Aug2006

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August, 2006 Bible Mini-Study

God’s Gift of Wisdom

“For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright, he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Proverbs 2:6-10 RSV

If we are depending only on the wisdom of the world and are not seeking and listening for God’s wisdom, we are setting ourselves up for more trouble in life than is necessary. Wisdom is greater than knowledge. To have knowledge means that we possess certain facts. We can have knowledge and not know how to apply it. God’s wisdom gives us the ability to apply our knowledge at the right time in the right way to work for the benefit of all.

We can have a graduate degree from a university and still be a failure in living. For the most part, we are aware of what our problems are. But our knowledge does not help us when we are hampered emotionally or our motivation (willpower) is not strong enough to act as we know we should. God’s wisdom helps us to understand what is happening at deeper levels and to act accordingly.

Our perceptions of life are limited by our upbringing, environment and personal weakness. So we do not always see our circumstances clearly and we do not know what the future holds. But we do not have to struggle with our problems by ourselves. God works in perfect knowledge and He promises to share His wisdom with us!

For years I thought I was a problem‑solver and decision‑maker. But I had not learned to seek God's wisdom before I tried to solve a problem or make a decision. What a difference it has made! It takes discipline for me to remember to seek His wisdom and a willingness to accept His guidance. Regardless of how big or small our problem is, God can reveal to us what we need to know.

The wisdom of God is different from the wisdom of the world. Worldly wisdom can be harmful, especially when people think they need to be aggressively clever. Worldly wisdom can be selfish, manipulative or condescending. The wisdom that comes from God is peaceable, creative and merciful. (James 3:17) The apostle Paul declared,

“We speak God’s secret wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. . .No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” I Corinthians 2:7, 9-10

God enables us to see two kinds of reality; the visible and invisible. Everything in the visible realm was formed by the invisible wisdom of God. (Hebrews 11:3) So what we see does not represent all that is happening. Neither the human eye nor ear can perceive the invisible realm (spiritual reality). But we need not be limited by our humanity. We can only see 3,000 stars with the naked eye. Yet with the proper equipment, we are able to see billions of stars. God gives us His Holy Spirit to understand and experience invisible, spiritual reality. (I Corinthians 2-11-12)

God shares His deepest wisdom with us through His Spirit. Nothing is hidden from the Spirit and no one can understand the mysteries of God better than the Spirit of God. The wonderful thing is that God fully and generously makes Himself known to us through His Spirit. It is practical wisdom because the Holy Spirit searches our hearts and understands our needs.

There is an old Chinese proverb which says, "The closed fist receives nothing." Neither can the closed mind nor heart. So much depends upon our attitude toward learning. If we don't think we need to learn anything, God certainly isn't going to force His wisdom upon us. If we are eager to know Him, God will not fail to reveal Himself to us. (Hebrews 11:6)

God's wisdom comes to me in several ways; when I am silent and listening in prayer, when I am reading the Scriptures, or during public worship. It is sometimes impressed upon me through my children, a friend or counselor, or a circumstance when I have the feeling “that was meant for me to understand and apply.” These are inner promptings. (Psalm 16:7, Jeremiah 33:3 and Isaiah 30:21).

Anything I am facing in life, regardless of how big or small I think it is, God is waiting to give me His wisdom on the matter. But I cannot ask for God's wisdom and proceed with the first thought that enters my mind. I need to test my inner promptings against the word of God and against my highest aspirations for good. I have to be as careful as possible that I am not determined to act on my own desires. And I try to remember not to ask at a time when exhaustion, illness, anger or fear is clouding my discernment.

To check our inner promptings, we can ask ourselves, "Will this build up faith and life or weaken it?" "Will it keep my life in order and balance?" "Will it reflect the life of Christ within me?" "Will it bring glory to God?"

God is truth, therefore we are to walk in His wisdom revealed by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). Are you willing to spend a few minutes each day asking specifically for God’s guidance? Are you open to whatever His answer may be?" Are you checking your reasoning against your highest aspirations for good according to the Scriptures?"

God always wants to improve the quality of our lives and those we love. He may want us to assess our priorities, our time commitments, our relationships and our family or financial responsibilities. God will give us more light as long as we keep acting on the light we have!

A Thought to Ponder

Am I too busy or preoccupied with something and it is keeping me from seeking God’s wisdom?

What can I do about it?

Suggestion for Prayer-Listening

Lord, Jesus, is there a relationship or circumstance where I need your wisdom to understand how I should proceed?

Suggestion for Meditation

Place your name in the blank space and meditate slowly on the following proverbs:

“Listen, ______________, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go, guard it well, for it is your life.” Proverbs 4:10-13

“_____________, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words, do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.” Proverbs 4:20-22

Encouragement for Leaders

Jesus depended on his prayerful fellowship with His Father to guide Him in His life’s work. He listened for His Father’s wisdom before He spoke. Jesus went further. He said, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather it is the Father living in me who is doing His work.” (John 14:10b) If we will invite the growth of His kingdom (His indwelling presence), we will see the fruit of the vine (John 15:4) that is part of the prophetic word of Habakkuk:

“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5)