Wisdom for Drawing Out Deep Waters

Some Thoughts on Prov. 20:5

“The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

Let’s see if we can draw out some of the meaning of this verse. Seems to me a couple of ideas are presented, or possible, here. The “purpose” may be obscure & thus requiring wisdom to be found out & expressed clearly or it may be profound & thus requiring wisdom to be understood & applied.

Also, I’m not exactly sure who the author intends here regarding the man of understanding–is it the man himself or another man? Perhaps both are intended; regardless, both are true: We need wisdom to draw things out of ourselves as well as others. I think vs. 27 in this chapter  sheds further light on this where we learn that the spirit is the Lord’s lamp which searches our inner being. The Lord gives us even further & clearer revelation on this in 1Cor 2:6-16, culminating in Paul’s wonderful declaration: “we have the mind of Christ”. Paul shows there that we have the mind of Christ by having the Spirit of God & the Scriptures that he has authored & enlightens us to understand. This is what we need to draw out our deep waters as well as those of others.

Now all of this is extremely encouraging to me as I feel so inadequate to help myself & others. These passages also well supplement 2Pt 1:3-6:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

Now that is one pregnant sentence!!!
What great assurances the Lord has given us! We have all we need in him to live a godly life, to make wise decisions & to wisely counsel others.  Listen in as I preach to myself: Your Father’s grace & provision are sufficient; the work & person of your Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient; the Spirit who indwells, counsels & empowers you is sufficient; the Scriptures which are “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” are sufficient to make you “competent, equipped for every good work” (2Tim 3:16,17); the Spirit gifted and empowered church of the living God whose head is Christ is sufficient: so guess what Kirk–good news, & no excuses, you are sufficient!!