By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place. . . .

— Proverbs 3:19

Setting a foundation for anything can be a difficult and sometimes complicated task. Whether it’s constructing a house, engineering a bridge, laying down pavement for a new road, or installing a retaining wall, the foundation is essential to whatever is being made.

Proverbs tells us that the Lord God, our Creator, founded the heavens and the earth by wisdom and understanding. What exactly is the writer saying here?

The New Testament gives us some clarity on this. Now that Jesus has come, the mysteries of God have been revealed. As the apostle Paul puts it in Colossians 1:16, “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth . . . all things have been created through him and for him.” The apostle John also notes that “in the beginning was the Word [Logos]” and that “through him all things were made.” What’s more, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” and he is “the Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 14).

So Christ himself is our source of heavenly wisdom, of knowledge and understanding from God. He is the foundation and the means by which we can grow.

This means that if we are to pursue wisdom, we will find it in Jesus and no one else.

Wise and awesome God, you created the world and each one of us; and, Lord Jesus, all things are created through you. Help us to find wisdom and understanding in you. Amen.