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I love this verse! When I read it the other day, it struck me full force. One of the reasons I chose to homeschool my kids was to teach them how to think for themselves. I want them to be able to understand the arguments that are made, particularly about or against their faith, and know how to counter those arguments–not because I’ve taught them what to say, but because they have studied it out for themselves. In order to do this, they need to be armed with both knowledge and wisdom.

There’s an old song that my Dad used to sing that says, “I know in Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able…” If we don’t KNOW for ourselves who God is, then it’s difficult to be persuaded that He is able to do anything…let alone that He is real. Following that thought, wisdom is required to be able to use the knowledge that we have effectively.

I’m a very academic person…I love to study. I’ve always loved school. Math and science are just as fun for me as reading and writing. In my life, knowledge, learning, has been very important. And I think in our culture, we tend to set up academia as the pinnacle. If it’s published in a scientific journal or there’s a study about it, it must be true. Unfortunately, many things that were known to be fact just a few years or decades ago have been debunked by newer discoveries. Academic knowledge, then, isn’t always the be-all, end-all. This is why this verse is so important.

We must base our knowledge on the truth of God’s word, even if it seems to be contradicted at the moment by academics. Time and again, academia has finally caught up to the truth after years of being in disagreement with the Bible. For example, there are many archaeological finds that have validated biblical stories long thought to be myth by historians. Technology is another example…over the years ultrasound has proven that the unborn baby is more than just a blob of tissue. This verse is a good reminder to believers that, if we know Who we believe in, we can trust Him to be the source of our knowledge. If we read or hear something that doesn’t line up with His word, it’s false knowledge.

The same is true with things in our daily life. Often the things/values that make sense to us don’t line up with what God says. I see this all the time in my kids. They may have a belief, like “finders keepers” that makes perfect sense to them. They may even be able to clearly articulate all the reasons it’s fair and true. But, when we search out what God says, that belief falls apart. God’s word says to “love your neighbor as yourself” and “do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Does finders keepers line up with those verses? No. šŸ™‚

It’s interesting that we often contrast knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom comes from God, but so does knowledge! Love the Lord and respecting His word is the beginning of true knowledge. Knowing something, though, is just half the battle, we also need the wisdom to put our knowledge into practice. There is a time to speak, and a time to listen. It’s wisdom that will help us know when those times are.

Karen