Good morning. As we begin a new work week, I would like to have us consider the topic of the wisdom of God. We speak quite often about wisdom, but generally it is about the wisdom that we are able to gain and the differences between such heaven-sent wisdom and mere knowledge. I believe that the best way we can understand wisdom is to consider it at its source: God.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and untraceable his paths! Romans 11:33
God, and His wisdom, are greater than our abilities to comprehend it. But praise be to our Father in heaven, He gives to us from the wealth of His wisdom as much as we are able to experience and understand.
I am not sure when or where I heard the following, although I know it was quite a long time ago, but I believe what was said is very true: “The wisdom of God tells us that God will bring about the best possible results, by the best possible means, for the most possible people, for the longest possible time.” Run that statement through your mind for a moment. Give it some careful thought, and please consider whether there may be times when you have either doubted the truth of it, or at least circumvented the truth of it due to your confidence in your personal plans and ideas. The truth of the wisdom of God must first of all be recognized by accepting that His will and way are the best. Any deviation from that which is the best will have unfortunate consequences.
We are commanded to “meditate” upon the Word of God in order to gain its’ wisdom. As I mentioned in yesterday’s sermon message, meditation, from the view of historical Jewish understanding, is akin to the process of a sheep’s digestion. A sheep pulls up the grass and swallows it. Then, in time, it pushes that partly digested material out and into another stomach. This is repeated until the grass or other food is fully “processed.” I know…“ick.” But think about this as it relates to meditation: We “consume God’s Word, and then we “digest it” for a while. In time, we push it along to another area of our mind/heart/spirit and “digest” it again in that other area. We repeat this process until the greatest value has been achieved and we are able to absorb the full blessing and nourishment God intended for us. That is the process of meditation upon the Word of God. Consider Psalm 1:1-3 for understanding the value of meditating on God’s word to gain His Wisdom:
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
The Book of Proverbs is a book that is directed to sharing the wisdom of God with us in practical, every-day usage kinds of ways. It reveals God’s wisdom, but it does so in ways that we can easily relate to our lives and the lives of our children. What does the Book of Proverbs tell us about the quality and intentions of the wisdom of God? It tells us that God’s wisdom is infinite, and that it is functional. To be sure, God’s wisdom regarding the scope and the function of the universe is well beyond us. But in His love for us, God gives us words of wisdom to help us live our lives functionally and righteously.
To truly understand the wisdom of God, or for me to adequately explain it to you, we would have to fully understand the mind of God. I am not up to that, and neither are you. God gives us what we need and tells us that finding, accepting, and applying His wisdom in the measure that He shares it is critically important to us as we endeavor to live lives that please Him.
I do know this: the wisdom of God that He imparts to us is awesome, it is wonderful, it is beautiful, and it is ours to the level that we are capable of taking it in. Praise God for sharing with us His wisdom!
Vern