Monday December 9th

Wisdom


I remember years ago seeing a Christmas bumper sticker on the back of a car which said ' Wise men seek Him still'     It made me smile.  

Yesterday, having spent some time with a very wise friend, I got to wondering what wisdom actually is.   Its not common sense.  And its not intelligence.  Its hard to describe really , but when you see it in action you know it.    My best attempt at describing it would be to say its an ability to see through the complexities of issues and people and get right to the heart of an issue, seeing the roots and knowing how to then interpret and explain that understanding.
The Bible has a massive amount to say about wisdom.  It seems to be a very important issue to God.  The book of Proverbs is full of it,  and the Old Testament makes it clear that following the commandments and statutes of God is wisdom ( See Deut 4 amongst many others)

The New Testament makes it clear that there are two types of wisdom - earthly wisdom ( that's the common sense/intelligence sort which can be easily corrupted by wrong motives and  misinformation) and heavenly wisdom.   Its good to be wise in earthly terms - using your intelligence and common sense is definitely going to be of help in life.   But Godly wisdom is  a whole other ball game

Luke 2 52  says that Jesus increased in wisdom as a young man.  So He didnt just have a divine download of all of the wisdom of God just because He was the Son of God.   He had to grow in it - develop it - learn it perhaps?   This is interesting.  Because if Jesus had to grow in wisdom then there is nothing more certain than that we too will have to do just that!

My wise friend is 89 years old.   She has spent decades in the word of God and the presence of God.  She talks to Him daily and listens to His voice.  She is a true worshipper and has also led a fascinating and interesting life.  She has learned from her experiences and has been careful to try to live to the best of her ability in accordance with God's rule.   I suppose it's not surprising that she is wise.   Her greatest wisdom has been to love God her entire life.

Lord at this time of the year we think about wise men coming from the East to seek you out and worship you.   I pray that this Christmas as we seek you out to worship you we would increase in that wisdome which comes from above.   Give us wisdom to make peace, wisdom to bring freedom that we may be a blessing to those around us and a signpost to You.