WISDOM FOR THE WEEK
Proverbs 2:6- "For the Lord giveth wisdom..."
I firmly believe that life is useless and meaningless without Divine wisdom. God's wisdom is needed to have a proper perspective of life, death, and eternity. The Bible teaches that our human wisdom or worldly wisdom is at best "sensual, earthly, and demonic." God's wisdom- Divine wisdom- is "pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits... (James 3)". With that in mind, let me give you two truths to ponder and to put into practice this week concerning God's wisdom:
I. WE NEED TO POSSESS THE GIFT OF DIVINE WISDOM (2:1-4)
The gift of God's wisdom should be desired by every child of God. It is a gift from Him, but it does us no good if we do not possess it. However, there are definite conditions that must be met to possess this divine gift from God:
A. His Wisdom Must Be Requested (3-4)
Did you know that sometimes in the Christian life, we do without the provisions of God because we do not ask for them (James 4:2)? Notice what Solomon says: we need to "cry out" for discernment and understanding. I love what Jeremiah records in Jeremiah 29. In Jeremiah 29:13, Jeremiah records God as saying, "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with your whole heart." Stop for a moment and recite that verse. Think about the wonderful prospect of that verse. What is it that you are praying about and seeking God's direction for? Is there anything holding you back from searching with your whole heart?
But notice a second thing concerning the possession of Divine wisdom:
B. His Wisdom is to be Researched (4)
The picture is of an eager miner digging for treasure that is to be found in the precious Word of God. Take some time this week and mine for truth and wisdom in the Word of God. Ask God for His wisdom, and then go looking for it in His Word!
II. WE NEED TO PURSUE THE GOAL OF DIVINE WISDOM (5-9)
That is, we should desire to come to the place in our Christian walk where we seek the wisdom of God in every aspect of our life. That is our goal- His wisdom guiding us daily in every way. Why does the Lord offer wisdom? Why does He give wisdom?:
A. To Reveal Himself to His Us (5,9)
When we Request God's Wisdom and dig into His Word to find it, He reveals Himself to us in a wonderful way. Notice what Solomon says here:
1. His Position is Revealed (5)
Only with Divine wisdom do we gain the proper perspective of "the fear of the Lord". Listen, our God is not the "big boss man upstairs"! How irreverent and disrespectful. He is Holy God. He is majestic and marvelous, and we should always reverence Him with humble awe and respect.
2. His Power is Revealed (5)
His Divine wisdom, as it is imparted to us, also reveals to us "the knowledge of God". Think about some of the names of God in Scripture. He is Healer. He is Provider. He is Sustainer. He is Creator. On and on, He Is!
3. His Plans are Revealed (6-9)
Think about the wonderful truths in those verses. Solomon says that God SPEAKS wisdom to us (6). God STORES up sound wisdom in us (7). He SENDS wisdom to us that He might "preserve" our way from danger or peril (8)! What an awesome God we serve.
God not only wants to Reveal Himself to us, but thru giving us Divine wisdom, He also wants to:
B. Reproduce Himself in Us (9)
What is it that God desires to put into us that can only come from Him? Righteousness, justice and equity. In Proverbs 1:3, these same characteristics are in the same order and they refer to a course of action or a consistent way of life. Whew! What a challenge and what a promise. To know, that if I am seeking God's will and wisdom for my life daily, He can reproduce in me some of His wonderful attributes- that is a promise that I want to claim!
I want the world to see, not my righteousness, but His righteousness- because only His righteousness is pure. I want the world to see, not my justice, but His justice- because only His justice is perfect. I want the world to see His equity, not my equity- because only His equity is true!
CONCLUSION
I need God's wisdom in every way. Every way. I challenge you this week to consciously and consistently pray for God's wisdom to saturate and insulate your life. His wisdom can meet any need, any circumstance and any problem that we may encounter. And certainly, as we deal with different people in different situations daily, we desperately need to display His righteousness, His justice and His equity in our response to them!
God bless you this week as you "Point the Way" to Jesus Christ,
Pastor Stuart
Galatians 2:20
(Works Cited: 'Windows of Wisdom'. Stephen F. Olford)