But God understands the way to wisdom, and he knows its location. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When God fixed the weight of the wind and distributed the water by measure, when he established a limit for the rain and a path for the lightning, he considered wisdom and evaluated it; he established it and examined it. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” Job 28:23-28 CSB

Our verses today come from the book of Job in the Old Testament. Job is looking to God and explaining how we can be wise or have wisdom. I love how Job tells us about God’s wisdom. When God created the world, He used wisdom. He decided the weight of the wind and the measure of water in the seas. God set a limit on rain and a path for lightning.

And then Job shares what God says, that “the fear of the Lord” is wisdom. But this fear doesn’t mean scared or afraid of God. In the Bible, “fear of the Lord” means that we respect God and understand that He is Holy and our all powerful Creator. We are His children. We respect God and try to follow His guidance. We try to please him.

A simple definition of wisdom is knowing what is right and wrong according to God and His Word, the Bible, and choosing the right thing that we know would please God. Wisdom lets us look at a situation and know the best way to respond. 

For example, if your mom asks you to do a chore, you would be wise if you did the chore. You would be wise because God tells us to honor our parents. So, when you do what is right, you are wise. And you make God smile! Think of a time when you did what you knew you were supposed to do, even when you didn’t want to. You were being wise.

This week practice being wise. Look at a situation, think about what God would want you to do, and then do it. Maybe you can be kind to someone even if they aren’t always kind to you. You could donate old clothes or toys you don’t want any more to someone who needs them. You could help take care of part of God’s creation. You could donate to a food bank. Or even just smile and be friendly to others. Shine God’s love and be wise.

Blessings and wisdom as you follow God’s guidance and make Him smile!