Would you like to be exceeding wise? Would you like to be able to discern what is best and most important in your life?

Take a moment to consider just what we mean by wisdom...

"If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness." - Websters 1828 Dictionary

Isn't wisdom something we all would desire to attain? Yes! I want to know what is most just, proper and useful and what is most conducive to prosperity and happiness.

Without a doubt what is the source of all true wisdom? Where does it come from?

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen. - Romans 11:33-36

Yes there is a type of worldy wisdom, but it doesn't compare with the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

True wisdom cannot come from any other source than from Him who "is made unto us wisdom" (1. Corinthians 1:30). All who desire wisdom are to "ask of God who giveth to all men liberally" (James 1:5).

Remember to always ask through prayer that God will give us wisdom as we turn to His inspired word.

Some of the Bible was written by king Solomon. Of him we read that "he was wiser than all men" (1. Kings 4:31). We also find that "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much" (1 Kings 4:29). Here again we see that true wisdom comes from God.

So now, let's see what wisdom God has given us in the writings of Solomon.

"There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:" - Proverbs 30:24

How many things? Yes, that's right :), four. And what are they upon the earth? Big, powerful, majestic? No, but little. Are you already able to relate to this verse?

Often when we consider the eternal things of God, and the powerful creator we serve, we're impressed with a sense of how little we really are. When we see how in an instant a disaster of great magnitude can destroy so much, we then realise how weak and fragile life really is.

So there are four things that are little upon the earth... Yet! Although they are little, they are exceeding wise.

Let's take a look at these little things and discover just why they are exceeding wise, and find out just what lessons of wisdom they hold for us.

First we read about the wisdom of the ant.

"The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;" - Proverbs 30:25

What is it about the ants that make them exceeding wise?

Are the ants very strong? Not at all! In fact they are so small and weak that with just one human step their life can be ended. But what do they do that make them exceeding wise? They prepare their meat when? In the winter? No! They prepare their meat in the summer.

Consider an ant in winter, somewhere in a country where it snows a lot. If the ant stepped out of her cosy home, how long would she survive? Not long at all! In fact in just a few seconds she could be frozen. But the ant doesn't need to go outside in the winter, because she gathered all her food in the hot summer months.

Now in the summer, to all appearances did it look like she needed to have a large supply of food? It didn't did it? There were plenty of dead insects, bread crumbs and the like to supply all an ant would need.

Yet here is wisdom. Even when there is no obvious need, the ant gathers her food because she knows there is coming a time when she will need it.

As in this humble creature, so in our lives.

When we first rise at the breaking of a new day what should we first seek? What are we guaranteed to be faced with in the coming day? Temptations, right? We know that trials and difficulties will come as the tempter seeks to draw us away from God. We know that we will need God's power to help us be overcomers for this day.

However, when we are rubbing the sleep out of our eyes, we often don't feel as though we need God's help or power. And too often we stay up late the night before and have woken too late so are too tired or are too busy to spend that time with God and gain needed strength in communion with Him.

But stop! And listen to wisdom. The one who thus neglects to daily commune with Christ will not have the strength necessary to conquer evil. Just like the ant would starve had he not made the necessary preparation for winter, so we will fall unless each morning we spend time with God, studying His word, earnestly praying to be upheld by His grace for the coming trials of the day.

Let us take heed to wisdom:

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man." - Proverbs 6:6

May God help each of us to purpose, today, that we will be exceeding wise like the ant. That we will devote those precious morning hours to quite communion with Christ so we can have the power needed for the unseen trials ahead.

Over the next two or three weeks we'll dig further in to this treasure house of wisdom and take a look at the other three things that are little upon the earth.