I want to change things up a little bit this week. On my “this week” portion of my blog, which is where we have been focusing on Proverbs, I am going to narrow in on one specific word today from the text. Therefore, we will only be looking at one verse today from Proverbs. Keep in mind this is what God showed me and laid on my heart through these verses. Find time to dig into the verse on your own and allow God to speak to you.
Proverbs 8:12
I wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.
If you have noticed, which I am sure you have, we have really been focused on wisdom and knowledge that we can find by reading the Word. What I really focused in on in this verse is the word “discretion”. Discretion is the quality of having good judgment and making responsible decisions. Discretion goes right along with the words we keep seeing in Proverbs. When thinking about it, the realization comes of wisdom and knowledge being something we can gain mentally and discretion is a way we show this outwardly. With spiritual wisdom and knowledge, more times than not you will show you have them through your actions and decisions, which is discretion.
Discretion is very important for us to show. It is the difference between someone seeing Christ in you and them not seeing Christ in you. If you are a Christian you will know the right decision to make vs the wrong one, but will you still make the right decision? Making the right decision and being discrete sets us apart from those who live for the world. But if you do not choose discretion, how will those who need Jesus most think they really need Him? After all, if a Christian is making the same decisions someone who follows the world makes, why would they want to follow Jesus? This is a big problem. It keeps people who need to know Jesus from getting to know Him. It can also keep them from Christianity and the church because it seems very hypocritical and full of liars. You are not always going to make the right decisions in life. You are going to stumble and make mistakes, but how hard are you trying to let Jesus shine through you with discretion?
So how can you have discretion? It does not just come with salvation. It is not something just handed to us as soon as we choose to follow Jesus. Discretion follows wisdom and knowledge. We know we get those two by seeking after God through His Word and praying to find them. Discretion comes from having wisdom and knowledge. Once you begin to gain wisdom of God’s Word, it will be easier to make the right decision because you will be basing your decisions on God and not on yourself. Having a better understanding of what God’s Word says is right and wrong, and growing in your relationship with Jesus will open your eyes to the right decisions because, if you allow it to be, it will be God guiding your decisions and not your flesh.
I think it is amazing to see what we can gain spiritually all comes through prayer and God’s Word. That is exactly why it is so important to find time to be alone with God and truly seek a relationship with Him and seek answers from Him and not from others.
I am in awe of what God showed me through just one verse. It is incredible what God can teach us through, what seems like, one small sentence. There is not a specific amount of time you have to spend in the Word because God can use any amount of time you give Him. This is what God showed me through this verse, so I encourage you to find time to look at these verses yourself and allow God to speak to you. He may show you something different than He did me.
I pray God opens your eyes to the wisdom and knowledge found in His Word. I pray He brings you discretion so that you will be set apart from the world and make decisions that point directly back to God.
