The wisdom in a tomato?

If we are quick to praise a human being for their level of understanding, why do we hesitate to praise God for it?

Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. (Daniel 2:20)

Who is the wisest person you know? I’m not talking about the smartest person. I mean the wisest one. Because there is a legitimate difference between being wise and being smart.

Being smart may be useful in academic situations or in certain career fields. High intelligence levels are wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But intelligence without wisdom is dangerous.

What is that saying? Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. Wisdom is what you need to USE your intelligence.

Wisdom isn’t something that everyone has in equal measure. Honestly, the only way you can even get wisdom is from God, through knowing Him and studying His Word.

So when you meet someone who is incredibly wise, what do you do? Well, if you’re a rational person, you acknowledge their wisdom. You recognize them as someone you want to be friends with, someone to seek out when you have questions. You praise them because they have wisdom.

This is exactly what Daniel is talking about as far as how we praise God. God has ALL wisdom. Not just some. He is the source of wisdom. Those who are wise look to Him in order to understand what can’t be understood. So if we are quick to praise a human being for their level of understanding, why do we hesitate to praise God for it?

Tell Him that you appreciate His wisdom. Speak it out loud. Acknowledge that He is the source of all our understanding, and beyond our understanding He is the source of our peace.

Something happens in our hearts when we recognize Him as the Giver of Wisdom. It puts us in our place. It reminds us that the universe doesn’t revolve around us.

Praise God. He is wise. And He’s not just wise—He IS wisdom. Make time today to tell Him specifically how His wisdom has helped you.

Questions for Reflection:

• When was the last time you relied on God’s wisdom to make an important decision?

• What happened to you today (or yesterday) where you leaned on God’s wisdom in order to understand or process or move forward?

• How are some ways you can make acknowledging God’s wisdom part of your daily routine?

Weekly Memory Verse: