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“Jehovah Himself Gives Wisdom”The Watchtower—1999 | November 15
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In the loving words of a father, wise King Solomon of ancient Israel says: “My son, if you will receive my sayings and treasure up my own commandments with yourself, so as to pay attention to wisdom with your ear, that you may incline your heart to discernment; if, moreover, you call out for understanding itself and you give forth your voice for discernment itself, if you keep seeking for it as for silver, and as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, in that case you will understand the fear of Jehovah, and you will find the very knowledge of God.”—Proverbs 2:1-5.
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“Jehovah Himself Gives Wisdom”The Watchtower—1999 | November 15
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Wisdom is the ability to put God-given knowledge to proper use. And how wonderfully the Bible makes wisdom available! Yes, it contains words of wisdom, such as those recorded in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and we need to pay attention to these words. We also find in the pages of the Bible many examples that show the benefits of applying godly principles and the pitfalls of ignoring them. (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11) For instance, consider the account of greedy Gehazi, the attendant of the prophet Elisha. (2 Kings 5:20-27) Does it not teach us the wisdom of avoiding greed? And what about the tragic outcome of seemingly harmless visits made by Jacob’s daughter Dinah to “the daughters of the land” of Canaan? (Genesis 34:1-31) Do we not readily discern the folly of bad associations?—Proverbs 13:20; 1 Corinthians 15:33.
Paying attention to wisdom entails acquiring discernment and understanding. According to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, discernment is “the power or faculty of the mind by which it distinguishes one thing from another.” Godly discernment is the ability to distinguish right from wrong and then to choose the correct course. Unless we ‘incline our heart’ to discernment or are eager to acquire it, how can we stay on “the road leading off into life”? (Matthew 7:14; compare Deuteronomy 30:19, 20.) The study and application of God’s Word imparts discernment.
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