God Alone is Truly Wise

owl

As we begin another week of social distancing and walking thru COVID-19 and all that comes with it, let us think on this - that God alone is truly wise.

What does this mean?

In Scripture, wisdom is a moral and intellectual quality. It means to harness and direct intelligence to a right end or goal; to use it to achieve right results. Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal. Wisdom, one could say, is the practical side of moral goodness. As such, it is truly found in God alone.

Think about this - how often is our wisdom frustrated by factors outside of our control or things we didn't see? That is much of life. Even the best laid plans and intentions fall by the wayside due to some factor or variable outside of our control ruining them, something we either couldn't control or something we couldn't foresee happening and thus didn't account for.

But God's wisdom is never frustrated, as it is allied with omniscience (all-knowing) and omnipotence (all-powerful). Job said in 9:4 about God, that "His wisdom is profound, His power is vast". Job 12:13 says "to God belong wisdom and power". Job 36:5 declares about God that "he has great power and mighty strength. Job 40:26, 28 declares about God that "His understanding no one can fathom".

Scripture regularly marries these two, wisdom and power. And think of why this is so important: wisdom without power would be pathetic, as you would be powerless to carry out your intentions. Power without wisdom would be frightening, as one might us their power in wrong ways. But with God, as these two characteristics are combined perfectly, He is presented as utterly worthy of our fullest trust.

What this doesn't mean, and what so many believers mistakenly take it to mean, is that everything then will go right, that believers will thus lead a trouble-free life, no pain, nothing upsetting, no hardships, and when these do occur, they wrongly conclude that God has either failed or doesn't truly exist or doesn't care. Nothing could be further from the truth.

God's wisdom has never promised to keep a fallen world happy, or to make ungodliness comfortable. Nor was it promised to make believers happy and comfortable and trouble-free in this world. Those are not the ends God intends for His wisdom to produce here and now.

Rather, God's desire is that His glory would be paramount in all the earth, that His people and acts would declare this throughout creation. That God would be our treasure, our prize, our joy, that we would rejoice no matter what in His saving grace, again, displaying His glory before a watching world.

This will only be fully experienced in the new heavens and earth, but even right now God is wisely using all things to bring everything to this end, to draw men and women to Himself, to deliver sinners, to defend His people, to show off His glory and steadfast love. And in all of this Jesus Christ is central.

If you look thru the Bible, you see throughout time the wisdom of God ordering events and using events in a fallen world for a double purpose: the individual's personal sanctification as He conforms them to Himself, and the fulfillment of an appointed ministry and service to others in the life of God's people. Joseph for one is a clear example of this, culminating in Gen. 50:20: "you meant it for evil, yet God meant it for good".

As Romans 15:4 declares, these things were written at least in part for our HOPE. The same wise God who led them then, leads us now. As we said last time, connecting all things is God Himself.

Therefore, believer, do not be taken aback when unexpected trials and discouraging things happen to us. For in these God is wisely at work, doing things that are not yet done, both in us and in this world around us.

Building patience in us, eliminating self-dependency, creating meekness, humility, breaking us of complacency, crushing pride, drawing us to Himself to experience true communion with Him, that God would truly be our greatest joy. Leading people to His saving grace.

We may be totally confused by what is happening to us, both in the past, present or future. But know that God is perfectly wise and knows what He is doing, what He is accomplishing, as He handles our affairs. We will only perfectly see this in eternity. But in the meantime, hang in there. Persevere in hope and faith rooted in the character of God.

See 2 Cor. 12:7-11. Paul's attitude is a model for us. May we be able to accept whatever comes our way as from an infinitely wise God, and thus show off His greatness through our mortal lives by trusting and glorying in Him no matter what. And may we be able to even rejoice in trials, knowing again that an infinitely wise God is working all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.