Tag Archives: wisdom

FOUNDATION STONES – 1

Christian Life, ,

WISDOM

God’s Word is like a scratch patch of jewels. As we dig through its treasures, we find priceless stones of wisdom that form the foundation upon which we can safely build our lives.

John saw the new Jerusalem as a city built of gold and precious stones.

Revelation 21:19-20 NIV
[19] “The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20] the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.”

Let’s examine some of these precious stones that secure our lives in wisdom and truth.

The first stone, let’s call it the cornerstone, the stone that holds the whole structure together, is wisdom. What is wisdom?

Wisdom is truth in action.

A simple definition of wisdom…doing what works. It’s is said that a wise person does what works. A fool knows what works but doesn’t do it.

True wisdom comes from God.

Proverbs 2:6 NLT
[6] “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

In Proverbs 8, Solomon paints a comprehensive picture of a person called “Wisdom”.

Wisdom calls people to listen to good judgement and understanding.

Wisdom is available to all people.

Proverbs 8:4 NIV
[4] “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.”

Proverbs 8:6-7, 12 NLT

[6]” Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, [7] for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception….
[12] “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.”

Wisdom is to hate and shun all evil, to speak and to live by the truth,

Proverbs 8:7-8 NIV
[7]”My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. [8] All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.”

Wisdom is of greater value than wealth.

Proverbs 8:10-11 NIV
[10] “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, [11] for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

Solomon sums up the foundation of true wisdom in two statements.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
[10]”Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

Proverbs 8:13 NIV
[13] “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

Only as we hold God in highest reverence and awe, and do as He instructs us, can we learn to think as He thinks and do as He says. This is wisdom, the solid foundation that leads to a safe, happy, and prosperous life.

Wisdom doesn’t guarantee a trouble-free life but it does guarantee God’s presence and favour that will see us through the worst of circumstances to a secure end.

In the New Covenant, wisdom is a person. Jesus is God’s wisdom personified of whom Solomon wrote.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
[30] “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit, God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

God’s wisdom, encapsulated in Jesus and through Him, did everything needed to restore us to fellowship with Him and to reset His eternal plan for mankind.

Isaiah presents the Messiah as the one on whom God’s Spirit will rest… (Hebrew “nuach”, meaning “to settle down”, “remain” or “dwell”).

Isaiah 11:1-3 NIV
[1] A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. [2] The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— [3] and he will delight in the fear of the Lord…”

The Spirit who rested on Jesus at His baptism and accompanied Him throughout His life, death, and resurrection, was the Spirit of “the fear of the Lord”.

When we examine the life of Jesus closely, as recorded in the gospels, we find that His outstanding characteristic was the fear of the Lord. Even as He faced the horror of His impending death, nothing could shift Him from His avowed intention to do the Father’s will.

Psalms 40:7-8 NIV
[7] “Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

To Jesus, to fear the Lord was not only an obligation but a delight. The fear of the Lord was the foundation of His life, providing His meaning, His purpose, and His obedience to the Father’s will. He did nothing without consulting the Father. He and the Father were “joined at the hip” and no effort of His enemies or His arch-enemy could drive a wedge between them.

He could testify with absolute truth…

John 8:29 NIV
[29] “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

If we build our lives on Jesus, our foundation and cornerstone, His wisdom, established on the fear of the Lord, will secure our present and future as we listen, follow and obey Him.

Matthew 7:24-25 NIV
[24] “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Bible Study, ,

How often I have written about the fear of the Lord! The concept still grabs me!

The fear of the Lord or lack underpins all our responses to His dealings with us. It’s a huge subject but one worthy of our constant attention and continued exploration.

“The fear of the Lord” is defined in different ways in Scripture, what it is, what its benefits are, how we learn to fear God, and to where the fear of the Lord leads us. From cover to cover, the Bible advocates the fear of the Lord as the source of wisdom and of life itself.

Proverbs 19:23 NLT
[23″Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.”

For me, a simple definition is in three words, TAKING GOD SERIOUSLY. When we read Paul’s diagnosis of the cause of all the wickedness of ungodly people he concludes with…

Romans 3:18 NLT
[18] “They have no fear of God at all.”

Worldly people do not take God seriously.

Therefore, how we regard God, His Word, and His requirements will determine both the course and the destiny of our lives. There is no such thing as casual or partial fear of the Lord. It’s all or nothing. We either reverence Him and hold Him in such awe and high regard that we accept His authority without question, or we don’t.

A basic attitude of abhorrence towards sin is the starting point in our journey to fear the Lord.

Proverbs 8:13 NLT
[13] “All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”

Why should we hate evil?

Habakkuk 1:13 NLT
[13]”But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.”

God hates evil. He Himself is utterly separate from sin. Sin ruins us and separates us from God. To be holy means that we stand with God in His hatred of anything that contradicts who He is and blocks our approach to Him.

If we don’t hate evil in every shape or form, it simply means that we don’t really believe that God is holy, and that, without holiness no-one will see the Lord.

1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT
[15]”But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. [16] For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Hebrews 12:14 NLT
[14] “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

When we have secured a right attitude in our hearts towards sin, the next step is to soak our minds and hearts in the life of Jesus since He is the embodiment of God’s wisdom. We need wisdom to live in a way that preserves us from the ravages of sin.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
[10]”Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

If we want to live our lives wisely, we must look at Jesus. The fear of the Lord was not only the foundation of His life but His delight.

Isaiah 11:1-3a NIV
[1]”A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

[2] The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— [3] and he will delight in the fear of the Lord….”

In union with Jesus by faith, we have access to the source of all God’s wisdom, through Jesus, who is the key.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
[30]”God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

Colossians 2:2-3 NLT
[2] “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

We have access to all the ramifications of fearing God when we approach Him with an attitude that honours Him above everyone and everything, takes Him seriously, obeys Him implicitly, and trusts Him fully.

Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
[5]” The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. [6] He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

What we need more than the “stuff” worldly people crave, is the knowledge and wisdom to live righteously that pleases God and prepares us for eternity. When we watch and listen to Jesus, hear and obey the Holy Spirit, and walk in the truth, fearing the Lord, we will stay in track for our eternal home.

The steps to the fear of the Lord are simple.

Matthew 11:29 NLT
[29] “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

How can we know that we are living in the fear of the Lord? We will know by our response to God’s tests.

“In school, you’re taught the lesson, then given a test.
In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. ” (quote from Tom Bodett, sourced from Pinterest)

The best example is Abraham’s story in Genesis 22. God tested him by asking him to sacrifice his son. Abraham’s unquestioning obedience earned him this conclusion…

Genesis 22:12 NLT
[12] “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

In the end, whether we fear God or not is judged by one criterion, obedience to His instructions.

Psalms 34:9, 11-14 NLT
[9] “Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need…
[11] Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. [12] Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? [13] Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! [14] Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

Let pray David’s pray with a sincere desire to live daily in the fear of the Lord.

Psalms 86:11 NLT
[11] “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you (fear your name).

GOD’S WORKS AND WAYS

Christian life, ,

GOD’S WORKS AND WAYS

‭Psalms‬ ‭103:7‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.

[7] “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:” NIV

Have you noticed how God differentiated between Moses and Israel when He revealed Himself to them? God gave His people ample evidence of His character through the care He gave them throughout their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land… but they never got it. They failed to connect His works with His ways. Whenever a crisis (test) arose, they forgot everything they had experienced, and sank into misery and complaining.

Moses, on the other hand, slowly gathered titbits of God’s ways as the journey progressed until he formed a faith-picture of God that carried him through many trials.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:27‬ ‭NLT‬
[27] “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”

To the discerning, God’s works lead to an increasing understanding of God’s ways. Faith in God grows as we learn more of His character through His deeds, producing a confidence in God that weathers storms and crises, steadfastly trusting God until our trust
is vindicated.

How tragic that many of God’s people never get past God’s works. They go from one test to another, sometimes the same test, over and over. When the trial hits, they sink back into their insecurity and unbelief. Their faith wobbles and shakes. They go into emotional meltdown until the test is over. Then they fly high on their testimony of God’s goodness… until the next test. Then it’s “another lap around the mountain”, never learning the secret of steadfast faith in an unchanging God.

David understood this principle… God’s works lead us to know God’s ways… and so he prayed,

‭Psalms‬ ‭86:11‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”

The only way we can grow in grace and in the knowledge (can also be translated as “wisdom”) of the Lord Jesus is to seek understanding of His character by the way He deals with us in every situation.

We learn that He is holy by the hardships and discipline we experience when we have wandered away from His Word. We learn that He is good when He answers our prayers and meets our needs. We learn that He is faithful by His unceasing love and presence in our lives.

As we build an understanding of God’s ways through the ups and downs of life, so we grow in confidence and trust in an unchanging, faithful, and reliable Father. When the big crises hit, we are able to stand firm and unshakeable because we know the God who promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!”

Such faith in a faithful God helps us to live by the truth of His Word, responding to Him by applying that truth to our everyday lives. In turn, we honour, respect, and fear Him because He is utterly worthy of our trust.

Now, that’s a recipe for a fruitful life!

IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM!

Bible Study, ,

IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM!

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been His counsellor?

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?“

“For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.

“To Him be glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36.

Could Paul have concluded his presentation of God’s wisdom in any other way than a grand doxology of praise?

How mistaken we are if we think that salvation is all about us! Have you ever wondered why God created Adam and Eve in the first place, knowing full well that they would disobey Him and drag the whole universe into disarray?

This salvation saga goes much farther back than the Garden of Eden. Before God spoke the universe into existence, He created an order of spirit beings called angels (or messengers) who would share His domain of the unseen realm, and worship and serve Him with unceasing praise.

There were different orders and functions of angels; those who worshipped Him around the throne (Isaiah 6); those who carried out His instructions (Psalm 103); warrior angels headed by the archangel, Michael (Daniel 10) and the archangel, Gabriel, God’s special messenger who would later be sent to announce the imminent arrival of Messiah (Luke 1). After the creation of angels, God created the heavens and the earth and the angels celebrated His magnificent work with Him (Job 38).

Lucifer headed the throng of angels who worshipped around the throne. He was the most beautiful (Ezekiel 28) of all the “sons of God” (Job 38) who perpetually celebrated His glory and holiness. However, pride in his beauty crept in (Ezekiel 28) and turned him from a worshipper into a rebel. He had designs on God’s position (Isaiah 14) and lost his place in heaven, taking a third of the angels with him.

God banished him and his minions to the earth (Revelation 12), where he would mount a campaign to discredit God, steal the allegiance of God’s human children and lead them down a path of self-destruction. In spite of His foreknowledge of what would happen, God created the beginnings of a human family with the purpose of revealing Himself to them and winning their love in spite of the devil’s efforts to turn them away from Him.

Why did He do this? Without man’s fall, there was one aspect of the God’s character which remained hidden – His mercy, the weightiest of all His attributes. In the unfolding of His salvation plan which He put in place before the foundation of the world, His mercy is revealed in His rescue of rebellious and undeserving sinners. He purposely created a race of people who could and would choose against Him and then He won them back by His bold plan to send His representative – His own son – to become one of them. Jesus risked the same fate as theirs, eternal death, if He failed to live as a perfect son.

Where the first Adam failed, the last Adam, Jesus, overcame and exposed the devil’s deception. He revealed both the Father’s love and His justice by taking the punishment for sin in Himself and forgiving the sinner. Was there ever a display of mercy like that!

Who taught God wisdom like that? Does He owe us anything? Who but Almighty God could think up a plan so risky and bold and carry it out with such outstanding success? He showed the world that love and mercy are far more powerful than bombs and guns. Only through love could He rebuild and restore what was destroyed through man’s disobedience.

And it’s all about Him!

The hostile forces of darkness were left in no doubt about who was right and who was wrong. Mercy won the day, and the rebel hoards of demons and all the humans who side with them now, await the day of their final judgment; banished from the presence of God then; banished to a place of everlasting darkness and torment when Jesus comes again to complete what He started – God’s eternal kingdom of love and light.

It’s no wonder that Paul recognised, as he worked his way through the wonder of the gospel, that God, alone and above all others, deserves the praise!

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

THE PRAYER OF POWER

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THE PRAYER OF POWER

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better (Eph. 1: 15-17).

Much is spoken and written about the power of prayer, but what about the prayer of power? Paul knew how to pray the prayer of power.

If you were in his shoes, what would you have prayed for these infant Ephesian believers? They had been steeped in superstition, witchcraft and idolatry. They had believed and faithfully adhered to the myths and legends surrounding their beloved Diana, and worshipped her with the fervour of religious devotees.

Suddenly, their world was transformed. When they heard the message of Jesus, which was no myth but the truth, based on historical fact. His life and death had happened within their lifetime, and they embraced the message willingly. But what were they to do with the religious “junk” that had filled their minds from birth?

It was a wonder to Paul that they had believed his message and turned away from their belief in idols and their horrible lifestyle to worship God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He could not stop thanking God for the miracle. Wouldn’t you? But how would they stand up to the pressure of the Roman government? They were the targets of terrible cruelty because they refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord. How could they, not even to save their lives, because they had confessed Jesus as Lord.

Paul could have pleaded with God to protect them from their persecutors, to keep them safe and to “be with them” wherever they were. These are familiar words, aren’t they? We have prayed prayers like this for our friends and family, haven’t we? How powerful is this kind of prayers? The Apostle John wrote:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5: 14-15).

In their circumstances, what do you think God’s will for them would be? To save them from being persecuted? If that were so, why were so many of them put to death, and by cruel torture?

Why did He not stop the persecution and deal with the bloodthirsty Nero who ordered it? Is it not possible that God had a plan, even when man’s plan was to exterminate the believers? A quote from one of the church fathers confirms that persecution did not get rid of the problem but fuelled the flames of evangelism and faith.

The 2nd-century Church Father Tertullian wrote that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church,” implying that the martyrs’ willing sacrifice of their lives leads to the conversion of others.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_martyrs – retrieved December 2015.

The prayer of power does not focus on the comfort or safety of the ones for who we pray. It centres on God and what He desires through the trials we endure. What does He want for His people? Jesus summed up the Father’s desire in His high priestly prayer recorded in John 17.

Now this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17: 3).

Do you think God would answer a prayer like that? Of course, He would because He wants us to know Him and His Son, Jesus. He longs for us to experience Him, His love and His mercy, in the fullest way possible. We can only know Him when we open our hearts to Him and allow Him to reveal Himself to us in and through the circumstances of our daily lives.

Unfortunately, we interpret God through our circumstances, and end up accusing Him of not loving us, of being indifferent or even punishing us for something we may have said or done. He wants us to understand our circumstances through Him and to respond in faith in Him no matter what happens, because He has promised that He will make everything that happens to us work for our good.

When we really know God, when we are willing to trust Him when everything seems dark, when we are convinced that He loves us, no matter what happens, then the trials we face can never destroy us because He has promised that nothing can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus.

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.