How Can I obtain Wisdom?
So often I encounter people who covet wisdom! With
their heads bowed down into their hands, they wonder if there will ever be a
solution to the impasse they are facing.
We all go through tough times like these, but more
often than not, the decisions we make are far from prudent.
Job, too, the one who faced a myriad of calamities,
wondered the same thing: "But where can wisdom be found? Where does
understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in
the land of the living." (Job 28:12-13 NIV)
Is there even such
a thing
as wisdom?
One of the strangest things I first saw in Iceland was
long barbed-wired fences with ladders built over them. Why build a barbed-wire
fence and then stick a ladder over it? It made no sense at all. Needless to say,
I was hesitant to climb them!
The more I travelled through that country though, the
more such ladders over fences I observed. I discovered that the purpose of these
fences was to keep grazing animals corralled, while the ladders were for those
(like us tourists) who wanted to experience something special within the
containment of the fence, like a natural rocky spiral protruding from the ocean
or a natural waterfall. Quite neat, don't you think?
Truly, "Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and
nothing you desire can compare with her." (Prov 8:11 NIV)
Without these ladders, the tourists of the MacGyver
type would find a way around these
fences, and probably damage them. It's amazing what tourists would do to have a
closer look!
One thing about wisdom is for certain: "A fool finds
pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom." (Prov
10:23 NIV)
Wisdom is not for the wicked. In fact Job was not far
off when he concluded that, "It cannot be found in the land of the living."
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's
sight." (1 Cor 3:19 NIV)
But is wisdom even possible in this world?
There are ladders over prickly fences in Iceland,
aren't there? So wisdom is indeed available. The first step to wisdom is fear of
the Lord. "The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom…" (Prov 15:33 NIV, See also
Job 28:28 and Ps 111:10)
Now this may well be an oxymoron, but many among us
don't even have a grip on what it means.
In one of the episodes of Combat Hospital, a doctor
who was in charge of a medical facility in Afghanistan was talking on the phone
to his wife in Canada. Just as she was mentioning that there were some things
they needed to talk about, his beeper went off. An emergency was on its way, and
he didn't get to learn what those "things' were. As a result, he started to
imagine the worst scenarios and his heart was not into his work. He was scared
to death of losing his wife.
The next day when he finally was able to reconnect
with his wife, he discovered that these "things" was to obtain permission for
his 17-year old son to go to a certain concert. Needless to say, his heart was
flooded with relief.
The fear of the Lord is quite similar to what that
doctor went through. The fear of the Lord is all about being scared to death of
wandering away from God and estranging ourselves from the One who is the most
important in our lives.
If we have such a fear of hurting the One who made a
difference in our lives, wisdom is within our reach. Wisdom is, after all, only
obtainable to the ones who hunger for God, as He is the source of all wisdom!
"For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and
understanding." (Prov 2:6 NIV See also Eph 1:8)
If He is the source to all wisdom, the next step for
us is to simply ask Him to give us wisdom. And guess what? It will be given to
us! "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5 NIV)
There is one condition, though, that many of us fail
to meet, due to our tendency to doubt and worry: "But when he asks, he must
believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown
and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from
the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6-8 NIV)
God's wisdom will not only guide us through life, it
will also help us "know Him better"! "I keep asking that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him better." (Eph 1:17-18 NIV)
Wisdom is like that ladder over barbed-wired fences.
It leads us beyond the prickly situations of our life. Why not reach for it?
I wonder what's on the other side of that fence?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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