“discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,” Proverbs 2:11
In the ancient world, discretion and understanding were highly prized virtues, and the wisdom literature of the Bible emphasized their value for successful living. In Proverbs 2:11, the writer declares that discretion and understanding will bring protection and guard against pitfalls in life. The original Hebrew word for discretion is “sakal,” which is defined as the ability to weigh words and actions carefully and thoughtfully. Similarly, the word for understanding, “tevunah,” denotes insightful insight that separates truth from lies, good from evil, and recognizes the consequences of our choices. These qualities are encouraged as a means of protection against harmful elements that may cause us to stray from God’s path, deterring us from following the commands of His word.
The Bible speaks extensively on the importance of gaining wisdom, and Proverbs reminds us in chapter 4 that wisdom is the principal thing – the key to a more meaningful, abundant life. The scope of the benefits of wisdom can be gleaned from scripture, such as Psalm 19:7, which extols wisdom as making the simple “wise” and the wise “wiser.” Proverbs 9:10 also proclaims, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Wisdom’s value is spiritual in nature as it comes from having a deep sense of reverence and awe for God that guides all our decisions.
Therefore, we are urged to make the gaining of wisdom a priority – to trust and honor God, and surrender all aspects of our lives to Him. Furthermore, since wisdom leads to discretion and knowledge, it means that we will be guarded from harmful decisions and filters the events in our life free of destructive or confusing inputs.
As believers in Christ, wisdom is carrying a mandate the will shield us from the times that we wish we could turn back the clock on. If we follow His word, seeking the highest wisdom found in him, then this discretion and understanding are a natural outflow in our discernment of any given situation. Ultimately, may our daily prayer be for increased wisdom as we seek to glorify God in our lives and serve His purpose for us.
Promise: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Prayer: Dear Lord Heavenly Father mighty wonderful God. Lord, we thank You for Your gift of wisdom and understanding. We ask that You grant us the ability to discern what is good in each situation and to give us the ability of discretion that we may make wise choices that align with Your will and purpose for our lives.
Father, enable us with the gift of understanding. Please impart to us the ability to recognize and evaluate temptation as well as to avoid harmful situations that would lead us astray. Protect us from the schemes of our enemy and warn us of the snares set by those who would deceive us into sin. We pray that our thoughts and actions would be guided by the value of discretion to always weigh words and behavior carefully before speaking and acting. May we grow more and more knowledgeable in Your ways and become a source of blessing to all those around us. As we seek to live in line with Your wisdom and direction, let us live a life under Your sheltering love, knowing that one has the protection of the all-knowing and all-powerful God watching over us. We pray this in Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.
Have a blessed day!