by Pastor Greg...
A
woman went to the doctor's office where she was seen by one of the new
physicians. He tried to diagnose her
condition and provided several solutions, but nothing seemed to help. After a few minutes, the young doctor excused
himself and consulted with one of the
older doctors. The wise, older physician stepped into the room to speak
with the distraught woman while the younger doctor waited outside. After about 4 minutes the lady burst out of
the room and ran screaming down the hall. The young doctor stopped her and asked what
the problem was, and she told Him her story. After listening, he had her sit
down and relax in the waiting room, then marched into the exam room and confronted
the older doctor. "What's the
matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old, she has four grown children and
seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?!" The older doctor continued to write on his
clipboard and without looking up said, "Does she still have the
hiccups?"
The
older doctor had the experience, and the wisdom to apply his experience in that
situation. Have you ever wished you
could do the same? Have you ever wished you could understand what God wanted
from you? Have you ever wished He would give you clear instructions on
how to handle a difficult situation? Do
you wish that you could understand the Bible, and that its teachings were more clear
for you?
In
my conversations with Christians over the years, two things stand out: 1) I
meet many Christians who are still confused about God and His direction in
their life. And 2) I meet many
Christians who are confused about the Bible; they have trouble understanding
what it teaches and how it can guide their life.
I
completely understand that confusion; I
was there once myself. But what if I
told you that God is willing to remove your confusion? What would you say if I told you that God
would give you the wisdom you need to navigate through life’s
difficulties? Would you be interested in
learning how to gain that wisdom? It’s far easier
than you may imagine.
Let
me tell you about something that happened to me back in 1983; I did something
that year that changed my life. In 1983,
I was still working in radio, and each weekday morning, as I sat in the control
booth, I monitored our rebroadcast of “The Old Time Gospel Hour” with Jerry
Falwell.
One
of Dr. Falwell’s messages really struck me; he was addressing a prayer King Solomon
had made to God. As Solomon was about to
become king of Old Testament Israel, God asked him what he wanted – which was quite unusual: So was Solomon’s reply. “O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father,
David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And
here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and
numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding
heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between
right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours”[1] (1
Kings 3:7-9)? Of course, history teaches
us that God did indeed give Solomon wisdom; more wisdom and understanding than
anyone who has ever lived (1 Kings 3:12).
But then, Dr. Falwell said something I have never forgotten; he said
that the Lord God is willing to do the same for us today. If we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask,
and our Father in Heaven will give us the wisdom
we need to discern His will.
Well,
right then and there I did just that; I asked God to give me the wisdom to understand His will and His Word. And do you know what happened? He granted my request. All I needed to do was ask.
No
one had ever told me it could be that easy.
Let
me tell you something you may not have heard: God does not want us to live in
confusion. He does not want you to be confused. God has provided a way for you to overcome
that confusion. God made you a promise
to give you wisdom and discernment.
God
is Faithful; He gives us wisdom.
Biblical wisdom is more than just knowledge… it is the ability to apply
knowledge in our day to day lives.
Biblical wisdom is more than
leaned experience. Like, I could tell
you it’s not wise to stick two paper clips in an electrical outlet, but my
advice is based on experience. Rather, the kind of wisdom that comes from God
guides us through an experience we have
never faced before.
For
example: as the first-century Christians were facing trials and hardships,
James, the half-brother of Jesus writes, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it
to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” [2]
(James 1:5). These Christians, who had
been scattered abroad because of Jewish persecution, had no idea how to respond
to this new hatred. So, James tells them
to ask the Father; He is a generous God who will give them the wisdom to
respond appropriately.
He
will do the same for you and me. Yes,
when we are facing trials in this life, all we need to do is ask; God will
grant us the wisdom we need to navigate through those trials. In fact, God’s wisdom will help our faith grow
stronger as we face these various difficulties.
And honestly, that’s the beautiful part.
Most people who are on the receiving end of slander, abuse, hatred,
hardship, and suffering end up becoming bitter, resentful, vengeful, and
hateful; they become just as toxic as those who caused the trouble. But, the Christian who turns to God and asks
for wisdom finds the ability to pray for those who persecute them: That kind of
response isn’t natural, but it does demonstrate biblical wisdom.
Biblical wisdom reminds those who
are hurting that if they allow the abuse and hardship to harden their heart, they will become just like
the person who has hurt them. God’s wisdom in any situation guides us to
become more like Christ and less like the world around us.
I
know, I know; this is all well and good, but still,
there is the issue with the Bible.
Sometimes it is quite difficult to make sense out of God’s Word. And I get that; I was there once myself. The psalmist has written, “Your word is a lamp
to my feet And a light to my path”[3] (Psalm
119:105), but if you can’t make heads or tails out of the words, the Bible
isn’t much help. However, God has also
promised to help bring His word into focus.
In fact, if you are a follower of
Jesus, then God has already equipped you
to understand His Word. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into the full
truth. He won’t speak on his own. He will
speak what he hears and will tell you about things to come. 14 He will give me glory, because he will tell you what I say”[4]
(John 16:13-14). In other words, the
Holy Spirit will guide us in
understanding the words of Jesus and the words of God; it’s one of the many
roles the Spirit plays in your life.
So,
if you struggle to understand what you are reading, it seems all you need to do
is ask. If you need the wisdom to apply
what you have read, all you need to do is
ask. If you need help navigating through
the problems in life, it sure seems like God will give you the help you need.
That’s the way I see it. Granted,
sometimes it takes a while for us to learn how to listen to God, but one thing
is certain; He never intends to leave us
floundering on our own. And if my own
life is an example of how God gives wisdom, then perhaps your answers are only
a question away.
[1]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(1 Ki 3:7–9). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Jas 1:5). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update.
(1995). (Ps 119:105). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
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