Devotional Series Aug 10-13
This Devotional Series is based on a message delivered on August 9, 2026 and can be viewed at: https://www.kallamgrove.org/messages/the-beginning-of-wisdom/
We often do not know when we need wisdom most.
Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
One of the most difficult things about wisdom is that we often do not know when we need it most. If we knew we were making a foolish decision, we would probably stop and reconsider. The problem is that foolishness rarely feels foolish while we are doing it. That is what makes this proverb so important. The fool is not necessarily someone who has no intelligence. He is someone who is convinced that his way is right. He trusts his own judgment so completely that he does not feel the need to listen to anyone else.
That can happen to any of us. We can become convinced that we understand a situation when we have only heard one side of the story. We can make a decision about a relationship without asking anyone for counsel. We can become so certain that our interpretation of someone’s actions is correct that we never stop to consider that we might be wrong.
The wise person, on the other hand, listens to advice. That does not mean we should accept every piece of advice we receive. Wisdom is not allowing everyone else to make our decisions for us. It means we cultivate the humility to recognize that we may have something to learn.
Sometimes God gives us wisdom through His Word. Sometimes He gives it through a spouse, a friend, a parent, a pastor, or another mature believer. Sometimes the very person we least want to hear may be the person God uses to expose something in us that needs to change.
One of the healthiest prayers we can pray is, “Lord, show me where I might be wrong.”
That prayer requires humility, but it also opens the door to growth. We do not have to be right all the time. We simply need to be willing to be taught.
Reflection Question: Is there an area of your life where you may be too confident in your own judgment to listen to wise counsel?
Prayer: Lord, give me the humility to listen when You use others to correct and to teach me. Amen
When we do not know what to do, the simple response is: ask God for Wisdom
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
There is something wonderfully encouraging about the simplicity of this verse. If you lack wisdom, ask God. James does not say, “If you are not smart enough, try harder.” He does not tell us to figure everything out on our own. He assumes that there will be times when we do not know what to do, and he gives us a simple response: ask God.
That is good news because there are plenty of situations in life where we genuinely do not know what to do. How should I respond to this person? Should I take this opportunity? How should I handle this conflict? What should I say to my child? How do I navigate this difficult season? What does faithfulness look like here?
Notice something else about the verse. God gives generously and without reproach. He does not respond to our requests for wisdom by saying, “You should already know this.” He does not shame us for asking. Think about how different that is from the way we sometimes treat ourselves. We can become embarrassed by our uncertainty. We may think that admitting we do not know what to do is a sign of weakness.
But God invites us to admit our need. There is no shame in saying, “Lord, I need wisdom.” In fact, that may be one of the wisest things we can say.
Reflection Question: What decision or situation in your life do you need to bring honestly before God and ask Him for wisdom?
Prayer: Father, I confess that I do not always know what to do, so please give me the wisdom I need to faithfully follow You. Amen.
Wisdom is not something we acquire once and possess forever; it requires continued learning.
Proverbs 19:20
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
One of the interesting things about wisdom in Proverbs is that it is not something we simply acquire once and then possess forever. Wisdom requires a posture of continued learning. That is why this verse begins with two simple commands: listen and accept.
Listening is harder than it sounds. We can hear someone’s words without actually being willing to receive them. We can listen while preparing our defense, thinking about what we will say next, or deciding why the other person is wrong. Biblical wisdom requires something deeper. It requires us to listen with the possibility that we might actually learn something.
The second command is even more challenging: accept instruction. Instruction implies that there are things we do not know and areas where we need to grow. It also implies that sometimes someone else may see something in us that we cannot see in ourselves. Nobody enjoys being corrected. But correction is one of God’s gifts to us. A loving parent corrects a child because they want that child to grow. A good coach points out weaknesses because they want the athlete to improve. In the same way, God often uses people and circumstances to reveal areas where He wants to shape us.
The goal is not simply to become wiser for the sake of being knowledgeable. Notice where the verse says this leads: “that you may gain wisdom in the future.” Wisdom is preparation for the road ahead. We do not know what decisions we will face next year, what challenges our families may encounter, or what opportunities God may place before us. But we can become the kind of people who are ready to meet those moments with greater wisdom because we have been willing to learn today.
Reflection Question: Who is someone God may be using to teach or correct you, and how could you become more willing to listen?
Prayer: Lord, give me a teachable heart that welcomes wise instruction and continues to grow in wisdom. Amen.
Everything Proverbs teaches us about wisdom finds its fullest expression in Jesus.
Colossians 2:2-3
That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Proverbs begins with a desire for wisdom and knowledge. But where do we ultimately find the wisdom we need? Paul gives us a remarkable answer: in Christ.
There is a temptation when we study Proverbs to think of wisdom as simply a collection of principles for living a better life. Read the right verses, make better decisions, avoid foolish mistakes, and life will go well.
But biblical wisdom is ultimately about knowing a person. Paul says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That means everything Proverbs teaches us about wisdom finds its fullest expression in Jesus.
Jesus does not merely tell us how to live wisely. He shows us what perfect wisdom looks like. He trusted His Father when obedience led Him to the cross. He responded to His enemies with grace. He knew when to speak and when to remain silent. He cared for the vulnerable. He confronted hypocrisy. He welcomed sinners. He lived with perfect righteousness, justice, and humility. And then He gave His life for people like us who repeatedly choose our own wisdom over God’s.
This changes the way we approach the book of Proverbs. We are not simply collecting advice. We are learning to follow Christ.
When you do not know what to do, ask what faithfulness to Jesus looks like. When you need wisdom, seek Him. When you recognize that your own judgment has failed, run to Him rather than hiding from Him.
Reflection Question: What would change in your decisions this week if your first question was, “How can I be faithful to Jesus in this?”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me find the wisdom I need in You and shape my life so that I increasingly reflect Your character. Amen.