Conditions and Context

(Proverbs 2:6 KJV)  For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

This sounds like a glorious promise.  God will deliver.  We like this idea.  The popular understanding of Christmas reinforces it.  Jesus was a gift.  Grace is undeserved.  God loves us and wants us to have wonderful lives.  That is good as far as it goes.  But remember the three most important values in real estate:  Location, location, location.  Bible understanding is the same only we would say, “Context, context, context.” 

If you read back through all of the glorious promises you find that at the beginning is the provision for personal discipline and study.  If you seek, you will find.  If you knock it will open to you.  Someone said that once.

So?  God has many gifts to give us.  We do not deserve them.  We cannot earn them.  If you had two children, one brilliant and lazy, the other disciplined and focused and you could only send one to college, to which would you give the gift?  What seems obvious to me might not be to you.