Wednesday, January 24, 2018

When Wisdom Calls

Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Listen as Wisdom calls out!  Hear as understanding raises her voice!  On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads.  By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, “I call to you, to all of you!  I raise my voice to all people.  You simple people, use good judgment.  You foolish people, show some understanding.  Listen to me!  For I have important things to tell you.  Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception.  My advice is wholesome.  There is nothing devious or crooked in it.  My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge.  Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.  For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.  Nothing you desire can compare with it.  “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.  I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.  All who fear the Lord will hate evil.  Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.  Common sense and success belong to me.  Insight and strength are mine.  
Proverbs 8:1-14(NLT)
Wisdom is sometimes hard to define.  Among the synonyms you hear are understanding, knowledge, good judgment, insight, perception, astuteness, intelligence, acumen, prudence, sagacity, and just plain common sense.  And as hard as it may be to give an all-encompassing definition of wisdom, it is safe to say that you’ll recognize wisdom when you see it in action!

I recall a church board meeting many years ago where we discussed the thin financial condition of the church; we debated how to solve the problem long into the night.  One of the members, a successful businessman, had proposed a fund-raising idea that was, shall we say, rather shaky and shady, filled with some rather ethically-murky issues.  Another member, possessor of no college degree or even a high school diploma listened quietly, but I could see the wheels turning behind his solemn expression.

After turning the issue over multiple times, inside-out, upside-down, and making little headway, the successful businessman called for a decision, informing the board if we wanted to keep the church afloat it was now or never!  He further punctuated his firm belief that we must do something by pledging several thousand dollars of his own money to get started.  At that moment the other man, who had little financial means and limited formal education stood and spoke; he said:  Gentlemen, I’ve been coming here since I was a little boy, and I love this here church.  I would hate to see her go under…but I tell you, I’d rather see her go under than to see the church budget get fat and watch our souls sink into hell. 

My friend then sat down and was silent for the rest of the three minutes it took the board to scrap the proposal.  His “speech” was somewhat shorter than Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, and every bit as effective.  It was filled with the kind of Godly wisdom that says you must always strive for success and excellence, but the way you do things is more vitally-important than any success coming from what you do.

Incidentally, the following week we were notified by an attorney that a longtime member who had recently died left the church over $60,000 to be used in any way it was needed to keep the church doing God’s Kingdom work.

Wisdom can evade the possessor of Harvard post graduate degrees, choosing rather to reside in the most humble places.  But one thing can be said about the places you find genuine wisdom:  it never chooses to live where God’s Word is ignored.  Educated or not, you will never be wise unless you honor God.

For You Today

This would be a good moment to reflect on whether wisdom is growing in you; simply and honestly review what your relationship to truth is like.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com

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