Life Matters - February 28, 2024
“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalms 19:7) That is a very encouraging word to naturally simple folks like myself. I also love James 1:5 where we are promised, “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.” So… all we naturally simple folk have to do is mouth a request for wisdom and He gives it, right? Well… we are given this caution; “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” ( verses 6-8) Context matters and the context here, of the ‘’lacking’’ asking for wisdom, is carried through to the warning of not wavering in our search for wisdom.
But then, in our search for wisdom, are we not wise upon receiving it? And no longer able to receive more because we no longer lack wisdom, which is a prerequisite for asking in the first place? Or does He speak of a circumstantial wisdom, or lack of it, where we have no innate guiding principles, or principle, to guide us through each day and must approach each circumstance with no wisdom, or at least denying that which we may have, in order to receive that higher wisdom that comes from God only?
That scenario; of God giving wisdom to those who lack, but then saying to receive wisdom we must be lacking it, creates an impossible dichotomy from a strictly human perspective, does it not? But from God’s perspective, as recorded in His Holy Word, it all makes perfect sense as He tells us, through the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:30, that “Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.’’
Jesus promised to indwell us, to make His abode in us by His Holy Spirit—the Comforter that He would send in His absence. It follows then that wisdom (wisdom from above, that is, as all true wisdom originates from God) is for those in whom Christ dwells. It also follows that we must be the lacking, as in the flesh, and be wise in the Spirit at the same time, as we live in the reality of denying fleshly “wisdom” which is “earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:15-16) and continually ask for and receive the alternative. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (verses 17-18)
Having knowledge that we should be the above is not enough, but true wisdom is the Godly application of knowledge. Christ indwelling each believer is the secret of Christian strength.
Let us not overlook this secret as we face today, tomorrow, and all the tomorrows we have left on this beleaguered globe with inhabitants so culpable in spreading the devil’s lies. We are made for another world. As Adrian Rogers put it: “No man is ever ready for life until he is no longer afraid of death.” That is for those with a present fear of God in our hearts for there are also those who have ‘’no fear of God before their eyes.’’ (Romans 3:18) We need to be in touch with eternal realities in order for this type of courage to be given us.
As I lay on a hospital bed in Sioux Falls in the fall of 2011, immobilized by brain and nerve damage, I asked the Lord: why? Why did you let me go? Allow me to fall? A 12-foot slide then 22 feet to the ground. Why Lord? I don’t have time for this. I’m 51 years old and still raising children: why? My sons need me: why? The business still needs me: why? The church…who will pastor the church? Why Lord? Why?
I then had a sense that the whys would drive me crazy…I would lose my mind. The whys would lead to self-pity, leading to anger, leading to bitterness, leading to discouragement and eventually depression. And then… I didn’t know… nor did I want to find out...
In anguish, I surrendered. I told the Lord “I don’t understand why, I may never understand why, but I’m going to trust You anyhow.’’ Then I prayed desperately for courage. And God gave, He answered my prayer. 12 ½ years later I still say it’s the best commitment I could’ve made, and to this day, as I’ve struggled to regain what I’ve lost, I haven’t had a day of discouragement. Temptations, yes, but with the temptation there is always a way of escape as I pray (God answers quickly) until courage flows into me and I sense His quickening Spirit accompanied by peace in my heart and mind. Often my feet even tingle with excitement. God is always good. He makes wise the simple.
Life Matters!