I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and useful knowledge I have. (Proverbs 8:12 NABRE)
Of course, we are talking about God's wisdom here which is available to us through the Holy Spirit alive in us. We are not talking about worldly wisdom. Wisdom and prudence, as God's gifts, work together to show the wise and prudent person how to live.
Wisdom is a moral rather than an intellectual quality* and prudence is a virtue.* In today's verse, wisdom literally speaks for itself (and some Bible interpreters equate wisdom here as being the person of Jesus). According to Webster, wisdom is knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life, the natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand, and knowledge of what is proper or reasonable--a good sense of judgment. Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.
The qualities of God's wisdom and prudence may be the very drivers which set the Christian apart from the world and against the world. They are not easy to gain and they are costly, but we are called to seek them in our lives.
Today, I will ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and prudence.
Blessed Jutta of Thuringia, who in God's wisdom gave away all your wealth and prudently became a servant to the poor, pray for us.
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