A new year has begun, and one thing is certain: we cannot be certain of what the future holds.
Life has a way of throwing a curve ball…bringing the unexpected. Few things will be more important than having God’s wisdom for every decision we will face and each choice we’ll make.
Thankfully, God doesn’t want His wisdom to be a mystery. He makes it available through the promise of the Father, the product of the Spirit, the presence of the Savior, the pursuit of the Scripture, and the prayer of the saint. In this first part, we’ll look at the first three aspects of discovering God’s way to health, wealth, and wisdom.
The Promise of the Father
What would you do if you had one wish? Solomon was offered exactly that when God appeared to him one night and said, “Ask what I shall give thee” (2 Chronicles 1:7). Solomon could have asked for anything: health or wealth, for example, or power over his enemies. But he told God he wanted wisdom.
It took humility to make that request. God answered that not only would Solomon have wisdom, but he would also have wealth and power in abundance. Why? Because Solomon didn’t ask for them. He asked for what was essential.
We read two wonderful verses about the wisdom God poured abundantly upon Solomon in 1 Kings 4:29-30.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 0And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
You need great wisdom for your life, as well. You say, “Well, that was Old Testament, and that was Solomon. God won’t grant that kind of wisdom to me.” God is no respecter of persons. Look at this New Testament verse:
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. James 1:5-6
The writer of Hebrews enlarges on this point:
6But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Can the wisdom you need be yours? If you believe the Promise of the Father, it can. Begin to pray 1 Kings 4:29-30 and personalize it: “Father, give me wisdom and understanding exceeding much…even as the sand on the sea shore.”
The Product of the Spirit
In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Wisdom, not the Spirit of Knowledge. There’s a difference. Knowledge can be attained without the Spirit, but true wisdom has only one source, one Teacher.
Knowledge is good. But it is learned, while wisdom is given. Knowledge is the product of studying; wisdom is the product of meditation, the application of knowledge. Without wisdom, knowledge is little more than splendid ignorance.
In the Old Testament another word related to wisdom is the word skill. The workmen who built the Temple were given the Spirit of Wisdom or the Spirit of Skill. The terms are almost interchangeable. Wise living is about living skillfully, making the most of your life by becoming an artist with the canvas and palette you’re given when God places you on this earth. You live artfully, with skill.
It’s possible to have a tremendous palette of paints and not know where to put the colors. A head full of knowledge does not imply wisdom!
The Presence of the Savior
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:20-21
Think about this statement by Paul very carefully. It means that God is too wise to let us know about Him through our own wisdom. Instead, He reveals Himself to us in His own perfect way through His Son. Paul continues:
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (vv. 23‑24)
Christ turns the world’s wisdom upside down. Wisdom is there for everyone. It begins with the promise of the Father, is the product of the Spirit and comes by the presence of the Savior, Jesus Christ — the power and wisdom of God. He enters our hearts, seizes our minds, and shows us what it truly means to be wise.
Next time, we’ll look at the other two aspects of God’s Way to Health, Wealth, and Wisdom.
