You Can Trust God’s Wisdom

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

Romans 11:33-34

If we doubt that God is truly wise, we will be tempted to despair when things go wrong. On the other hand, understanding God’s wisdom helps us to trust Him and be secure in any situation.

Here are some areas we see God’s wisdom demonstrated:

Creation – Past and Present

By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. (Proverbs 3:19)

From the distant galaxies to the tiniest insect, everything we see is a product of God’s perfect design, not random chance. Every area of human knowledge, from mathematics to physics to biology, is just a tiny sliver of God’s great wisdom. All of our study in these and other fields, is an attempt to discover more of the wonders of His creation. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” (Psalm 19:1)

Some people believe that God created the world, then left us to fend for ourselves. But Colossians 1:17 says this about Jesus: “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”

Human History

If the presence of evil rulers bothers you, think of Pharaoh, who was cruel and oppressive to God’s people. Yet, “For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, ‘I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth’” (Romans 9:17). Yes, even Pharaoh, the wicked oppressor of Israel, was appointed by God to bring glory to Himself. And so it continues with today’s kings and kingdoms. God is still in control.

Our Relationship to God

One of the most “foolish” things to many people is the idea that God came to earth in human form, and then willingly allowed himself to be killed for the salvation of mankind. Yet 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that God’s “foolishness” is greater than human wisdom.

In His infinite wisdom, God sent Jesus to die for your sins. All God's children should take great comfort from this. Those who have not yet decided to follow Him should realize that His plan of salvation, strange or even foolish as it may seem, is true and is intended for you. Humbly accept that God is infinitely great and wise, and seek to follow Him.

God is Holy; God is Love

Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says, ‘I will live with these people and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ The Lord also says, ‘Leave them and stay away! Don’t touch anything that isn’t clean. Then I will welcome you and be your Father. You will be my sons and my daughters, as surely as I am God, the All-Powerful.’

2 Corinthians 6:16-18

Many say God’s holiness makes him judgmental, demanding a very high moral standard. Others say if God is loving, then he won’t condemn anyone but all will go to Heaven. Are God’s holiness and love opposite extremes?

God’s Holiness

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” (1 John 1:5).

Holiness (pictured here as light) is God’s nature. It unifies all his other characteristics. He is perfectly good, perfectly righteous, perfectly merciful, perfectly faithful, etc. All of his actions are determined by this purity that sets him apart from all others. “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.” (Leviticus 10:3)

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

God’s Purity

It is in the presence of God’s pure, holy light that we become aware of our sin. Isaiah said, “I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips...” (Isaiah 6:5) Even our good deeds are filthy compared to the purity of God’s holiness. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23) God does not judge sin out of cruelty:“...His eyes are too pure to look on evil or tolerate wrongdoing.” (Habakkuk 1:13) Yet, the holy mercy and love of God provided a way for Isaiah to be purified (Isaiah 6:6-7) and he does the same for us.

God’s Holy Love

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8).

Selfish motives and wrong thinking limit human love. Real love doesn’t tolerate selfish, hurtful behavior. God is pure love! (1John 4:10,16; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7) He desires holiness for his children: He wants us to be completely set apart for Him. What parent does not wish for a “perfect” life for their child? We lack the understanding and power to give that, but God does not. God wants to give us a new life, free from sin. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

God’s holiness does not limit or oppose his love; it defines it! “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:18) Are you experiencing this perfect, holy love?

How to Read the Bible

Scripture: “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible is the most read book in history. God has preserved it for thousands of years. Though it was written by many authors over hundreds of years, it tells one continuous story. Many people struggle to read and understand the Bible. Here are some key things to remember when reading the Bible.

It is a Collection of Books, all of which are God-breathed and: “…profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training…”

Moses. David. John. Paul -- all of them were writing to people of their own day about issues of their own time. It helps to know if a part of the Bible is reporting a story the way it took place, or if it is written for godly instruction. Ask yourself if the part you’re reading is a letter to a group of believers, a poem of praise to God or a prediction of future events. Asking these questions will help you understand why the author wrote it and what it meant to the people of their day.

Context is Important: “…All scripture…”

2 Timothy 3:16 promises that all Scripture is profitable. That means we can get something out of it, too, even if it was written to others. (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11) But sometimes people get the wrong idea by taking one or two sentences out of context. Learning how individual parts fit in with the whole Bible helps you understand the meaning of things that can be taken more than one way. Big ideas are repeated throughout scripture. It’s best to consider other ways an idea is shared if there’s any question. You don’t have to master the whole Bible to understand most passages. But if you hear an explanation that does not sound right, read a little more to see if it gets clearer.

Jesus and Paul use lots of Old Testament scriptures. This help us see how the Bible all fits together in God’s plan. John’s Gospel tells why it was written, a purpose that works for the whole Bible: “…so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31).

It is Spiritual: “…inspired by God…”

God reveals Himself to us through scripture, and the Holy Spirit helps us understand. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) God knows everything! There are no mistakes in the Bible. (There are a few things we won’t understand clearly without knowing the meaning of the rest of the chapter.) God wants us to know him, and He cannot lie. That’s why we can trust his word. Reading the Bible is a spiritual experience: ask God to guide you.

It Should Change Your Life: “…so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work…”

“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) When I read the Bible, I ask myself these questions: What does it say about God? What does it say about me (people/believers)? What is it telling me to do? Every time you read scripture you can grow in your faith and ask God to make those truths REAL in your life.

Resolution or Revolution?

Scripture: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16

It’s popular in many places to make New Year’s Resolutions: “This year I will lose weight” or “I will stop smoking” and so on.

However, most of these resolutions are doomed to failure. Research shows that 80% have given up on their resolutions by February, and that 2/3 of dieters gain the lost weight back in a year.

The Power

Why is it that most of us are powerless to make positive, long-term changes in our behavior?

The reality is that people do what they want to do. In the evening, it’s easy to say that you will get up early to exercise. But when the alarm rings the next cold, dark morning, getting out of bed suddenly becomes a lot harder.

Our own human efforts will not get us very far. That’s why today’s scripture is so important: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16).

As Christ-followers, we have God’s power inside us, giving us both the reason and the resources. Instead of simply trying harder, we can ask the Holy Spirit for the strength to do the right things. And even more, He can give us a heart – the desire – to do those things. The more we practice walking in the power of the Spirit, the more we will find ourselves wanting to do what is right -- instead of fighting a war against ourselves every day.

The Purpose

Maybe this is the year you’d like to train for a marathon, or lose fifteen pounds. Of course you should take care of your body, which after all is the “Temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

But remember Paul’s words to Timothy: “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

So by all means, plan to be physically healthy, but make it your highest priority to be spiritually healthy.

The Plan

So before you start making resolutions, why not first spend some time in prayer? Ask the Lord what He wants accomplish in your life this year. Cultivate a practice of spending just a few minutes (or a few more minutes) with the Lord each morning. Study what it means to live the Spirit-filled life, and passionately pursue the intimate relationship with God that He wants.

Finally, be confident in God’s work in your life: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).