SEEK WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND DISCERNMENT

Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Welcome as we study the Word of God together.

Proverbs 2:10–11 (ESV)

“For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.”

There are four essential qualities that every believer should desire and cultivate in their walk with God:

Wisdom – the God-given ability to make sound judgments and discern right from wrong.
Knowledge – the understanding of divine truth and practical information rooted in God’s Word.
Understanding – the deep comprehension of spiritual matters and the ability to apply them appropriately.
Discernment (Discretion) – the foresight to recognize danger, avoid temptation, and choose the path of righteousness (cf. Proverbs 27:12, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” NIV).

These four virtues do not originate from human intelligence or education but come from God alone:

Proverbs 2:6 (NIV)

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Let us now consider three significant spiritual benefits of receiving wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and discernment.

1. Deliverance from the Path of Evil

The first benefit is spiritual protection from wickedness and corrupt influences.

Proverbs 2:12–15 (ESV)

“Delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,
who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,
men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.”

Evil paths are those that lead people into sin and rebellion against God. These include the moral and spiritual corruptions listed in Galatians 5:19–21:

“…sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these…” (ESV)

Such behaviors result from a lack of divine wisdom and spiritual discernment. The Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, equips the believer to resist these temptations and remain on the path of righteousness.

2. Protection from Sexual Immorality

Another benefit is deliverance from the snare of sexual sin, which is one of the most common and destructive traps.

Proverbs 2:16–19 (NIV)

“Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.
Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.”

In biblical terms, the “adulterous woman” represents anyone—male or female—who engages in sexual immorality. This includes adultery, fornication, and any sexual behavior outside the bounds of biblical marriage.

Consider Joseph in Genesis 39. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph fled, saying:

“How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9, ESV)

Joseph’s response was the fruit of godly wisdom and fear of the Lord. Had he lacked discernment and understanding, he could have easily fallen into sin, jeopardizing both his calling and his relationship with God.

Proverbs 6:32 (ESV) affirms this:

“He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.”

Wisdom and the fear of the Lord are safeguards against moral failure.

3. Guidance Toward the Path of the Righteous

God’s wisdom not only protects us from sin but also guides us into a life of righteousness among godly people.

Proverbs 2:20–22 (ESV)

“So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,
but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”

The path of the righteous is distinct and intentional. It is not found by accident, but by divine guidance. The Holy Spirit uses wisdom and understanding to lead us into fellowship with those who live godly lives and to keep us rooted in the truth of God’s Word.

Psalm 1 paints a similar picture:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked… but his delight is in the law of the Lord” (Psalm 1:1–2, ESV).

To find and stay on this path, we need the kind of wisdom that only comes from God.

How Then Can One Receive Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, and Discernment?

The answer is found in Job 28:20–28, where Job contemplates the value and source of wisdom:

Job 28:28 (ESV)

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Wisdom is not merely intellectual—it is spiritual. It begins with the fear of the Lord, which is reverent awe, submission, and obedience to God’s will. Turning away from evil is the practical expression of true understanding.

If you desire to grow in wisdom: