Witty Inventions

“I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” (Pr 8:12 AV)

I have to be transparent here.  It is the curiosity of the phrase ‘witty inventions’ that steered me in the direction of this verse.  Witty inventions here are subtle ways in which wisdom is applied.  Witty inventions are those things we should do instinctively correctly without thinking it all the way through.  Prudence is the way in which wisdom is worked out.  One cannot have wisdom without prudence.  One cannot have prudence without wisdom.  When one meditates on this verse, he is encouraged that when faced with challenges to which he may not know how to respond, the pattern of living wisely will rescue him in more subtle situations.  In other words, the more we live in wisdom, the more apt we are to continue to do even if we cannot put our finger on what is going on or what we need to do.  The pattern of wise living continues in the obscure as much as it is in the light.

A pastor friend and I were speaking the other day.  He has taken on a ministry that requires a great deal of wisdom.  One might say, it requires much subtlety of mind to navigate very complicated requirements.  This new ministry places restrictions on him unlike what pastoring an independent work would do.  There are rules.  There are requirements.  There is cooperation with others in similar areas of responsibility.  There are different agencies of authority all working together, yet separately, to accomplish the same goal.  He described some scenarios in which he has found himself and marveled at the wisdom that the Spirit gave at the time that he needed it.  Thinking outside the box while staying in the box is not easy to do.  One must know all the governing principles at play and what it is the LORD expects from you to pull something like that off.  We exchanged particulars in which we saw the LORD give us wisdom we didn’t know we had.  This is not always the case.  Especially when we were younger.  There were hard lessons to learn.  As one gains experience, and learns prudence is the better choice, wisdom to face things we have never faced before seems to come easier.  “Where did that come from” we often ask ourselves as the LORD uses us to navigate complicated circumstances that would normally be out of our realm.

This does not come automatically.  It comes with time, study, prayer, and experience.  To find knowledge of witty inventions, or to know how to navigate subtle circumstances, wisdom and prudence have to be a habit of life.  Wisdom does not come with ease.  Prudence is against our nature.  These two must be chosen and pursued.  They cannot be thought of as something that comes if we put a book under our pillow at night.  Wisdom and prudence can only come if the will is disciplined.  Wisdom and prudence put in place patterns founded upon truths in the word of God.  Wisdom and prudence are more a decision to do and be right as it is what we choose to do.  In other words, pursuing wisdom and prudence is the decision to live by the laws of God’s word even before they are revealed or understood.  This supposes absolutes.  This supposes that even if we do not know what to do at the moment, there is still a right and wrong way.  To find out witty inventions means the mind and heart are subject to something outside of itself.  This establishes a bearing when we do not know exactly what to do.  The thing about finding out witty inventions is that when the LORD does this, we get to stand back and marvel at how infinitely wise God is and the ability He has to share that wisdom with creatures who are not nearly as smart.