"Wisdom Promised and Expected"
God promises wisdom to His trusting children in Christ. He also commands us to believe He will keep His promise regarding His leadership and guidance.
"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. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord" (James 1:5-6).
Solomon echoes this promise and command in Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." No greater peace blesses us in Christ than the promise of a life directed by One whose "understanding is infinite" (Psalm 147:5). We know so very little; He knows all. Wisdom thus decrees that we trust in a guidance beyond ourselves as we acknowledge our great need for the Light that "shineth in darkness" (John 1:5).
Of course, we use our minds as we seek the mind of God. Solomon did not suggest that we completely ignore "thine own understanding". He rather called us to not "lean" on it. We trust the Lord to inform and illuminate our minds as we look to Him. This involves better thinking and better decision making in the use of our mental faculties. The Spirit and Scripture-led believer does not wait for voices or impulses as he seeks the guidance of the Lord. We rather expect the Lord's working in our minds to guide us in knowledge, understanding, and analysis regarding the matters of life. Thereby we make better decisions as our Lord fulfills His promise to provide wisdom, and as we fulfill our calling to expect His faithful provision of wisdom. This is peace, the peace of Divine trustworthiness, and the peace of engaging our God-given mental faculties by the power of God-given grace.
Most of us ask the Lord to lead us as we begin our days. Let us be sure to include the determined choice to believe that He will do so. Our Heavenly Father cannot lie, and He cannot fail to be faithful in fulfilling His promises. He will not disappoint us as His Spirit enables better thinking, better analysis, and better decision making in the hearts and minds of those who "ask of God", and who "ask in faith".
"He that believeth on Him shall not be confounded."
(I Peter 2:6)
Weekly Memory Verse
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
(I John 5:21)
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