Standing Firm

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. [1 Corinthians 16:13]

Biblical TeachingsChanges to Make 2024 The Best Year EverPodcast Episode

Find Wisdom and Understanding

Cathy

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. [Proverbs 3:13-14]

I just love this verse, JOYFUL is the person who finds wisdom and understanding. That one statement is so powerful.

This is a continuation of the 15 things to make 2024 our best year ever. Today we are going to be talking about developing our minds! Typically, when people talk about developing our minds it’s recommended that we do this through reading books or listening to people that are where we want to be.

Well, I can’t think of any better way to develop our minds than seeking WISDOM from the Word of God. As we know from Romans 12:2 as a believer we are constantly to be in the Word so that we can change the way we think and continue to transform our minds.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. [Romans 12:2]

I have a feeling there are so many benefits of seeking biblical wisdom that we may not be able to even count them.

What got me thinking about being more diligent about seeking wisdom is that God honors those who seek HIS wisdom. Now remember we must be seeking wisdom with the right intentions from the heart and not for personal glorification or gain; and what is awesome is God knows our heart, our thoughts, and our motives.

I was reading 2 Chronicles as part of our daily Bible reading assignment.  If you remember the story about King Solomon, God came to him one night and told him to ask for whatever he wanted, and I will give it to you. Solomon had a chance to have whatever he wanted, and he wisely asked for wisdom.

7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!

8 Solomon replied to God, You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. 

9 O Lord God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! 

10 Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?

11 God said to Solomon, because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people

12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!

This is powerful and it struck a chord with me because, in my pea brain, it seems if I have biblical wisdom everything else in my life will follow this wisdom and fall into place.

You will see throughout many scriptures that wisdom and understanding are paired together, like peanut butter and jelly!

The dictionary defines wisdom: an understanding of what is true, right, or lasting. The quality of having experience, knowledge, common sense, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. The soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

The dictionary defines understanding as the quality of comprehension; and discernment. The faculty by which one understands, intelligence. Individual or specified judgment or opinion; interpretation. A reconciliation of differences. An agreement reached between two or more persons or groups.

Knowledge is just information. You can program knowledge into a computer, but it can’t comprehend it. A computer can perform tasks, but there isn’t any understanding in a computer. It can tell you there is a discrepancy in the account, but it can’t tell you if that is by fraud or by mistake. Only a person can understand that. Then it would take a person with wisdom to know what to do with that knowledge.

It appears that understanding is the ability to comprehend knowledge, and wisdom is the application of that understanding to everyday life.

Biblical wisdom is the capacity to recognize what is true, right, or lasting and to put that understanding into practice in your daily lives. It is also a divine gift that is granted by God whenever any believer asks.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. [James 1:5]  

Obtaining wisdom has always been one of my priorities, but going forward I am going to be intentionally asking the Lord to continue to give me wisdom.

So, with this in mind let’s dig into some scriptures and find at least 20 reasons why we should seek wisdom.

Talking about wisdom and looking up scriptures on wisdom could be a lifelong topic. So, I’m going to do my best to narrow it down without going on too many rabbit trails and making this too long. But please note as soon as we open the book of proverbs it’s a gold mine! So, I’m going to stay with just this one verse on Proverbs and then go on to others. [I will start a series of studies of the book of Proverbs starting later this month or in May].

WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING = JOY

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. [Proverbs 3:13-14]

Wisdom will bring us happiness. Think about this the lack of happiness is a sign of a lack of wisdom, not out-of-balance brain chemicals or hormones. Having wisdom is better than any financial gain. If we have wisdom, then financial blessing will come. But if we have financial blessings without wisdom, our money will go away.

TRUE WISDOM COMES FROM GOD

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. [James 3:13-17]

This is a great passage to show the stark difference between worldly wisdom vs biblical wisdom. The world’s so-called wisdom will bring jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting, and lying. There will always be disorder and evil with this type of wisdom. Hello, take a look at our current world, the government, and what is honored now in today’s society.

However, when we seek God’s wisdom and understanding the first distinction is that it’s PURE. This is the effect it will have on a person’s heart and mind vs the purity of the doctrine. Most strife and even wars have been waged under the guise of purity of doctrine, violating the other characteristics of godly wisdom listed in this verse. But godly wisdom purifies the mind and heart of the person who possesses it.

Biblical wisdom also will bring peace and gentleness. This wisdom allows us to show grace to others and allows us to help anyone in need. This type of wisdom allows us to sincerely love and serve anyone regardless of who they are.

BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. [Matthew 7:24-27]

I don’t know about you, but I want a rock-solid foundation – and the Lord tells us we will be wise if we follow what His Word says! This solid foundation will help us to stand firm and NOT be deceived by what the world and the devil are going to try to throw at us.

Most people are taking the path that demands the least effort, with no thought of the future. They are building their foundation on sand because it’s much harder to put a foundation in rock. Sadly, as Matthew 7:14 says few find the narrow way that leads to life. Because we live in this world, trouble will come our way. However, ONLY those that are rooted and grounded in God’s Word will continue to stand.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 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. [1 Corinthians 1:26-30]

This passage is not saying that those who are well-educated and successful by the world’s standards, what Paul was saying here is that not many were called to have God’s wisdom.

Paul was probably one of the smartest people of his day. He was educated by one of the greatest leaders of the Jews; he spoke Greek and Hebrew fluently; and others readily recognized his training. This also doesn’t mean only ignorant people come to the Lord. Most of the time those who are wise and respected in the eyes of the world are swelled up with pride and depend on their own abilities. Those who have plenty of talents and abilities have plenty to give up. Those who have nothing and know it, find it easier to transfer all their dependency to the Lord. It took Paul at least fourteen years of intensively seeking the Lord to make the transition.

Basically, this is saying God usually does things the opposite way the world does. People of the world would always choose the “cream of the crop” to represent their interests to others, whereas God does the opposite.

As a believer our new birth doesn’t just produce a changed life but an exchanged life. That is to say, the Lord doesn’t make our flesh wise, righteous, sanctified, or redeemed. Instead, He becomes our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

The Christian life is not just difficult to live; it is impossible to live through our own ability. It is only when we choose to become that living sacrifice and we cease to operate in our carnal selves, can Jesus live through us!

For those who depend on their own intellect to figure out the direction for their lives will always make mistakes. The proper way for us as believers to act is to humble ourselves and ask God for direction. Then the wisdom of Christ within them will come out, and He will direct their paths.

Our bodies and souls are not yet redeemed, but our spirits are. Jesus lives in the spirits of believers, and all His wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption are available to us if we depend on Him instead of on our own abilities, our own wisdom, and our own understanding.

WHY WE SHOULD SEEK BIBLICAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

  1. Biblical wisdom and understanding will give us joy.
  2. Biblical wisdom and understanding are more profitable than silver.
  3. Biblical wisdom and understanding pay more than gold!
  4. Biblical wisdom and understanding are absolutely pure.
  5. Biblical wisdom and understanding are peace-loving.
  6. Biblical wisdom and understanding are always gentle.
  7. Biblical wisdom and understanding are full of mercy.
  8. Biblical wisdom and understanding are the fruit of good deeds.
  9. Biblical wisdom and understanding never show favoritism.
  10. Biblical wisdom and understanding are always sincere.
  11. Biblical wisdom and understanding will give us a rock-solid foundation.
  12. Biblical wisdom and understanding will give us the ability to STAND FIRM.
  13. Biblical wisdom and understanding have provided us with an exchanged life.
  14. Biblical wisdom and understanding have allowed us to become righteous.
  15. Biblical wisdom and understanding have made us sanctified and redeemed through Jesus Christ.
  16. Biblical wisdom and understanding have made us right with God.
  17. Biblical wisdom and understanding through Jesus have made us pure.
  18. Biblical wisdom and understanding through Jesus have made us holy.
  19. Biblical wisdom and understanding through Jesus have freed us from sin.
  20. Biblical wisdom and understanding allow Jesus to become our wisdom.

JOB SPEAKS OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

Job 28:1-27

People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock.

They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore.

They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.

Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire. Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold.

These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon’s eye observe. No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there.

People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures.

But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?

No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. It is not here,’ says the ocean. Nor is it here, says the sea.

It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver. It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.

Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it.

The price of wisdom is far above rubies. Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold.

But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?

It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.

Destruction and Death say, we’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.

God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens.

He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning.

Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity.

The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.

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