Seek Wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:11b-13, "Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."  According to these verses, only the Spirit of God knows the mind of God.  God though, chose to make Himself known, in the person of Jesus, and then, gave us the Holy Spirit to teach, instruct, and give revelation to us concerning spiritual truths.  At the end of Chapter 2 in verse 16, the Word says, "For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"  But we have the mind of Christ."

 Please pray with me, as we seek revelation in His Word.

 Father God,

Humbly, we come to You today seeking Your truth, revelation, knowledge and wisdom.  We thank You for sending Your Spirit to teach us.  Open our minds and hearts to receive from Your Spirit.  Impart Your wisdom and understanding to us today, so that we would better love, worship, and serve You.  We ask this for Your glory and honor.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

 Today, we are going to consider the meaning of the word 'wisdom' as used in the Scriptures.  The Lord said of Solomon, "I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. (1 Kings 3:12).  We will begin our study today by looking at what Solomon said about wisdom.

 Proverbs 4:5-9, "Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal( first, chief) thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you."  This passage strongly encourages us to get wisdom, for wisdom, preserves us, promotes us and will bring us honor.

 Proverbs 2:4 and 5, "If you seek her (wisdom) as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."  If we seek wisdom as we would a hidden treasure, we will be able to discern and understand the fear of the Lord and attain the discernment and understanding of God.

 Psalm 111:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever."  Having respect, reverence, piety (fear) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  If we obey His commandments, we will have good understanding and insight.

 Proverbs 8:10 and 11, "Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her."  According to these verses, wisdom is invaluable!  There is absolutely nothing that exists that holds more value - not choice gold, silver, nor rubies.

 We discover in the following verses that there are two sources of wisdom in the world.

James 3:13-17, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."  In these verses, James reveals that the sources of wisdom are worldly, earthly, or demonic and divine (from above).  In verses 16 and 17, he contrasts the resulting by-products from each source.  In view of these verses, it is important that we understand the Biblical definition of wisdom so that we will be sure we have chosen to live by God's wisdom.

 The most used Greek word for 'wisdom' in the New Testament is the word, sophia (sof-ee-ah).  It means: practical wisdom, prudence, comprehensive insight, Christian enlightenment, a right application of knowledge, and insight into the true nature of things.

In the Old Testament, the most used Hebrew word for 'wisdom' is chokmah.  Chokmah in the moral sense, refers to skills of living correctly.  Biblical wisdom unites God, the Source of all understanding, with daily life, where the principles of right living are put into practice.  Then, according to Webster's Dictionary, 'wisdom' is the power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge and understanding.

 Wisdom, like any other gift or attribute given by the Spirit, must first be accepted by the receiver.  Secondly and as important, the one who receives the gift or attribute, must choose to use  or walk in it appropriately.

  Looking back at Solomon, we find he chose to not totally walk in the wisdom that God had given him. We see this recorded in 1 Kings 11:1-6, "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites-- 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David."

 God's Word says, "My people perish for a lack of knowledge."  Many have lost the knowledge that there are two sources of wisdom for those of us on the planet.  I believe this lack, of understanding the difference between these two sources of wisdom, will cause many to be deceived in the last days.  Many men and women today are choosing to follow the earthly, sensual, or demonic wisdom that comes from their father, the devil.  They are making decisions based not only on worldly wisdom but also their own wisdom and agenda.  Some see themselves as their own god.  Walking in God's wisdom is a choice that each one of us must make, daily.

 The only true source of wisdom is God.

Colossians 3:1-4, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

Romans 11:33-36, " Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?" 35 "Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?" 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."

 1 Corinthians 1:23-25, "but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

 Paul prayed for believers to receive the spirit of wisdom from God:

Ephesians 1:17, " that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,"

 Colossians 1:9, "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding"

 Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

 When we don't have the wisdom we need, James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."  God's desire is that we live in His wisdom.  He gives it liberally and without reproach.

 We have many in our world today who proclaim they have great knowledge from education, scientific research, or years of experience.  However, this is the truth -  All the knowledge in the world is worthless, unless tempered by wisdom - not man's wisdom, not worldly wisdom, but by God's wisdom.