Do You Need God's Wisdom For Something For You Personally?
I Need God To Clarify New Beginnings
Is there really any other kind of true wisdom than God’s wisdom? In truth all wisdom is from God. He is wisdom. The first time God’s word used the term wisdom was when God spoke to Moses giving him instructions in Exodus 28:3.
“So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,
that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.”
Exodus 28:3
God’s first statement recorded regarding wisdom shows us that He filled men with the spirit of wisdom to fulfill a specific aspect of ministry. That shows me, true wisdom comes from God and we need true wisdom to fulfill God’s plan, will, and ministry for us in this world.
The English term for wisdom is used over 200 times in the Bible. Therefore, we recognize God had a lot to say about wisdom. Proverbs is often known as the book of wisdom because out of those 200 plus times the term is used, 49 are found in the book of Proverbs. So, if we know we need wisdom, Proverbs is a great place to start to see what God clearly communicated to us about wisdom.
Proverbs is wisdom literature physically written by King Solomon for his own son. Notice I said “physically written”, because I believe the wisdom of Proverbs came to Solomon to write down as spiritually breathed words of God. Just as God spoke to Moses in Exodus 28:3 that He filled gifted artisans with His spirit of wisdom to make garments for the priest, God filled King Solomon to write His words of wisdom.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 Affirms That As Well
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Truly, Solomon was a gifted writer filled with God’s spirit of wisdom to write words that would travel throughout thousands of generations and minister truth into human hearts within extreme diversities of world cultures and languages.
I learned the reality of God’s word transcending the barriers of cultures and languages years ago on a mission trip to Bulgaria. A group from my church traveled to Bulgaria to minister in various churches. My role was to speak and teach God’s word to the women of these churches. I was very nervous because it was the first time I had ever spoken with a translator and I didn’t know if I could minister to women from a culture so different from my own. Would they really be able to connect with anything I had to say?
Well the answer ended up being, YES!
At the end of each event, after I taught from God’s word and paralleled it to how His word ministered to my everyday life, I knew God’s word transcended every human barrier. These women were so happy to hear God’s word taught to them. They all spoke of how the messages spoke straight into something specific and personal they were facing at the time.
All my concerns and fears were pointless, because it wasn’t that my life or my circumstances were relatable to them, God’s word related to them in their current daily life situations. These women found wisdom that practically helped them from God’s word.
The Eternalness of God’s Word
Now, take a moment to think about the fact that Solomon’s words were written some three thousand years ago. However, these are not antiquated words spoken long ago. These are eternal words that still speak truth today. Matthew 24:35 record Jesus’ words.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Matthew 24:35
I love what my NKJV Study Bible’s commentary stated about Matthew 24:35. “The words of Christ are more certain than the very existence of the universe.” In 1 Peter 1:25, Peter reminds his reader of the same fact pointing back to Scripture written by the prophet Isaiah many generations before him (Isaiah 40:8).
“But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
1 Peter 1:25
And of course, we see the same thing in Psalm 119 which focuses completely on the word of God.
“Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
Psalm 119:89
All of that to say that God’s word steadfastly remains the greatest place to receive His wisdom and guidance in our lives. God’s word was, is, and always will be true wisdom available for those of us who know that we need it.
My Personal Need For God’s Wisdom
Needing God’s wisdom in my life and ministry is exactly where I find myself. For the past twenty years, I have served the Lord in ministry. I love Jesus. I love what He did for me in taking my sins and redeeming my life from a pit of sin and darkness. I love how He has blessed me and transformed my life in ways I never thought possible. And, I absolutely love how He uses His word to speak intimately, personally, and specifically to me when I seek Him. All of that is why I cannot get over Jesus and why I can’t not serve Him in ministry.
With God’s sure calling deep inside my heart, I recently have sought Him for wisdom and direction in my ministry, yet struggled to even clarify my prayers. One morning this past week before the sun rose, I prayed. I told God how much I wrestled with praying for my ministry because I never wanted my ministry to be about me, but about Him and His kingdom. That morning as I looked back across two decades of ministry I realized how guilt and possibly even shame caused me pause in my prayers for my ministry. But still I prayed and asked God for wisdom and direction in my ministry.
After praying, I followed a Bible reading plan we are using in a small group at my church. The two chapters for that day were, James 1-2. There at James 1:5, God through His Spirit and His word stopped and spoke to me specifically, personally, and intimately saying,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all liberally and without reproach.”
James 1:5
God’s Answer
Specifically, I had asked God for wisdom that morning. Personally, I had shared my wrestle with guilt and shame for asking for wisdom and direction when my prayer was about me and my ministry. Intimately, He spoke and opened my eyes to see that He gives to all liberally and without reproach. That is what I needed in that exact moment.
The words without reproach compelled me to understand further. The original Greek meaning of without means “no, not” and reproach means defame, disparage, reproach. Generally speaking, reproach means to rail at, revile, or assail with abusive words (even of accusing a person).
My Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament stated that in James 1:5 the term for reproach was used in an absolute sense with a negative (without – no, not), meaning “to not upbraid with benefits conferred”, i.e. granted of bestowed. Upbraid isn’t a term I use in my everyday life, so I looked its synonyms. Synonyms of upbraid are: scold, reproach, chastise, reprimand, rebuke, or censure.
Ultimately what I understood God wanted me to know is that He would grant me wisdom and that He would not scold me, reprimand me, or even censure me with any form of criticism when I sought Him to give me wisdom nor when He gave me what I asked for.
All Of That Brings Me To You
Do you need God’s wisdom? Do you ever wrestle with any kind of guilt or shame when asking for yourself? God wants His people to know that He wants them to come to Him, to seek Him, and especially for wisdom. And when we do, He will absolutely not fuss, gripe, or criticize us in any way over our asking, but He will give us the wisdom we ask for.
So dear one, if you need God’s wisdom in any area of your life, ask Him for it!
