Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: ‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?’” (Proverbs 1:20-22)

As Easter approaches, many Christians are celebrating Lent, a forty-day “fast,” to remember Jesus’s wilderness experience, during which they deny themselves some treasured food, habit, or material possession. It is a time of reflection and repentance, in anticipation of Jesus’s resurrection. I think it is interesting that my planned theme for this week is ‘scoffing’ and have been wondering how the two fit together in the providence of God. I fully expect the Lord to give me insights as the week progresses. However, today the link seems to be in those who don’t practice Lent, who scoff at the very idea of denial as necessary in the life of a Christian.

As the week progresses, we will explore various passages to develop a working definition of biblical scoffing. For now, let us look to Proverbs 21:24: “’Scoffer’ is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride,” and Psalm 73:8-12 “They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth…And they say, ‘How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?’ Behold, these are the wicked.” Scoffers mock God and his commands, trusting arrogantly in their self-righteousness. I propose, though, that since we all still have a working sin-nature in us, scoffing cannot be relegated only to unbelievers. Otherwise, Paul would not have written, “I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7:22-23).

We know the answer to Lady Wisdom’s question in Proverbs 1:22. Scoffers will delight in their scoffing and fools will hate knowledge until they repent, for forgiveness from God. Our first confession of scoffing as unbelievers is repentance of rejecting Jesus Christ up to the point of regeneration. However, I find that I need to continue repenting of scoffing whenever I “decide” to discount God’s decrees so I can go about doing whatever foolish thing my heart desires. I embarrassingly confess that I have to repent of this scoffing all too often, knowing that my choice isn’t what God chooses for me and will have negative consequences. A simple example is that I still stay up too late to listen to music or watch Netflix, instead of using my time to do Bible study, knowing that I will be tired in the morning, with a full load of studying to do. And I like Bible study! With Paul, I declare, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).

When I scoff at God, I deny the sacrifice that Jesus made for me, how he suffered physically, mentally, and spiritually on the cross for my salvation. Do you appreciate his sacrifice? Will you join me as we rejoice that Jesus saves scoffers?

 

 

March 17

“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:22-24) 

Today I am taking the liberty of quoting excerpts from an article published on Core Christianity’s website that has made an impression, entitled “Why You Need to Be in Church This Sunday” by Adriel Sanchez. *

“I’m a 29-year-old minister who has seen the dangers of domesticating worship. Our low view of the Sunday gathering as pastors has resulted in the church being an optional assembly. If people can get their church experience at home on the couch, there’s no reason for them to drive anywhere. When we strip worship of its weird beauty (the beauty of the Sacraments, preaching, liturgy, mystery), we’re left with a spectacle which we’ve organized to attract consumers, and they move on as quickly as they arrive. We need to stop trying to keep people on earth in worship, and start giving them the experience of the heavenly sanctuary, reverence and all.

“In Scripture worship is the intrusion of God’s alien kingdom upon us. It may seem quite ordinary to the one without faith, but for the faithful, something magnificent is happening in the mundane. The author to the Hebrews put it best when he said that in coming together for worship, we are coming to: “the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” (Heb. 12:22-24)

“This Sunday, God invites you, together with your brothers and sisters, to ascend his holy mountain. To join the angels around us, and the martyrs, who preceded us…He offers to feed you, not ordinary food, but heavenly food…In the Bible, worship was far from comfortable, but it was life-giving (Jn. 6:53).  It’s life-giving still.

Where will you be today? Who will you bring with you?

* https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/why-you-need-to-be-in-church-this-sunday

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-21)

I just came from seeing the movie, “I Can Only Imagine.” I have known and enjoyed the song for many years. I appreciated one particular aspect of the movie very much—Bart remembered and reflected on all the pain he experienced growing up. He was encouraged to use that pain in his music career. Only by looking back can we appreciate how far we and others have come, by God’s grace, from darkness, ignorance, and worldly wisdom. The pain of being lost, confused, hopeless, and ignorant should result in our greater relief, joy, appreciation, and gratefulness for Christ’s regeneration and our life with him. Paul looks back to Isaiah when God pronounced a curse on unfaithful Judah for seeking the world’s discernment rather than God’s. The Lord promised the nation that he would bring them down for their folly, which is what he did. The prophet Jeremiah also warned the people that “The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?” (Jeremiah 8:9) God sent his people into exile and four hundred years passed.

A baby was born to a virgin, fathered by the Holy Spirit. He grew “in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). He lived in perfect holiness, preaching repentance in the kingdom of God. He died a Savior’s death to atone for the sins of the elect, who share in his wisdom, his suffering, and his blessings. Paul now asks, “Where is that one, the wise scribe or debater” of the world? They have been made fools by the cross, the wisdom of God, which is nonsense to unbelievers, and the power of God to believers. In the film, church, the Bible, and Christian music were foolish to Bart’s father; he could not accept that there was anything worthwhile in pursuit of these while he was unsaved. He could not accept what his little boy understood, because of the power of the cross. As Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25).

Do you search for wisdom in the world? What do you expect to find there? Will you instead look to the atoning cross of Jesus as a little child, with your eyes wide open?

 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-6)

A few years after becoming a Christian I determined to let the people I love know that I love them by saying so. I wasn’t sure how some of my family members would react since we were not in the habit of being verbally affectionate. I was most impressed by the change in my relationship with my father; he returned my declarations of love with warm smiles and long hugs. Godly love transforms relationships in a way that is impossible for human love. God’s love converts an acrimonious parental relationship into one that is adoring and compassionate. God’s love transforms our entire beings to delight in him; agape love occupies our hearts, souls, and minds. Our new strength is God’s power working in us.

When we know Christ, who is the wisdom of God, the commands of the Lord are love-gifts from our heavenly Father. Instead of rules that burden and demand allegiance, God’s ordinances are reminders of how to show our love to him. We love the Lord by loving Jesus Christ with all our being; this is the greatest commandment and fulfilled by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Matthew 22:38). Isn’t it a great relief to know that Christ in us brings us to the fountain of God’s love with an undivided heart, soul, and mind? Wisdom does not strive and struggle against God’s commandments but embraces them as the way to draw nearer to the One we adore passionately. No wonder Jesus called this the highest commandment (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).

Religious Jewish families today continue to work hard at obeying God’s commands by legalistically following hundreds of rules, including Sabbath prayers and customs, the boy’s bris and bar mitzvah, as well as home life and funeral rituals. I grew up in a Reform Jewish family and was aware of just a few of these customs. But what a relief it is to know that the wisdom I want comes from God in the form of love, not impossible demands. When he writes his commands on my heart, I delight in them (Deuteronomy 6:6; 11:8).

Here are a few other related passages:

“The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.” (Psalm 37:30-31)

“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law…” (Isaiah 51:7)

“The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7)

“And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3)

Will you wisely seek God’s love with all your heart, soul, and mind? And will you love him in return, by Christ’s strength?

“The wise of heart will receive commandments.” (Proverbs 10:8)

Do you enjoy being “casual” in your attire or with your speech? It used to be that people were fairly formal most of the time at work and social events and enjoyed relaxing with family or friends casually. Today, casual is the new normal, including but not limited to casual clothing, casual notes over social media, casual messaging, and casual dating, and even casual sexual relationships. The danger of being too casual is that we presume to know other people, and God when we don’t know them very well. On February 3rd, we considered Proverbs 9:10, which says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” If we take the statement literally, fearing God is only the beginning of wisdom or the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). But then Solomon goes on to say that having knowledge of God produces insight; like knowing a family member well gives us insight into their character.

Merriam Webster’s online dictionary definition of casual includes: subject to, resulting from, or occurring by chance; occurring without regularity; met with on occasion; known only superficially; and feeling or showing little concern. Using these definitions, we can see that there is an obvious risk of approaching God casually. One difficulty is that one cannot know God well and casually at the same time. The true God of the Bible is never informal or easy-going. He takes his creation, his creatures, sin, forgiveness, and himself very seriously. Therefore, those who seek to know him, to have insight and wisdom, must also take him seriously.

Those who have an informal view of God do not take his commandments solemnly. Many profess to know God but are determined to know only those aspects of God’s character which they find useful. To these, the writer of Hebrews declares, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” God’s law says, “Be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16). Jesus Christ said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17)

Is having a wise heart for God more important to you than being casual? Will you embrace the Holy Spirit’s help to treasure God’s commandments in your heart?

“Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you.” (Proverbs 22:17-19)

It’s always good to return to the premise of a book or article to remind ourselves of the writer’s objective. In the passage above Solomon reminds us that he wrote his proverbs for the reader “to  know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth” (1:1-4) He goes on to say,  “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance… The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (1:5, 7).

In chapter 22, verse 17 he instructs us to turn toward him to hear wise words and then to apply our hearts to learn them. Imperatives (commands or instructions) in Scripture often follow indicatives (truths); in this case, instruction comes first. Those who are smart and secure will listen to the words of wise, godly people and learn from them. In fact, the most effective way to learn, to take in new knowledge, is by reading, watching, or hearing from those more informed than us. By listening to others in humility and making application of biblical knowledge we develop wisdom. We do this not in idle curiosity but trusting in God, since that is their purpose (v. 19). Let us not overlook the admonition to keep these words on our lips for greater wisdom, and that others might benefit from them (v. 18).

Do you diligently pursue wisdom by reading doctrinal articles, listening to biblically based sermons, and studying Scripture exegetically? Or do you expect to learn passively without working at it? If our Savior, Jesus Christ, had approached his task passively in this life, he would not have qualified as our Redeemer. He actively obeyed his Father by applying the Law to every aspect of life, for our benefit. “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” (Proverbs 21:2)

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:1-3)

Do you ever tell someone, “I am going to come?” Of course you do, and it’s entirely logical. In other words, we are planning to come (to an event or meeting). When you read the two passages above, did they seem to contradict each other? The two passages for our consideration today seem to oppose each other, but they do not. In Proverbs 21:2 Solomon states that the plans we make look right to us, as does our conduct. We are right unless proven wrong, that is, we are innocent until proven guilty. At least that is the way the world operates, and we do outside of the holiness of God.

The phrase “in his own eyes” alerts us to the problem and reminds us of the Israelites during the age of the judges when everyone “did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:7; 21:25). Proverbs 16:1 picks up on this idea, stating that our plans belong to us and that our ways are pure in our own eyes. But the biblical truth is that we are all guilty until our case is dismissed by God through the spent blood of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Only Jesus can prove our innocence, and only God can accurately judge our hearts and spirits. When the Holy Spirit operates in our hearts, we see our guilt and come under conviction of our impurity. In his mercy, God then turns our hearts, ways, and plans to his. The scales of justice are not balanced but in the best possible state of imbalance, as Christ’s weighty mercy throws us high in the air, like a seesaw with an adult on one side pitching the little child up higher than she ever imagined she could go, to her delight.

But how can we find this freedom to rise so high above our natural state when we unquestionably assume that our plans and ideas are right? The answer is found in Proverbs 16:3. If we have made a commitment to Jesus-to work for him, serve him, and live for him-then God will establish our plans. He will bring the intentions of our hearts into reality through his power because our hearts are united to his. God will omnipotently work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). When we speak, it will be as if God is speaking for us, on our behalf, with our agreement. When we work and minister, it will be because God is working in us.

Are you aware of the plans of your heart, or are you feigning naiveté? “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” (Proverbs 24:12)

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

This week we will take a break from our study of foolishness to remember and deepen our understanding of biblical wisdom that proceeds from our hearts. In “Keeping the Heart,” John Flavel comments on Proverbs 4:23, “The heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerated, and the best afterward; it is the seat of principles, and the foundation of actions…The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion, is to keep the heart with God.”(1) We do, in fact, struggle to keep our hearts faithful to Jesus, even with the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. The world pushes and pulls us to embrace values and priorities that are opposed to God. Sometimes well-intentioned friends, co-workers, and family members don’t understand why we have to make life so difficult for ourselves and can’t just relax and enjoy life as if being holy requires constant denial and suffering. We are often either controlled by our emotions, or trying to force them down.

Biblical holiness is not the same as Stoicism. There are some definite similarities when it comes to the ability to learn from and endure suffering. Stoicism emphasizes a detachment from the chaotic world to focus only on what is controllable within ourselves. However, this philosophy also teaches that good and evil are defined personally and differently for each person. “The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own.” (2) Wise handling of our emotions in our hearts is also different from the Eastern philosophical view, such as Buddhism. “Emotions are generally regarded in the mind of the Buddhist as aspects of our personality that interfere with the development of a spiritual life, as unwholesome states ethically undesirable, and roadblocks to be cleared in the battleground between reason and emotion. In keeping with this perspective emotions are described as states of ‘agitation’ or ‘imbalance.'” (3)

Stoicism and Buddhism have become integral in post-modern cultural philosophies and new-age thinking. But if my emotions are evil and to be sectioned off from my spiritual being, I am compartmentalized and cannot expect any unity within myself; I would always be divided. How can a divided being have an undivided love for God? On the other hand, humanists, atheists, and agnostics often elevate their emotions, even equating them with truth. What makes me happy must be what is true; if different things make us happy, it is because all truth is relative. Wise believers in Jesus Christ work to understand, confess, appreciate our emotions, while also keeping in view that they are not the seat of our faith, but part of our whole being. In other words, our emotions do not determine our beliefs but are an essential part of who we are.

Do you believe that a wise Father made you in his image, gave you a heart for him, and will help you know how to keep your heart? Will you treasure your heart as the source of life in Christ?

(1) Flavel, John, “Keeping the Heart,” CreateSpace Independent Publishers, 2016.             (2) Epictetus, “Discourses and Selected Writings”                                                                       (3) Johansson, Rune, “The Psychology of Nirvana,” London, 1969.

 

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

I had cataract surgery last week. I was sedated and my eye numbed as the surgeon broke up the old lens with the highly specialized tools and inserted the new lens. I did nothing other than submit to the care of the nurses for pre-op procedures and lie back as my surgeon did the work on my eye. I didn’t even drive myself home. God’s Word acts on us like a surgeon. The passage is familiar to Christians who have spent time studying Scripture under the discipleship of Christ and his under-shepherds. Let’s take another look at it, as we seek to have wisdom in our hearts to absorb all that God has to teach us for our corporate worship today.

The Bible is not a collection of helpful moral stories, history lessons, or principles for good living. With the incisiveness of a surgeon’s tool, it cuts our hearts, opening us up to discern what is in us, and has the power to remove the sin by God’s Spirit working in us, replacing it with the truth. We know that inanimate objects cannot possibly have these properties or perform this work and believe with confidence that God is the author of all Scripture, which is breathed out by him (2 Timothy 3:16). It is the Holy Spirit who is working through our study and meditation on Bible passages—he is living and active, more precise and sharper than any surgeon’s tool to pierce our soul, spirit, joints, and marrow. The Spirit penetrates all parts of us and leaves no part untouched by God’s Word when he is indwelling us. Today, when we hear Scripture read in church and listen to our pastor’s sermon, God is working to penetrate our whole being.

He is discerning the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Oh, it’s not us doing this either! This is all and only a work of God if we approach the Bible with sincerity and a desire to be changed by it. And change we must because our hearts are full of old nature material, like the cataract that has invaded the old lens. As the spoiled lens has to be removed, so does our wickedness and opposition toward God. “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29) After Scripture reveals our beliefs and desires (thoughts and intentions) of our hearts, it’s our turn to respond in faith by using this knowledge to confess and repent with humility and gratefulness (1 Corinthians 14:25). Then we can love our brothers and sisters in Christ more fully, worshipping together in unity and holiness.

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” (1 Peter 1:22-23)

“The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Proverbs 16:23-24)

One of my favorite children’s series is Winnie-the-Pooh, and Poor bear is my all-time favorite character. He’s a pudgy teddy bear whose big tummy attests to his love for honey. He will do anything, and I do mean anything, to get a pot of the delicious stuff. My enjoyment of Pooh and honey motivated me to think about the picture given to us in our passage today. After all, we have spent the last five days studying that which is foolishly opposed to God. It is a relief, is it not, to spend some time considering what is judicious, persuasive, sweet and healthy?

Honey not only tastes good but has many health benefits, especially compared to cane sugar. Honey has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties and has been used to treat conjunctivitis, corneal injuries, coughs, immune deficiencies, lesions, high cholesterol, and oral infections. Wise King Solomon would have known about these benefits. As honey is sweet to the taste and health to the body, gracious words are pleasing to the soul and good for the body. The most gracious words in any language are the words of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which have the power to heal the soul of the effects of sin. They are the purest sweetness and the fittest health for the sinner who isn’t just sick but is spiritually dead. Not only are the gospel words rich to the sinner, but they are sweet to the Lord, as his Word does not return empty (Isaiah 55:11).

Wise hearts produce speech that persuades and supplies health and well-being to the hearers. The wise know what to say at the appropriate time and how to say it because Christ’s people have been in his school of wisdom where he has molded their hearts in compassion and empathy. As their hearts are conformed to his love, holiness, mercy, and sensitivity, our speech becomes more persuasive. Their ability to win others over to Christ is not a matter of manipulation and strategy, but one of truth and the power of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. When they speak to those mourning the loss of a loved one they are comforted; if they talk with those who are suffering physically, there is relief. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)

Like busy honeybees, believers draw heavenly nectar from the flowers of the gospel, creating sweet combs of blessings to offer to others. Pooh bear may not like to share his honey, but he’s just a cute stuffed animal. In the real world, God uses his children not only to gather honey but deposit it into the lives of others, generously and abundantly. Are you doing that?