Proverbs 8:10-12, Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.  I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

What is the motivator in this world?

What is that which drives people today? Is it wisdom or money?

What vocations do people choose today and what reason do they offer for their choice?

I’d say the preponderant reason is money.

But according to God, this is the reason of the simple and of the fool.

Now when God instructs, He always instructs from an eternal viewpoint.

When we choose, we generally sacrifice the permanent upon the altar of the immediate for we want to be gratified today, not tomorrow!

The permanent concerns the eternal, and the immediate concerns the nasty now and now.

I say "I’ve got to feed my family."

God says, No, I will feed your family.

Jesus told us this as plainly as could be told in:

Matthew 6:25,  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

God gives us the ability to receive instruction, to receive knowledge, to seek wisdom.

We must choose holiness over riches.

The seeking of riches must be subjected to the seeking of wisdom.

The priority of our maker is clear.

He puts aside all of the necessity of thought for your life, thought for what you should eat, and drink and wear and instructs you to use you time and thought in the seeking of his kingdom.

He also made this clear in Matthew 6:33-34,  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Oh, how we sin against God in this!

How much we use our time in worrying about these things that have no eternal value!

How impure we are in this, and when that is true how much is lost and not gained in the knowledge of that which is holy!

We are to seek that which Paul found when he said in:

Philippians 3:8,  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

He counted all the things that he had lost, all the things that were of no eternal value and equated what he had lost to that which is thrown to the dogs compared to the knowledge of Christ.

Now when you find wisdom you will find her living with another and that another is named prudence.

Proverbs 8:12,  I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

Prudence is one of those words that has disappeared from the English language.

It is one of those character words that is old fashioned and no longer in vogue.

But it is a Bible word that we should understand and use.

Prudence is wisdom applied to practice.

Prudence implies caution in deliberating on the most appropriate means to accomplish valuable purposes and the exercise of judgment in discerning and selecting those means.

Wisdom says to go in a certain direction but prudence chimes in and says to be cautious and careful.

Every time I leave the house my wife says be careful.

Now she does not question where I am going but she tells be to be prudent about the going of it.

Prudence agrees with wisdom but says to be careful of the consequences of the action.

Proverbs 22:3, says,  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Prudence dwells with wisdom and finds out knowledge of witty inventions.

Now this has nothing to do with the technological age of invention.

Those witty inventions here spoken of are plans, usually evil, conspiracies, stumbling stones put in the way of progress, clever schemes that would thwart that which wisdom proposes to do.

Prudence uncovers those schemes.

Prudence finds out what is going on and takes cover or takes another path toward the goal.

Jesus Christ was prudent in his dealings with Satan.

He knew the character of Satan.

He knew that Satan was moved by the now and now and was interested in his own will and plans and not interested in the will of the Father.

Anything from Satan was simply another witty invention to tie and to bind Christ from being about His Father’s business.

A wise man knows that wisdom dwells with prudence.

Wisdom and prudence go out together and do not go anywhere without each other.

A wise man is always prudent and never rash.