sound like the same thing is being done. It is not, however. The word in the original King James is "to lift", and it denotes a giving over of. After crying out by name for what it is that we desire, then we are to give ourselves over to it. When the cry leaves our lips, the Lord gives us the skill to be able to complete whatever task that might be daunting us.
"If we seek". This word for search is going to be one of the most important ideas of this study. It means to seek through prayer. Realize that verses three and four are not chronological in order, they are merely mirrors of each other. We have to come to the understanding that not all people receive in the same fashion, so verse for is merely a different way of presenting verse three. Crying out for by name can be defined as a prayer. In prayer one cries out to the Lord for wisdom. We are to diligently seek Him daily for whatever needs we may have.
"If we search." The word for search here gives the idea of stealth or concealment. This is not a concealment for search, rather it is a concealment to let be sought. After we pray for the Lord to give us whatever it is that we had asked for, we are to then sit and wait for it to come. The idea of having a prayer closet is to keep things personal between you and the Lord. I am not downing public prayer or allowing your brothers and sisters to know what it is that you are praying for. I just know for me, and in my personal experience that there is a greater satisfaction when what I desire comes directly from the Lord after discussing the matter exclusively with Him. Can the Lord use other people? Of course. Will the blessing be any less significant? Of course not.
"Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God." Proverbs 2:5, Amplified
Four ifs leading to one then. Our quest has an end, every quest must. If we call out for it, the Lord will bestow it upon us. I am not speaking of a "name it and claim it" ritual. I am speaking about the things of the Lord. If we diligently seek after the things of God, then we will find the things of God.
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