Wisdom is Calling You

Wisdom is Calling You

Proverbs 1:20 – Wisdom cries without, she utters 

her voice in the streets.

    God offers His wisdom to all people, regardless of their station or status in life. It is available to all, but its procurement is conditional. Wisdom is offering herself to us but, like a beautiful, secure woman, she doesn’t chase after love, fishing for compliments, she waits to be pursued and chased after. The Wisdom of God does not randomly or erratically fall on people, it is given only to the hungry. Do you and I truly desire wisdom? Whatever we desire is what we will pursue, in fact, the pursuit is the evidence of desire. We may say that we want wisdom, but it does not come to lazy and lethargic people; it does not come to dreamers who sit down and put their feet up and merely hope for a better day.

    Wisdom cries and that cry must be responded to. The cry of hunger and the cry of humility must come up out of us to meet the cry of wisdom; indeed, the deep and hidden longings of God are crying out to the deep and hidden longings of man. The supply of wisdom in God’s heart is calling out to the need for wisdom in man’s heart.

    Wisdom cries without; which means it cries from outside of us. We do not have it internally, or naturally, it is separate from us and we must go get it. It is outside of our natural ability to produce true wisdom. Sometimes people in business might say that they need outside help; meaning that they need someone else to come from outside the organization and give an impartial perspective. Wisdom is just like that in that it is an uninfluenced and separate power being offered from an outside source.

    If it is not randomly given, then, who gets the wisdom? Those who hunger and seek for it. Those who are humble enough to realize that they need it. Those who desire it and are determined to acquire it. Those who make it a life-long quest. They are the ones who will benefit from the wise insight of the Almighty.

Are you and I included in that class of rare people who have enough humility and sense to know that they need higher wisdom? Are we that kind of people who intensely hunger for this wisdom and seek it out at the only true source? Wisdom is calling, are we answering the call?

Are You the Author?

1 Corinthians 14:46 - What? Came the word of God out from you? Or, came it unto you only?

    Human nature has not changed since the beginning of time or, shall we say, at least since the fall of Adam. That is why the Scriptures are continually current. God's word will never be out of date because it simply states things as they are, and its’ true principles always correlate to our circumstances and our condition. It has been said that we do not actually read the Bible, it reads us. The word of God cuts through all the facade of our self-confident arrogance and self-imposed ignorance and pierces the heart with truth.

    In Paul's letters to the Corinthians, we learn much about human nature and certain tendencies which are our collective and continual struggle today, as well. If we read and study closely, and listen with humility, we can gain wisdom and avoid falling into the same traps as they did.

    The Corinthians had many problems, but one major recurring nuisance was the issue of pride. Paul, in his distinctive fashion, deals directly with the trouble like a surgeon with a scalpel cutting out cancer and his words apply very fittingly to us today.

    Paul uses questions to shock them and arouse thought; What? He seems surprised and almost appalled. What? How dare any of you to think this way. How audacious. How impudent. You obviously have a short memory as it was only a few years ago that I came to you bearing the Word of God. Have you forgotten? All parents understand the use of this question. What? What did you do? What did you say? What were you thinking?

    How arrogant of us to imagine that the Word of God originated with us, or that we are somehow more special than others, but isn't that exactly what we do when we portray ourselves as the only group that is being used of God to reach people and bring about change in our land? Now, granted, we do not vocalize that terminology because we know that to speak that way would be the peak of self-exaltation, however, we certainly do imply these things in the way and the manner which we conduct ourselves. The message is received loud and clear without verbalizing it. We are the ones among whom the revelation has come. We are the ones whom God has entrusted with this message and we have been chosen for His use. We might not say it but, by that attitude, we look down our noses at our poor brothers who obviously do not have the light. Apparently, they simply are not able to receive the truth that we have been entrusted with.

    To believe that the Word of God has come out from us only, would be as ridiculous as believing that the alphabet originated with us. No, the alphabet is a gift from God to us and it is the building blocks with which we build. We did not create it and we cannot assume authorship of it. The raw materials are God's, in fact, He is the Alpha and Omega; He is the alphabet. There are no other letters that exist, we don’t need any other ones, in fact, it is vain and useless to look for more. He is ultimate completion and we are complete in Him. The only thing that we need to do is to creatively assemble the letters and prayerfully combine the words to bring His Word and His Message to our culture and the people around us.

    The Word of God is given to us through many different channels, but it does not originate in the channel; it originates with God. He has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His Word. He has mercifully disclosed His heart to us and because of that we can know Him and walk with Him. Instead of being prideful about the portion of truth we have, we should simply be grateful; grateful that God has opened our eyes and allowed us to see Him and to hear His voice. No, the Word of God did not come out from us and it did not come to us only. It is His Word that comes from His heart and it is for all people; every nation; every culture; everyone.

    Thank you, Father God for bringing your Word to us; you have radically changed our lives, and thank you for allowing us to be channels of your message of grace and healing to others!

Twelve Years of Joy and Twelve Years of Sorrow

Twelve Years of Joy and Twelve Years of Sorrow

Luke 8:42, 43 - For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age…And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years…

    In this section of Scripture, it appears that we have an interesting comparison of a season of time in two lives; that of Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood.

     The young girl is the only child of Jairus and his wife, and we can just imagine how much joy she brought to them. We don’t know, but it is possible that they had tried for more than one child, however, their daughter was all they were given and so she became the only precious little one; the bright light bringing great meaning to their lives. Anyone who has had the privilege of having children born into their family knows that life is never the same again. Life takes on a new focus and all of it is centered on the care, nurture and protection of that sweet little one. Even hard-hearted men are quickly softened by the arrival of a baby and especially so when that baby is a girl.

    Twelve years of having a beautiful little girl in the house. Twelve years of joy and laughter. Twelve years of snuggles and giggles and playing house. Twelve years of innocent curiosity about the world. The first words, the first steps, the first day of school; all such joy-filled moments fixed in the memory and cherished by parents.

    Twelve wonderful years were spent watching this beautiful girl grow into a young woman. Jairus may have thought of the day when a young man would come knocking on the door looking for his daughter. Our little treasure. How will we ever let her go? Raising children is a bittersweet experience because, at some point, you realize that they will not remain in this place of young innocence for long.

    Every life is like a river; it is constantly moving and the current never stops. The water is never the same each moment; truly we never step into the same river twice. The water has gone by us unable to be contained in our hands. The lives of our children are like the river; they also flow by us and we cannot hold on to them; we cannot keep them at a certain age. Oh, how we would love to keep our little ones in the place of innocence where the world can never hurt them, but alas, it cannot be so. To live is to love and to love is to give away and give away we must, or we will hinder our children and limit their future. The truth is these little ones are not ours; they are the children of God; they belong to Him; we are simply stewards.

    Jairus and his wife had enjoyed those years and they seemed to have gone by so quickly, but for a certain lady who lived in the same region, the last twelve years were not enjoyed and did not go by quickly; they were a long, drawn-out and dark nightmare.

    Twelve years she had this condition and no matter how she sought relief, it never improved, it only got worse. Twelve years of struggling to keep her hopes up that, one day, life could go back to normal. Twelve years of physicians, poking and prodding and asking questions. Twelve years of various treatments, some of which, in those days, may have bordered on torture. Twelve years of suffering the loss of friendships and simple pleasures.

    Up until the time when her affliction came, she was most probably a wife and a mother and had enjoyed the blessing of family life. We know that she was a woman who had a measure of wealth and, no doubt enjoyed the social status that comes with having means. The community events and fundraisers, the family gatherings and celebrations had all become a faint memory.

    The loss of blood ran parallel to the loss of everything else in her life; her blood ebbed slowly away; her dreams ebbed slowly away; her strength receded little by little; her faith receded little by little. As she grew weaker, it seemed her misgivings grew stronger. Why has this happened to me? Have I done something wrong? Has God forsaken me?

    The strict and harsh religious people loved to look down their noses and point fingers at the suffering ones; indeed, their religious relatives still live today. She endured twelve years of accusation and judgement; misunderstanding and mishandling; criticism and condemnation. Twelve long years.

    What season of life are we in? Is it a season of joy or a season of sorrow? For undeniably, life brings both, and Jesus is present in both. As a friend, He laughs with us in our joys and records them so we can remember, and as a comforter, He cries with us in our sorrows and removes the pain from our memory. He is the Great Companion and Consoler who never abandons or forsakes us. Twelve years of joy, twelve years of sorrow.

The Weeping Jesus

John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

     Jesus is the perfect picture of a man created in the image of God and He is the only man who has never lost his God-given identity and purpose. He represents all that the Father God originally intended for us.  He came to live a life before us and exemplify the heart of the Father God. As this man-of-all-men stood before the grave of His dear friend, Lazarus, He wept.

    Jesus wept because death was never part of the plan of God; it was, and still is, an enemy, a bully and an intruder into the life of mankind. Death and all that is associated with it is foreign to God, it is not in His heart or His plan. God is light and in Him, there is no darkness and He is also life and in Him, there is no death.

    Jesus wept because of His friend. He wept because of Mary and Martha. He wept because the loss of a loved one and the heavy sorrow that comes with it was never His heart for us. Just as any good parent does not want their child to suffer sorrow and heartache, so Jesus felt the loss of Lazarus and his family, and He felt the collective loss of all humanity.

    Jesus wept for Lazarus because he had been taken much too soon. He wept because the religious culture had taught them that God was the one who had taken him. Our gracious Father has been lied about, He has been misrepresented and slandered throughout the centuries. He does not take; He is the supreme giver. He does not need to kill people so that He can have them in Heaven with Him; wouldn’t that be considered extremely selfish? Let it be said with great emphasis and constant repetition; He is not the taker. He does not take, however, He does receive those that leave. God is not the author of death!

    Jesus wept because of humanity’s loss of faith; they could not believe in the power of His resurrection life. They could not see beyond what their senses were telling them. They could not see how God could answer this situation. They could not see past the horizon of their own knowledge; they were imprisoned in their hopelessness and because of who He is, our compassionate Christ shed tears for them.

    Jesus wept because mankind had lost their identity and purpose for living. The people of Earth have been lied to and the lie has brought untold misunderstanding, it has distorted our once-clear vision. Confusion and despair, indeed, the death of hope has brought us to the brink of self-destruction.

    Jesus wept because He wasn’t afraid to weep; He wasn’t ashamed of His emotions and deep feelings. He wept because He felt the sting of God’s plan gone awry. He wept because He came to bear the burden of all men; He identified so keenly with the universal human struggle. He wept because things were not as they should be, and He longed to put things right. He wept because He was and still is the Intercessor who pleads with God for lost and downtrodden souls.

    Jesus is the ultimate Man and so all who follow Him will also follow Him in His weeping over all of mankind. His weeping was a prayer and His tears were a plea; it was a way of drawing close to the sufferer and it was a wordless appeal to the Father’s heart. We must follow Him in this tearful compassion for others.

    Oh, that the heart of Jesus would manifest through us in weeping, groaning, pleading and claiming. Weeping for the wayward ones, groaning over the destruction of precious lives, pleading the merits of the sacrifice of Christ and claiming the fulfilment of the promises of God.

    Jesus wept and the Father heard. Jesus wept and the Father responded.  Jesus wept and Martha hoped, Mary trusted and Lazarus rose. Jesus wept!

Fresh Eyes

Luke 24:16 – But their eyes were held that they should not know Him.

    This incident takes place shortly after the resurrection of Jesus. Two of His followers encountered Jesus as they were on the road to another town, but they did not recognize Him. They walked together and talked of the events of the previous few days and all the while they still did not realize that it was Jesus who was speaking with them.

    This phrase, ‘their eyes were held’, is a figure of speech which is very instructive. Did God hold their eyes from seeing Jesus? It certainly is possible for he has done it before. I remember reading an account of people who were smuggling Bibles into a country where Christianity was outlawed. The border guards opened their luggage and even looked directly into the compartment where the Bibles were hidden; they looked right at the Bibles but did not see them; apparently, God held their eyes.

    Another way of looking at this is to consider that we are the ones who close our own eyes. The original writings tell us that their eyes were held, that is they were fixed or seized. Something had previously captured their attention. They had just recently watched as Jesus was brutally tortured and crucified. They watched Him die, they saw Him buried, and now their eyes were fixated on that and unable to see anything else.

    How many times has this happened to us? Something terrible happens to us and it makes a deep impression on our minds and from that point on we are not able to see anything but that incident. We might have lost a loved-one; can we see ourselves being happy again? We might have experienced a financial crisis; can we see ourselves recovering from it? We might have been betrayed by our spouse; can we see ourselves being able to trust again? We might have failed in ministry; can we see ourselves being used of God again? These things are real and all of us deal with it; we must deal with loss and sorrow for we are the ones who are in charge of our own minds. Can we open up and see again?

    Closed eyes can also imply a hardened heart; a decision to not be open or vulnerable again; a choice to close off the possibility of new and exciting things. If we remain in a seized state, fixated on the past, we can never really know Him; we thus close ourselves off from intimacy with God and others. Closed eyes mean a closed mind; a closed mind means a closed heart; a closed heart means a closed life. Consequently, we shut ourselves away from hope; we lock ourselves behind closed doors in a room with no light, sentencing ourselves to solitary confinement.

    Take courage, friends, we are in this together and our Father God is in the door-opening business. It matters not where we have locked ourselves away, or for how long; He will keep seeking us out and drawing us back until we give Him the key to the door of our life. Hear Him whisper His word to you today, and even though the room may be dark, and your eyes cannot see, we believe it shall be as the Book of Psalms says, ‘Your word is a door that lets in light.’

Follow Him

Matthew 16:24 – Then said Jesus to His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

    Jesus had just spoken to His disciples about the Cross, foretelling them that He would be killed and rise again the third day. Peter, in fine form, took Jesus aside and rebuked Him because he was convinced that suffering could never be the will of God. Jesus spoke some of His strongest words as He corrected Peter and set him straight. He then issued some tough words to the rest of us.

    If any man will come after me. This phrase answers a lot for me. Is Jesus ahead of me in the direction of my life? If I look at where I am headed, do I see the Lord in front of me? He is Lord. He is in charge. He is supposed to be in front, I am to come after Him. He must always be first, I am always to be after. One day all the universe will clearly see Him for who He is; indeed, every knee shall bow. Wise people practice that now.

    If any man will. Anyone can choose to come and to follow after Him. It is a decision. It is a choice. It is a God-given freedom, and it is mine alone to make. I can choose to put Him first. It is not dictated by my life and circumstances. I can not blame my situation, my work, my family or any other thing. No! Whatever place I am in right now, good or bad, I have the choice to put Him first. Where there is a will there is a way.

    Let him deny himself. To deny is to choose to abstain. I might be denying myself that piece of pie, or denying a purchase, or denying myself the free time that I had set aside for my interests. It can be very hard to deny certain things, but Jesus never said to deny things; He said to deny yourself. My self-life must be denied. I must disown and disavow my self-centered life. Do not misunderstand me. We must take care of ourselves and live a balanced life, but selfishness is never okay. Self-care is good; self-focus is not.

    Take up his cross. There is a popular song that is sung in many churches today, and one phrase of it says gratefully to the Lord, ‘That You would bear my cross’. It is a beautiful song and I enjoy the artist, but that phrase contradicts what Jesus said here. We are to take up our cross. There is a Cross that we could never take up and that is the Cross of Christ. He is the only one who could do that, but there is a personal cross-bearing that must happen in the life of the believer. Now we mustn’t get confused about what it means to take up our cross, because there are many non-scriptural ideas about it. The context would indicate that the cross-bearing we are to experience has to do with putting Him first and self-denial. Luke’s account says we are to do this daily, strongly suggesting that this is a big part of our Christian life.

    Follow me. The good news about all of this is that Jesus is with us; He is right here. He has, by virtue of His Cross, experienced every imaginable hardship and test and come out of it victoriously. He knows. He understands our humanity. He has already provided for every possible contingency. There is nothing coming in our lives that He has not already foreseen and prepared an answer for. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is for us, He is with us, He is in us. Our part is simply to follow Him.

Beware of Hypocrisy

Luke 12:1, 2 – Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, neither hid, that shall not be known.

    Jesus gives His disciples a sharp warning to be very cautious and alert regarding the leaven of the Pharisees. Leaven is yeast. It is hidden undetected in the loaf; it penetrates and permeates the dough, thereby thoroughly influencing it. It is hidden, it is unseen, yet it is constantly working. Leaven is like gravity; a silent, unremitting and powerful influence.

    The Pharisees were those who separated themselves from common people and things. They were considered by others to be very spiritual and they were highly regarded. Because of this high regard and the sense of being separate and uncommon, the Pharisees developed a sense of superiority and entitlement. They felt that they had special privileges and they were exempt from the laws that governed common people. They were above the law if you will.

    Hypocrisy is the inevitable posture of spiritual pride. Pride, like leaven, is insidious. Arrogant pride is a terrible thing just simply from a natural standpoint; nobody likes arrogance in others. But religious, or spiritual pride is the highest form of arrogance because it is hidden in actions that appear to be godly and sincere.

    Hypocrisy is a word that comes from the theatre. It refers to the actors, who when wanting to portray a certain character or emotion, would put on a mask. One mask might portray joy, and another might depict sorrow. One mask might represent surprise, and another might illustrate anger. So, hypocrisy is wearing a mask and it has come to stand for ultimate phoniness. If we consistently wear a mask, we have become actors on the stage of life, playing the role of that which we are not. We hide behind the façade of spirituality and godly sincerity.

    With the insight that could only be divine, Jesus has wonderfully warned all of us. He has told us that there is nothing covered, or hidden behind a mask, or otherwise, that shall not be revealed and known. Is it possible that this leaven of hypocrisy has penetrated our Christianity and influenced our lives today? I believe it has and the threat is ongoing and real. Having simply an outward form of religion forces us to wear a mask; we are not able to be ourselves under that system, or way of thinking. Our current culture many times promotes the wearing of a mask because we really might not want people to truly be themselves. The hardship and the hurts of life can also be a factor in the continued use of masks; I’ve been betrayed, who can I trust?

    What masks are we hiding behind? What are we portraying to the world? Are we wearing a mask of a hard-working, tax-paying citizen, all the while murmuring about the boss and the government? Are we wearing a mask of the committed church member and at the same time very upset with the leadership and people of the church? Are we wearing a mask of the happy-go-lucky person while deeply struggling with fear and sadness? I dare say that all of us wear masks to some degree because part of it is a natural reflex and built-in defense system. One writer once wrote that the self that we send out to meet God is almost always a false self. Sometimes we may not even be aware that we are doing these things because we have done it for so long it has become second nature. Some of us might hide behind our books or hard work, or we might throw ourselves into activities that keep us busy; too busy to slow down and get quiet and hear our Father’s voice calling us to Himself.

    Be encouraged, friends, the first step is to be aware of our tendencies and patterns. Then we must gather to ourselves a couple close friends or trusted counselors. Be open, be honest, be free and over time the masks will come off then you, and the rest of the world, will be re-introduced to your true self; the one created in the image of God; a person of great value and unique talents and one who has a beautiful and bright future.

Start at the Beginning

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

    The fear of the Lord is where we are to begin in the learning process; it is foundational to our growth in knowledge. Knowledge is a good thing but, the same knowledge of the atom gives us nuclear energy and nuclear bombs, so our knowledge must be coupled with the fear of the Lord and used appropriately. The book of Hebrews tells us that our God is a consuming fire. Like the sun, which absorbs all that comes close, God consumes all. We should not be afraid of the sun but, be aware of its power and have a deep respect for it. We are not to live in cringing fear that causes us to draw back from God, but we are to live in godly carefulness and reverence. True knowledge begins where the fear of the Lord is known. We must acquaint ourselves first with reverence and deep respect. When we have respect for others it causes us to be cautious about how we speak and deal with people.

The fear of the Lord is where we are to begin in the learning process; it is foundational to our growth in knowledge.

    Fools are those who have a flippant attitude and constantly mock the cautious ones. To despise something is to treat it lightly and without appreciation for its sacredness and true value. A fool is one who is not sharp or aware, but just the opposite; one who is dull and unaware. The fool bumps into everything as he goes and does not make any proactive decisions but only reacts to the circumstances at hand; therefore, his life is in a continual state of chaos. The fool does not value wisdom or instruction, mostly because it would take humility to admit that he needs it. Wisdom is something that is given to us from another; we are not the source of wisdom. Fools are those who are too prideful to realize that they need another’s wisdom and perspective. And no matter how skillfully it is given, fools will always reject correction; they feel they are in no need of it. The fear of the Lord is the answer to all our foolish tendencies.

Wisdom is something that is given to us from another; we are not the source of wisdom.

    The basic condition of all humanity is one of foolishness, for the fool says that there is no need to listen to God. We are born into foolishness, it is bound in the heart of a child and must be removed by correction. Just like an athlete submits to rigorous training so that he can develop and become a champion; we too must submit to the corrective training of God and be schooled into wisdom. It will take time, discipline and consistency, but as we keep walking in the fear and wise reverence of the Lord, the tests of life will start to appear as just that, tests; and tests are made to prove that we have learned and to pass with flying colours.

Strengthen Your Brothers

Luke 22:32 – “…strengthen your brothers…”

    

The commands of God are not complicated, they are simple, and, in their simplicity, they are deeply profound. Peter is not given a long and convoluted set of instructions, but he is merely given three words from Jesus that He followed for the rest of his life. We also are to follow these words and make them a life-long practice; we are to strengthen our brothers.

    We are not called to criticize, or complain about our brothers, nor to demean them; we are called to strengthen them. Strength answers many problems and challenges in life. If we are strong, we can go through difficult seasons courageously and not be overcome by them. A trial of sickness can be endured if we have strength. Financial difficulty and pressures can be bravely faced if we have strength. Relationship trouble, betrayal, divorce and even the loss of a loved one cannot defeat us if we have strength. Paul confirms this fact when he said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.

    For Peter, the brothers may have represented three categories. First, they were his Hebrew brothers; he was called to strengthen their faith in the One True God. Secondly, they were his brothers in Christ; he was called to strengthen their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His plan for their lives. Thirdly, they were his brothers of humanity; he was called to strengthen their faith as good citizens and builders of a healthy home and family life.

        They are my brothers and I have an innate responsibility to add strength to their life. As members of a family we understand first-hand that the brothers will inevitably have conflict. The very first family reveals the tendency for sibling rivalry and relationship trouble; indeed, Cain did not fulfill his role as his brother’s keeper.

    Notice in this instance that Peter is not told to go evangelize and bring in new people; he is told to strengthen the existing people. We do indeed have a Great Commission to reach the world with the Gospel message, but what are we bringing people into? If we do not strengthen our home base there is nothing for others to re-build their lives upon.

    Each of us has daily opportunities to strengthen others. We mustn’t take anything away from people but always give something to them. Find something in their life that you can support and strengthen. Leave them better off after you have spoken to them. Help, assist, contribute, build and reinforce. What would our homes be like if we constantly strengthened all those within it? How about our workplace, or our church? Let’s be those who are known for their positive contribution; let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Let's begin to strengthen those around us, encourage those around us, and always look for a way to be constructive; strengthen the brothers!