Proverbs 24.13-14
“My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”
Learning wisdom is the great theme of the book of Proverbs. In many and various ways throughout the book, Solomon admonishes us to be faithful and relentless in our pursuit of wisdom. In this passage the metaphor for wisdom is honey, which is good for two reasons: Honey is sweet to the taste, and it has healing/medicinal properties.
Solomon also says that Godly wisdom is the key to a successful future. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Life is a series of decisions, and when we set goals and make decisions in alignment with God’s standards, good things happen.
Man’s wisdom is not sufficient; we must seek wisdom from God. As Proverbs says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Once again, the NT book of James speaks to this: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1.5-8)
James makes it clear that in order to receive wisdom from God, a person must ask “in faith, with no doubting.” James tells us to trust God completely. Trust who God is, trust what he has done in Christ, and trust what he says in his word. Do not expect the Lord to give you wisdom if you doubt who he is or what he has done in Christ or what he says in his word.
Moses provides an example. God asked Moses to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt. From a human perspective, it was a near impossible task. And downright frightening. But God told Moses that he was being sent as God’s agent. Moses would be representing not himself, but the One true God. It wasn’t Moses’ strength that mattered, it was his faith. His trust in God.
Needless to say, Moses was very reluctant when God told him to go to Pharaoh. At first, Moses didn’t believe. He doubted himself. He didn’t think he was qualified … he didn’t think he could do the job that the Lord asked of him. And he doubted God. At one point Moses even said to God, “Send someone else.”
But finally, Moses submitted … and he believed. He let go of his doubt and uncertainty, and he believed … and he did the job that God asked of him. At the point of belief, at that decision point, everything changed. All of his energy and skill was now focused on trusting God and doing the job that the Lord asked of him. Believing unleashed Moses.
The same message applies to us today. We are going to experience difficulty and adversity, and we have a choice to make: React with doubt and fear, or respond with faith and courage. The way of the kingdom of God is faith and courage.
The point is not that we are never afraid; the point is that we turn to God when we face difficult, fearful situations. When scripture says “do not fear,” the message is “do not let fear rule you.” “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
