Hovering over three verses in Proverbs 10 this morning.

On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.

Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

(Proverbs 10:13, 23, 31 ESV)

The trigger word for all three verses? Wisdom.

Wisdom is found on the lips. Wisdom is fulfilling to the soul. Wisdom is fruitful as it’s imparted to others.

More and more as I read Proverbs I find myself translating wisdom as Jesus. So, Jesus is found on the lips of those with understanding. Jesus is the desired pursuit of those who have been gifted with insight from above. Jesus then is the fruit of the righteous.

He’s our number one topic of conversation because He’s the number one pursuit of our lives, the number one expression of who we are.

He’s not part of the pie, He defines the pie. He holds the pie together. He is what gives an unearthly flavor to the pie.

He came that we should experience life abundantly (Jn. 10:10). That life is fully realized as we are immersed in Jesus. Preoccupied with Him in all facets of life — from the mundane to the most vital aspects of life. Wisdom from above is required for flourishing below.

If wisdom is, as some suggest, what’s needed for skillful living, then we need to know the Author of Life (Acts 3:15) in order to gain those skills.

And when we know Him, even as we delight in Him, we will then, almost by default, bear the fruit of making Him known.

Oh, that His people would grow in Wisdom. That He might increase even as we decrease.

Only by His grace. Only for His glory.