Seeking His Face:

"Father, you are holy...completely perfect in all your ways.  Would you grant me your perfect wisdom today?  I thank you for it, in Jesus name, AMEN."

Holding His Hand

An angel appears at a faculty meeting and tells the dean that in return for his unselfish and exemplary behavior, the Lord will reward him with his choice of infinite wealth, wisdom or beauty. Without hesitating, the dean selects infinite wisdom.

"Done!" says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning. Now, all heads turn toward the dean, who sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. At length, one of his colleagues whispers, "Say something."

The dean looks at them and says, "I should have taken the money." (Betsy Devine and Joel E. Cohen, Absolute Zero Gravity, Simon & Schuster)

     Though cute, that story reveals the complete lack of understanding the true wisdom of God and how incredibly valuable it is.  Many of those who suddenly inherit or win millions lose them in a few short years.  Why?  Because the same lack of understanding, discipline and wisdom that kept them for many years without money is the same lack they have when they gain it…and leads them back to square one. 

     One person said, “Experience comes from what we have done. Wisdom comes from what we have done badly.”  (Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School)  We can all relate, but what if we could bypass doing things badly (which the Bible calls foolishly)?

     You are learning about the All Sufficient God this week.  Everything that you need is found through your relationship with Jesus Christ.  One of the things we need that God has no lack of is wisdom.  What is wisdom?  Two great church leaders have defined it this way:

• “In the Holy Scriptures wisdom, when used of God and good men, always carries a strong moral connotation. It is conceived as being pure, loving, and good.… Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture. Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is thus able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision.” (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1961), p. 66.)
•  “Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it. Wisdom is, in fact, the practical side of moral goodness. As such, it is found in its fullness only in God. He alone is naturally and entirely and invariable wise.” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 80.)

     Let’s be honest, we all basically want the same things: security, to give and receive love, friendship, protection, provision, to live at our full potential and to be respected by others.  God wants to give us those things, but we have to trust his all sufficient Word and Spirit in order to gain them.  In other words, since wisdom is the “surest means of attaining” the best and highest goals for my life, then the only One who can truly get me there is God.

     Why?  God is the Creator.  He understands the most efficient, practical and morally good way to achieve the highest needs of our lives because he created everything that exists.  He is also All Knowing: there are no details that he misses.  He has all the information to make the best decision to accomplish every goal. 

• Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28).
• For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.  For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
• Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my good news and the preaching of Jesus Christ…according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, [leading] to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).

     What is the best way to raise your children?  Should you borrow money to buy that new car or save up for it?  What school should your children attend?  What church is best for my family?  What is the best way to have a relationship that lasts forever?  What is the surest means to get someone to love you and respect you?  How can you have friendships that are strong and lasting?  How can you become more spiritual?  More disciplined?

     I have GOOD NEWS for you today.  Every good thing that God has planned for your life is within reach.  It is attainable and accessible…through the unlimited extraordinary wisdom of God.

How?  It begins with a simple prayer:

• But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8).

     That simply means God will give you the wisdom you need, if you are committed to following it.  The issue is:  will you trust his wisdom (“let him ask in faith”), even when your wisdom seems to be better?  When you refuse to follow the pure clear wisdom of God you will live an unstable life-up and down- never reaching the great and lofty goals that both you and the Lord have for your life.

How will you recognize it?

• But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)

Why not ask today? Then begin reading the book of Proverbs one chapter per day for 31 days.  You will see your wisdom increase dramatically!

Sharing His Heart:

You are learning that God is and has everything that you need for life.  The more you share God's heart that you learn here, the more real it becomes to you.  Be open to share with another person a nugget of wisdom that they might need.