GROWING IN WISDOM!

Wisdom! What is wisdom?
It is the appropriate application of knowledge.

In today’s world, most of us see knowledge as power. We are taught to go to school, study very hard, and get a great job etc. While knowledge is important, it is not complete without wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom are like a man and a woman. They are 2 different people but together they complete each other.

Example. A man marries a woman, then she produces a child. Biblically speaking, without one the other cannot reproduce. That being said, knowledge (man) and wisdom (woman) are both needed for us to make better decisions. It’s a partnership.

Proverbs 13:13-18 reads, “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”

Here we see King Solomon describing Wisdom as something more precious than any jewel. He says ” Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor”. For most of us, long life, prosperity and honor is at the top of our list. Well…God has given us the answer! He wants us to apply wisdom in our lives and in every decision we make.

Fact:- As a young man, King Solomon was blessed with wisdom and as a result he is known as one of the wisest men that ever lived.

So how do we acquire wisdom?
Wisdom is a blessing from God, given by “The Holy spirit”. It is given to those who seek it from the buttom of their hearts. When we seek God, we are equally seeking the wisdom of God. Even Jesus fed off the wisdom of God. In fact, one of the names given to him by the people was “wisdom”. Jesus was very wise, and quite often spoke in parables. He didn’t do this to confuse anyone. Instead, he did it because he wanted the people to think. He didn’t want to just give them answers and information. He wanted them to think, engage and ask questions. In short, he was infusing wisdom in the people through the parables he spoke.

When we seek answers to things we don’t understand, our minds become open to receiving information intellectually. But when it comes to receiving wisdom, our minds also need to be open spiritually.

In today’s passages, we will be exploring 7 ways in which we can grow in wisdom.

1. DEALING WITH CRITICISM!

What is a scoffer?
A scoffer is someone that basically mocks your beliefs or ideas. They speak to others in a way that is demeaning and belittling, simply because they feel that they are more knowledgeable.

Proverbs 9:6-12 reads, ” Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding. “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

Here we see king Solomon speaking about wisdom again. He says anyone that tries to correct a scoffer will bring shame on themselves. The reason he says this is because scoffers usually have big egos. Trying to correct someone like that will most likely provoke them to make fun of you even more, and it will eventually bring you shame. After that, he says anyone that tries to correct a wicked person will bring harm to themselves. The reason he says this is because people that are wicked are usually full of pride. Someone like that will most likely get angry when you try to correct them. They are not very good at listening. Solomon also says when we correct someone that is wise, they will most likely take what they can from our advice. They will become wiser. Even if they don’t say thank you outwardly, inside they are usually grateful.

When we encounter people that make fun of us or other people, we should pray for them. Arguing with them most likely will not work. Besides, prayer is more powerful than anything we can say. God has a way to handle all situations and all his children. I know it can be hard, but we have options. Walk away, remain silent, or say “God bless you” and then walk away.

Now, on the other hand, when someone tries to correct us or gives us healthy criticism, we are expected to respond with an open heart and mind. There is no need to be defensive. Just take what you can from their advice and move on. In some cases, you can even say “Thank you”. Yes, i know even receiving healthy criticism can sometimes be hard. But, this is where we can apply wisdom and grow mentally. Afterall, as children of God we are called to be peace makers.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”.

Here we see Solomon acknowledging that wisdom comes directly from God. When he uses the term “fear”, he is talking about the “Good type” of fear. The fear that comes from knowing how powerful, mighty, and wonderful God is. And yet, he is ever so loving, patient and generous to us. Solomon also says that the knowledge of God stems from understanding who God is. This makes sense! We are all made in God’s image so ofcourse we should seek to understand him. When you love someone, do you not try to understand how they think? You do! And finally Solomon says that absorbing wisdom will bring us long life. When we absorb wisdom, we are supposed to apply it to our lives. The same can be said for the scripture. When we apply the words of God to our lives, we are also absorbing wisdom. Our God is good!

Read Job chapter 1 and 2

2. DEALING WITH SUFFERING!

What is a suffering?
A suffering can be described as a period or time where a person is experiencing difficulties in their life. Some sufferings are self inflicted, some are afflictions from the enemy, some are given as disciplines by God and some are given as tests from God. Yes, God can test you!

Job 1:13-22 reads, “One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing”.

Here we see Job going through a suffering and a test of faith. He did nothing wrong but as a test of his love, devotion and faith, God took away everything he owned and cared about. Regardless of all that has happened, Job still worshiped and praised God.

Job 2:7-10 reads, “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said”.

Here we see Job has been afflicted by satan with painful sores on his body and yet, he refuses to blame God. Instead, he defends God and cautions his wife.

HIS FRIENDS LAY FALSE ACCUSATIONS!

Job 13:4-5 reads, ” You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

Job 16:1-6 reads, “Then Job replied: “I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away”.

Job 19:1-6 reads, “Then Job replied: “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone. If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me, then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me”.

The verses above, shows Job cautioning his friends and defending God. He calls them “worthless physicians”, “miserable comforters, and he says “how long will you shamelessly attack me?”. His friends were being used by the enemy to attack him emotionally. Regardless, Job stood his ground and never blamed God.

Job 42:7-8 reads, “After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”

Here we see God angry with the 3 friends of Job because when Job was going through his suffering, instead of comforting him, they made assumptions and accusations about his suffering. They spoke wrongly about God and therefore God decided to discipline them. Even so, God was still merciful and only demanded a prayer from Job and some offerings.

The book of Job is a wonderful example of faith, courage and love. When we go through our individual sufferings, it is important to remain faithful, and loyal to God. Yes, i know it’s hard because so many things can be happening at once. And it can feel as though the weight of the world has come crashing down on us and that there is no way out. But, that’s not true! The enemy want’s us to believe that we have been abandoned. He want’s us to believe that God isn’t listening to our prayers. But the truth is, God already has a plan for us. All we need to do is believe and trust in him . We should pray constantly and do our best to stay focused. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Job kept his focus on God and because of that, the enemy had no choice but to flee from Job. Glory be to God, for he is our redeemer.

Read Luke 13:1-30

3. GROWING IN PATIENCE!

In order to grow in the wisdom of God, we need to exercise patience.

Luke 13:6-9 reads, “He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down”.

Here we see Jesus talking about patience. He speaks of a fig tree that did not produce any fruit. The owner of the tree tried to cut it down but the gardener urges the man to be patient. This is important because sometimes we are quick to make decisions without properly thinking about it. God says, when we are confused or not sure about a decision, we should part and ask him for help. He may direct to someone wise for advice or he may use the scriptures to answer our question. Either way, the first thing to do is pray.

In addition, this parable also speaks about the patience we have versus the patience of God. The man wanted to cut the tree down because it didn’t produce any fruit but the Gardner said give it one more year. I will dig around and fertilize it. The Gardner in this scenario can represent the patience of God because no matter how many mistakes we make, God continues to forgive us. He gives us another chance. The fertilizer can also be looked at as knowledge and wisdom. The tree (us) did not have fertilizer (knowledge and wisdom) and it didn’t bare fruit. But if the tree (us) had fertilizer (knowledge and wisdom), then it would bare fruit.

4. KNOWING WHEN TO WITHDRAW OR DEFEND!

Luke 13:10-17 reads, “Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound–think of it–for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him”.

Here we see Jesus telling the ruler of the synagogue the truth. He called him a hypocrite because he and the other pharisees would give water to their animals, regardless of the law because the animals needed it to survive. (Water in this scenario represents healing). This is fine! But, they selfishly enforced the law of the Sabbath on the people because they didn’t want Jesus to heal them. Now God says, we should avoid confrontations and arguements but, when it comes to standing up for what’s right, we are allowed to defend our words or actions.

John 3:33-36 reads, “He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Another important information to know is that, Jesus had the authority to heal on the sabath. How do we know this? Well…”the father is in the son and the son is in the father”. This means the presence of God lives within Jesus. To understand properly, we are going to look back at the baptism of Jesus.

Matthew 3:13-17, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”.

We see here, that the spirit of God descended like a dove and shun upon him. And then God himself spoke out of heaven saying “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. This is undeniable proof that Jesus indeed is the son of God.

Matthew 12:6-8 reads, “Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 

Here we see Jesus, telling the pharisees what God truly meant. He tells them that God would rather they showed mercy on the Sabbath than to ignore people that were hungry. He also says “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Jesus said this because he was trying to tell the pharisees that he had authority from God to feed the people.

The life of a human beign is very important to God. Just think about it! If Jesus would have ignored the fact that the people who followed him were hungry, what do you think God would say to him. Also, looking at it from a spiritual standpoint, The Holy Spirit was within Jesus, which in turn means God himself fed the people.

Mark 2:27-28 reads, “And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath”.

He also tells the pharisees that God created the Sabbath for human beings and not the other way around. His intention was for us to rest after 6 days of working because he himself also rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). But, when someone is in danger, or need help, we should choose mercy.

Fact :- Alot of the pharisees were leaders in their communities and they were put incharge of translating the bible (old testament) to the people. But because of their pride and ego, they abused their positions and power. They started to think that they knew everything about God and his laws. But the truth is, they were spiritually blind. They even thought they could predict the actions of God. This type of behaviour can also be thought of as self-deception. Eventually, they started to exalt themselves with complete disregard for anyone else. While they gave expensive offerings and dressed well infront of others, their hearts were filled with wickedness.

Fact :- we should always obey God’s laws and commands. but if we find ourselves in a position where a life is in jeopardy, we should pray about it and ask God for permission. Remember, only God can make an exception to the laws he created. Therefore, we must be given the authority to do so.

5. FORM A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS AND GOD!

Luke 13:23-30 reads, “Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’  then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”

Here we see Jesus answering the question that was asked by one of the people that was with him. He says that he should strive to enter through the narrow doorway and that not many people will be able to enter. He goes on to say that when he returns and shuts the door to heaven, many people will be begging to enter and they will be denied entrance. They will begin saying “but you know us”, but he will deny ever knowing them. Many people will be angry and many will be full of regret when they see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets in heaven. He says there will also be all kinds of people coming from the east, west, north and southern parts of the earth, that will enter the kingdom of God. The poor will enter first and the rich will enter last.

This is important because Jesus is talking about the end of times. He is trying to tell the people about his glorious return. Our relationship with God and Jesus is the key to entering the kingdom of God. Jesus is the holder of the new covenant and when he died for us, the covenant was completed, thus allowing us to atone for our sins. Therefore, nobody can get to God without first accepting Jesus Christ as “The saviour”. As children of God, we should all continue strengthening our faith, trust and belief in the Lord. God is love and he loves us very much.

REFERENCES.

John 14:6 reads, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.

Luke 22:20 reads, “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you”.

Hebrews 9:15 reads, “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant”.

For more information on “The new covenant” please see “https://www.openbible.info/topics/new_covenant”.

6. LEARN HOW TO DICERN A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD FROM A FALSE PROPHET!

In Deuteronomy 13, Moses cautions the Isrealites of many things, including how to tell the difference between a true messenger of God and a messenger of the devil.

Deuteronomy 13:1-6 reads, ” “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’–which you have not known–‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”.

Here we see Moses speaking to the Isrealites about false prophets. He tells them not to listen to the words of anyone that performs “a sign or a wonder” (false miracles), or anyone that tells them to go and worship other Gods. This is very important because there are so many false prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers that perform fake miracles using black magic, witch craft or hypnotism to deceive many people in our individual communities today. They especially love taking advantage of the poor, and the helpless. They make false claims and predictions in the name of God. But the real question is “what God are they truly serving?” It isn’t yarweh! The truth is they are worshipping unclean spirits, demons, and satan. Some people might say, “But my pain is gone” or ” But he cured me of my disease”. Even if what they say may appear to be the truth, spiritually they have no idea what really happened. These fake servants of God can put unclean spirits and demons into someone’s body and make them appear cured and well. These evil spirits sit in the body and slowly begin taking control of it. Before they realize, they have become someone else. For example, maybe you can walk again, but now you find yourself angry all the time. Or maybe your pain is gone, but now you find yourself looking for sexual partners all the time, nightmares, unable to focus or concentrate, thirsty for alchohol, and the list goes on. When a pastor places their hands on your head, how do you know what he is really doing? You don’t! But, don’t be afraid because the enemy cannot touch the children of God. He cannot touch those who truely worship God from their hearts. So rest assured, for God never goes back on a promise. He has promised us protection from all our enemies and their attacks and he will keep his word.

So, what can we do to make sure that the church we attend is the right one for us? Prayer! We should pray to God and ask if the church we attend is right for us. Be diligent with your prayers and exercise good patience.

Ephesians 6:11 reads, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”.

Our prayer is our weapon and our faith is our shield against the enemy and his evil agents.

If a church is not the right one for you, God will make it known to you. And when he has revealed the truth to you, OBEY! leave the church and thank God for revealing what is hidden. Say a prayer for them. Remember prayer is the key! 

7. RESPECT AND HONOR YARWEH!

As children of God, we should do our best to glorify God in everything we do. Here are a list of different ways we can glorify God.

Deuteronomy 6:5 reads, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”.

We should love God wholeheartedly from our hearts, our soul and with all our strength.

2 Timothy 2:21 reads, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work”.

We should do our best to cleanse ourselves of wickedness, pride, ungratefulness and any sinful behavior. Now, i understand that stopping some of these behaviours can be difficult but it is doable. We should pray to God and ask him to remove anything in us that displeases him. We should ask him to heal, deliver and restore us because sometimes, the consequences of our actions when lived a sinful life are in our temples (bodies). This means unclean spirits and demons. Yes, one can be saved and still have unclean spirits in the body. There is no shame in asking for help because nobody is perfect. God loves humility, humbleness, and honesty.

Proverbs 3:9 reads, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce”.

Everything we own belongs to God. The money we make from our Jobs, the foods we buy, the water we drink, the air we breathe and so much more. We should honor God by giving back to others. When we give to others, we are honoring God and that makes him very happy. Our blessings are not for us alone, but for others aswell. So give whatever you can, from your heart, and without expectations.

1 Corinthians 10:31 reads, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”.

What we put in our bodies and what we do are very important to God. Our bodies belong to God and they are to be seen as temples. We should not eat unhealthy foods or put anything that is unhealthy in our bodies.

REFERENCES.

1 Corinthians 6:19 reads, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own”.
Proverbs 20:1 reads, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise”.

Proverbs 20:1 reads, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise”.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 reads, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”.

CONCLUSION!

In closing, wisdom is a wonderful blessing given to all who seek it. We should always pray and show gratitude to the Lord, for all his generosity. Blessed is the day our God came to be!

Lord, we thank you for all that you do and all your blessings. We glorify and exalt your name “yarweh”, for you are the one and ONLY true God. Please continue to fill up our hearts with your love and instruct us in your ways. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

You are all Blessed.

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