Common Sense

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

An investment company’s full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal began with these words: “Information is everywhere. Insight is all too rare. For insight goes beyond information to discern underlying truths.

Today, we are long on information and short on insight. Television offers scores of channels. Online databases give us the temperature in Hong Kong and the baseball score in Birmingham. We’re wired and tired from trying to grasp the meaning of all we know.

Years ago, a friend was encouraged to read a chapter of Proverbs everyday. One chapter each day. One month to read the whole book of Proverbs. “You can get knowledge from college,” the friend said, “but wisdom comes from God.”

One chapter of Proverbs every day. Try it next month and see how God’s Word will give you the wisdom to transform information into insight.

Sometimes my head feels as if it is going into meltdown trying to take on board all the information being fired at it. It’s at times like these that I put on my walking boots and go outside for a walk. I nearly always come back feeling refreshed, mentally as well as physically. The next verse in this chapter of Proverbs states, “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.” How important is common sense when dealing with life’s issues.

Let’s thank God for all the knowledge He gives us and ask for the common sense to use it wisely.