July 28-Aug 2

The American Spiritual Thought: This weeks spiritual thought throughout the week was understanding the difference between wisdom and knowledge.  Many spiritual passages on this can be found with the King of Israel, Solomon, and the book of Proverbs.  It is hard to discern between the two meanings, then equal hard to possess the understanding and explain it.  I will try for the sake of failure.  Merriam-Websters third definition, which makes the most logic to me, of wisdom is the teachings of the ancient wise men.  Yes, uses wise to define wisdom, yet this holds true in our lives.  We gain wisdom from our parents, who gained from their parents, and so on.  My definition of wisdom is life experiences and understanding how to change to a better understanding or person when facing those life experiences again.  The two ways to learn is through doing and the teachings of the ancient wise men.  Our ancient wise men is God and the many wise men and  women in the Bible.  The entire book of Proverbs tells us wise thoughts.  What to be aware of when you choose to do something, for example adultery, Proverbs Chapter 5.  This is a chapter of wisdom on the topic of Adultery.  Chapter 4 of Proverbs talks about this, and receiving wisdom and understanding, yet at the end of the chapter there is wisdom to gain.

23-27, "Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.
²⁴ Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶ Give careful thought to the^[c] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.

Knowledge.  The fact or condition of being aware of something, defined by Webster's Dictionary.  Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you.  This is knowledge.  We are aware by God that to find righteousness, God, or substitute what you want that are attributes of Christ, if we ask, seek, and knock, then we will be given it.  That is an example, yet you can decipher the difference between knowledge and wisdom. 

As we tried to understand the difference between wisdom and knowledge, we discovered the two are intertwined.  It is important to understand the difference (I still can not understand).  Yet, I do know we are suppose to try to take in wisdom and knowledge, Proverbs 4: 5-7,

 ⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
    love her, and she will watch over you.
⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: Get^[a] wisdom.
    Though it cost all you have,^[b] get understanding.  

In Brotherly Love,

PB