The Gifts of God His Glorious Wisdom
It is the mighty God-given ability, to discern and judge, what is right and true, by using Godly insight, knowledge and understanding, given to us from above; for all wisdom originates from God, and to believe otherwise, is pure foolishness. Other words that might help you to better appreciate it’s special meaning are - Judgment, discernment, sagacity, understanding, perspicacity and prudence.
For this mighty and perspicacious virtue, that comes from the Heart of God - it is divine perception, heavenly discernment, great understanding, gifted insight, heaven-sent enlightenment, increased knowledge and extraordinary judgment.
We all know about, the great sons and daughters of the bible, whose names are forever linked, to ‘what they did’ or ‘the mighty gifts they received’, from God.
Noah - who built the Ark with all God’s creatures, and survived the Great flood;
Abraham - whom God made a covenant with, and was the father of many nations;
John the Baptist - who baptised all, and prepared the way for the coming Messiah;
Moses - who parted the Red Sea, and received the Ten Commandments from God;
Samson - who was known for his great strength, derived from his uncut hair;
Mary - who had a miraculous virgin birth, and was the mother of Jesus/Yeshua (His hebrew name);
David - who, with a smooth stone and sling, slew a mighty giant named Goliath; and Solomon - who was well known for his great Wisdom, he received from God.
Throughout recorded history - people everywhere, have either heard of or read about ‘the Wisdom of Solomon’, from when he was alive as the King of Israel, right through to the present day; his story is known across the world, his name is synonymous with this powerful virtue, across time, borders and languages.
When he was King, the word of his great Wisdom went out through all the land, from the lips of his own people, to countries far and wide, beyond their borders. People everywhere, had witnessed God’s blessings descend upon the land of Israel, because of the close relationship Solomon had, with his glorious Maker.
Even now, centuries after his death, his words are still the subject of discussions, debates and gatherings the world over, and written about by authors abound, through books, articles and private writings, both in print and on cyberspace.
Hollywood movies have been made about him too, and documentaries as well. The story of his life, has been translated into many languages, for the benefit of all, desiring to learn of this great man, and his close relationship with God.
Since his passing, his words have been admired, revered and deeply pondered: by kings, emperors and presidents; by scholars, lawyers and philosophers, and by all who desire to attain this mighty and perspicacious virtue, for themselves.
It’s hard to believe, but some even think that, if they can read everything he ever wrote, and every word he ever said, and look at it long enough and hard enough, that somehow, they too, would be able to acquire this great virtue for themselves by their own efforts, through a deeper understanding of his words and actions.
Actually, did you know that acquiring this great virtue, is simplier and easier to do, than most people realise; No, you don’t have to have a BA in Theological studies or decades of religious teaching under your belt, to be given this gift from God.
In the book of James 1:5, it says - 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.
For those of us desiring to acquire it, it is indeed a worthy gift to ask for, from the Almighty, as Solomon himself found out, when he asked for it, from God.
For other sources of this great virtue - examine the words of Jesus if you will, when He spoke publicly, He immediately made a connection with the people.
When they saw Him speak, they could see how He identified with them, and all that they go through in life. In His own loving words, He introduces them to a side of God, that is both understanding and approachable, who is not as aloof and distant as many had been led to believe. Never before, had they seen a person, who was as knowledgable and understanding of heavenly matters, as He was, who spoke with authority, as someone who knew what He was talking about; frequently sharing His knowledge of heavenly things, things that an ordinary person could not possibly know of on his own, unless God were with Him.
He showed us (by example), that God is infact, a lot closer and more accessable than we can possibly imagine; and that we don’t have to be a scholar, a lawyer or even a religious leader, to have our eyes opened to the Wisdom of God; it can be for anyone, anyone who shows sincerity and humility, before the Almighty.
Ultimately, we must accept the fact - that our own wisdom, is limited and flawed, and prone to error, a sad fact, but true nevertheless; for we may try to do our best, but in the end, human beings make mistakes, and we can’t get away from that.
For many of us, this is a hard thing to accept, but it is the truth - it is because of our sin (that separates us from God), that our own wisdom, is finite and two dimensional in nature, and does not come close, to the Infinite Wisdom of God.
Remember, our glorious Creator, is not subject to any limitations or conditions we might try and impose on Him (in our mortal and limited understanding); in the end, we may not always fully grasp what He reveals to us about Himself, but our ‘inabilities and shortcomings’ cannot limit the truth of who and what He is to us. We must learn to trust in Him, and know that He has our best interests at heart.
Thankfully, there is great kindness and understanding in the Heart of God, and it shines brightly for us all, even though we are flawed and imperfect. He sees us with all our shortcomings, failures and mistakes, and yet, loves us all the more.
In Psalm 111:10 pt, it is written - The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom; unlike the fear of men, who shake and tremble before their brutal earthly rulers, our fear of the Lord, is completely different to such men and their earthly fear, who rule with terror and subjugation, and the Lord, who rules with Authority!
For us, our fear of the Lord, is acknowledging the greatness of God; the One, the Only: Maker of all things seen and unseen - Our mighty Creator and Savior!
His lofty Kingdom towers above all creation, at the very summit of the heavens! It sits forever in eternity - with majesty and resplendence as it’s clothing, mercy and understanding as it’s habitation. How great is our beloved Maker, who rules masterfully from His glorious throne, with the heavens and the earth far below.
The works of His hands He made, with all the precision of a master Watchmaker!
The heavens He created - the enormous expanse of the Universe high above our heads; so huge and voluminous is it’s size, that it stretches from one end of heaven to the other. It houses all the stars of our vast night skies, and every type of celestial object you can possibly think of, Behold! they are without number!
Lift up your heads, and see the works of His mighty hands - the sun, moon and the stars, and all that fills this vast expanse. All that is there, above our heads - they testify to His magnificence, proclaim His perfection, and declare His glory!
The earth He made - it sits suspended in space, far below His watchful gaze! It turns silently and purposefully on it’s axis, and tilts (obliquity) for the seasons. His magnificent creation rotates daily from west to east, creating day and night for all that calls this place home, Behold! it obeys the Will of Him, who made it!
Lift up your eyes, and look upon ‘the jewel of His creation’, see the beauty of all He has made - the rolling hills, green valleys and gorgeous lakes; the snow- capped mountains, lush forests and stunning waterfalls, that are upon the earth.
What He has made, is so vast and so impressive, it takes our very breath away!
The lifeforms He put on the earth - man and woman, the animals of the field, the birds of the air, the insects of the ground, the fish of the sea, and the flora of the land; all these He created, and put upon the face of the earth. After He had finished, He looked upon all that He had made, and Behold! it was very good!
All things seen and unseen, in the heavens and on the earth - they give testimony, to the glory and splendor of it’s mighty Creator, residing in His exalted domain.
In Psalm 89:6, it is written - For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
Such authority, such power, such workmanship, Behold! our arrogance has fled!
He is the Author, He is the Inventor, He is the Architect, He is the Landscaper, He is the Master Builder, He is the One and Only; He is all these rolled into one.
Who among us, can even challenge this?! There is no-one, No, not even one!
Join with me my friends, in recognizing the greatness of God, in our hearts!
When we fear the Lord, we think of the great passages in the bible, that describe what Jesus did, when He and His disciples were out on a boat, during a terrible storm: how He stood up, and personally rebuked the winds and the seas, and how quickly they obeyed Him and became silent, and a great calm came over the area. It is quoted in 3 gospels - Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25.
How mighty is He, who came to us in human form, to command the elements!
These accounts (all written, by those who were there with Him, in the boat), describe the absolute ease, in which the winds and seas obeyed His commands!
Truly, we must learn to fear the Lord, like the sons and daughters of the bible! Think about what they must have felt - when they were ‘in the presence of God, or His holy Angels’ and ‘conversing with the Almighty, one-on-one’! What an extraordinary privilege it is - to be in the presence of greatness and perfection! Here are a few earlier examples in the bible, before Jesus started His ministry.
In Job 38:4, the Creator spoke directly to Job, by asking him - Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
This is only a small part, of what God actually said to him on the day, but Job must have felt really small, when he heard the thundering voice of the Almighty coming down at him, from out of the whirlwind, and challenging him on his actual whereabouts, when He was creating the very foundations of the earth.
I don’t know about you, but it sends shivers, up and down my back, just reading this again. It must have been both breathtaking and terrifying, all at the same time, to hear His mighty voice thundering down at him, from out of the storm! or Moses in Deuteronomy 9:9, where he went up into the great mountain of God - mount Sinai, to receive God’s Law personally (the Ten Commandments), and be with Him, consuming neither bread nor water, for forty days and forty nights.
That’s nearly 6 weeks without food or water, of any kind; he must have felt, that this was such an important opportunity, to spend time with his mighty Creator; one that he didn’t want to miss a single moment of, that he was willing to forgo the essentials of physical living - nourishment and hydration, in order to do it.
To Moses, He knew, that this was one of the most important events to happen in human history - to be personally handed the Laws of God, from God Himself!
His fear of the Lord, was the driving motivation, to obey God, and do His Will. or Mary in Luke 1: 26-38, who was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who announced the good news, that she had found favor with God, and would soon conceive, and have a son called Jesus / Yeshua (His hebrew name) - ‘the son of the Highest.’
Her fear of the Lord, made her accept, what the Angel was saying would happen. or The shepherds in Luke 2:8-20, who were out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night; when Christ, our beloved Redeemer, was born in Bethlehem.
How they were visited by an Angel of the Lord, who told them of the wonderful news - that a savior had been born unto them, in the city of David; and suddenly a multitude of the heavenly host appeared, who praised God with great joy, this amazing event, that would change people’s lives forever, for the Glory of God.
That this was the most momentous news ever delivered in human history, and these humble shepherds knew, that they had become a part of history that night!
Their fear of the Lord, made them accept what the Angel announced, was the truth.
What these sons and daughters of God all have in common, is that they feared God greatly, in their hearts: they recognized His greatness in all the earth, and we should all do just as they did - fear God, with great reverence and humility!
Remember, our fear of the Lord, is knowing how great He is, and acknowledging His absolute authority, over all that He has made, both seen and unseen, and also to do His Will; if you believe this with all your heart, then you are already wise,
if you believe in the saving power of Jesus sacrifice, then you are already wise,
if you believe in the power of Jesus resurrection, then you are already wise,
if you have made Jesus ‘The treasure of your heart’, then you are already wise.
These are just a few examples, that show how we have already attained wisdom.
Having this wonderful virtue doesn’t necessarily mean, that you’ll be sprouting phrases of wisdom all day long; all it means is that, you will very likely have an increase in - perception, clarity of thought, understanding and judgment, far and above your previous abilities; in other words, you will greatly exceed what you were previously capable of, before you received this powerful gift, from above.
So the message here is - We must not trust in our own flawed human wisdom, but in the Wisdom of God, that comes to us from our beloved Maker and Savior, and we should learn to fear God, as the sons and daughters of old, in the bible.
Lift up your eyes unto Heaven, and give thanks, for all that He has given you!
In the name of our beloved Maker and Savior - Jesus / Yeshua (His hebrew name)
God bless
