“Behold I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart…”  1Kings 3:12

“the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness”  Luke 3:2

There have been many posts on this blog about the Perfect Wisdom and Plans of Our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  It is, of course, vital that we recognize and praise the blessings of the wisdom of God.  Yet we most also understand that wisdom does not stop there.  If we do that , then we are quite possibly missing out on one of the greatest gifts and our ability to make truly amazing impacts in the world around us.  For we can be wise or perhaps it is more accurate to say that we can share in that wisdom as well.  And as we share in that wisdom and share that wisdom with others, the benefits for all are immeasurable.

First, understand that God’s imparting of wisdom is not limited to just certain job titles, genders, or nationalities.  Jesus Christ extols the wisdom and faith of a Roman guard.  Queen Esther shows profound wisdom and she saves her people.  David’s wisdom did not start when he became king, it was imparted to him while still a shepherd.  Second, understand that it is not based on the amount and type of education that we have obtained.  There were scholarly institutions of learning even during ancient times of history.  In the time of Jesus, both the Sadducees and the Pharisees would have received education.  Though they had differing viewpoints, they believed that their learning gave them the wisdom to make judgements about the application of the Law.  To the Jews of the time, those interpretations were to be followed.  Yet we see, time after time, how that earthly wisdom, founded on what would seem to be a solid educational foundation, failed them completely when confronted with the wisdom of Jesus Christ.

So please understand this, I am not making an argument against academia, getting an education or getting several degrees.  In fact the pursuit of those things starts out with a humility that we need to have when we contemplate that wisdom of God.  For very few people, take classes or go for a degree in something they already know everything about.  No, we first say, I don’t know (or know enough) about this subject.  Then we decide this subject is important enough for us to invest time and, very often expense, to learn it.  Where the trouble comes into play is what do we do once we’ve learned it?  How do we feel we should be treated if we are the expert?  After many years of education, can it be that someone knows more than we do; especially if they can not show a greater amount of education?  What should be my return on investment for sharing this great amassed body of wisdom that I have accumulated?  What am I owed?  Who do I give credit to for my wisdom; me for all my hard work?  Jesus Christ knows all too well the folly of, not only the people who hold themselves out as the wise answer givers, but also those who come to them seeking the one true answer because they have so much wisdom.  When the man comes with the fundamental question to Jesus and starts by calling the man Jesus, wise:  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”, Jesus (who as the One True Son of God, unequivocally knows the answer) starts out chastising the man for calling Jesus wise.  Why?  Because the man, in his own mind, was asking another man, a question that truly can only be answered by the wisdom of God.

So where do we go for the kind of earth changing wisdom of a Solomon or a John the Baptist?  We of course start with God.  And as Solomon explains in proverbs, we need to understand that in comparison, our wisdom, will never compare to the wisdom of God.  So we have to come humbly; not as equals having an exchange of ideas, but as those who are completely ignorant and in need of his counsel.  We need to always be checking ourselves as to why we desire the wisdom; is it so we can raise ourselves and our own glory up, or is it to help others and Glorify the Name of our Heavenly Father.  Will we share the wisdom freely with others, having received it freely ourselves?  Finally, will we praise ourselves for having learned or Praise Him who taught us?

In one sense, the wisdom of God is very easy to obtain; all we have to do is ask.  On the other hand it is some of the most difficult wisdom to use; because the world wants to have titles behind names before they will listen, names recognizable by fame, give credit, fame and money to individuals who proclaim their own wisdom and so often these days, give the title of the most wise to those who shout the loudest and the longest.

Think about a group of very humble people.  Some fisherman, one a tax collector and the others we’re not really sure what their occupation or level of learning was.  They were called by Jesus, stayed with Jesus, listened to Jesus, understood how great Jesus was, that he was the Christ.  They prayed and received wisdom by the Grace of the Holy Spirit.  They then went out, not in their names, but in the Name of Jesus Christ and in the Name of the Father and they changed not only their world, but their wisdom echoes down to us this very day.  Be of great and wise cheer today.  God wants to impart that same sort of wisdom to each and every one of us.

May we look to their example and humbly ask and humbly use the wisdom, by Grace, that Our heavenly Father so longs to give us.

Amen