LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Thursday 15th May 2025
THE COMPANIONS OF WISDOM
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 8
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.’ Proverbs 8:12
Wisdom does not move alone. Wherever wisdom is, other virtues are also present. We cannot claim to be walking in wisdom while all other aspects of our lives manifest attitudes that do not affirm wisdom. We must not be like the mischievous Ananse, who decided to collect all the wisdom of the world in a pot. After satisfying himself that he had achieved his objective, Ananse proceeded to climb up a tree to hide the pot. If he truly had all wisdom, he would not have undertaken such a foolish mission. Similarly, we cannot claim wisdom and act in the most unwise ways.
Our passage for today tells us that wherever wisdom is, she will be accompanied by these virtues.
Prudence: sensible behaviour. Prudence is a friend of wisdom. To be prudent is to be able to manage what you have well. Prudence is the ability to control the little you have so that it achieves more. Prudence is not rash or hasty. It is a careful and thoughtful approach to life.
Knowledge: to take note and learn. Knowledge is a friend of wisdom. Knowledge is not simply about the accumulation of facts and figures to pass an exam. Knowledge is about being observant; it is about taking note of what happens around you and learning from it. Knowledge allows us to pay attention and learn from what happens around us and to us. A wise person takes note of what is happening to draw lessons from it.
Discretion: to make good choices. Discretion is a friend of wisdom. Having discretion is having the freedom to decide the right thing at every given time. When we have discretion, it means that though we have the power to do what we want, we choose to act responsibly. It is like someone inviting you to their home and telling you to feel free and enjoy everything in the house. Discretion will urge you not to interpret that open invitation literally. You can’t raid a friend’s fridge just because he told you to feel free in his house. That would showcase your lack of discretion.
When you are given discretionary powers, you must allow wisdom to guide your path.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I want to grow in wisdom. Help me to grow in prudence, knowledge and discretion. In Jesus’ name, *Amen.*
