
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. - Proverbs 8:17
I was reading in Proverbs 8 recently and I came across this stunning verse. The whole chapter is precious, but I can’t add all of that to the Newsletter. So I’ve extracted this verse out of a number of poignant words spoken by Solomon. If you were to only focus on this sentence you would think that the speaker is God. And in a sense it is. But in the immediate context it is not the Lord speaking. You’d have to trek back to the beginning of the chapter to discover that the narrator is “Wisdom”, personified as a woman crying out to human beings from the heights, in the streets, at the gates of the city, and near the doors of houses. To summarize, she is inviting people to listen to her, to follow her counsel, and to value her above money. She intimates that high ranking leaders cannot be successful without her and that she leads her listeners into good paths. She suggests that she is older than creation, as old as God Himself. If she is found, she brings the favor of life without ending. Those who hate her, according to her own words, love death (vs 36). Yet, if Wisdom is loved and adored, she loves back.
Let me say first of all that there is nothing in all the realm of literature, no book on all of the grand and finely carved shelves of the world’s greatest libraries, and no modern writer or essayist that can compete with the compositions of scripture. Its imagery and depth, its ideals and layered meanings, its life altering poems and prose are without rival. What a sublime thought to consider…
The reason why this depiction of Wisdom is so relevant at the moment, at least for me, is because I find that there are so many individuals who are in such deep need of it (her) including myself. Over the last week and a half I have been contacted by numerous people I care about who were in need of Wisdom. There was a parent desperately trying to figure out what to do with their child. Three young marriages that are literally crumbling into pieces. A friend who thought life was taking one turn only to suddenly find out it was going another. And another friend whose devotional experience with God has been whittled down to nothing because of life changes. Then there is my own serious need as I am trying to balance being on sabbatical before I start my new job and having unavoidable responsibilities from that same new job rain down upon me prematurely.
What typically happens when we are confused about where to turn and what to do is that we tend to isolate, panic, rely on our own insufficient and ineffective ideas, or sometimes counsel with people who cannot help. But how often is our first instinct to turn to God as our source of unerring Wisdom? He says He’ll give it in unlimited supply if we ask Him. The Holy Spirit has been promised to us to serve as our counselor and comforter. And we are told that there is safety in a multitude of godly advisors. So why do we sometimes wait and then finally, eventually use God as a last resort when things get really bad? I find that when I go to God first that things work out so much better. Just last night I was faced with a dilemma. In a moment of clarity I knew that I needed more wisdom and strength than I had in the tank at the present moment. So I prayed and asked God for help before I took on the situation. The result? Amazingness. Then I said to myself, “why don’t I do this all of the time?” Turning to the Lord first and foremost, asking for the wisdom I need to make the right call and the courage follow through. It just works. This instance was better than how I handled myself earlier in the day when I was flustered and anxious.
If we were to ask for guidance step by step, listening for the voice of Wisdom calling out to us, we would avoid so many pains and offenses. If we would contact the most godly people we know and plead for their prayers at the beginning of trouble, we would likely dodge untold amounts of sorrow and foolishness. Here is a worthy endeavor, learn to love Wisdom. Listen to her crying out when you do not have an answer. Hear her telling which path to walk it. She’ll whisper to you to close your mouth when you need to be quiet. She’ll direct your words when someone is seeking your counsel. Never try to depend on your own thoughts. Always silently pray for God to tell you what to do and say. Because the God of Heaven is infinitely wiser than you and I will ever be.
Pastor Anil Kanda will be preaching this coming weekend. He most recently served as the Senior Youth and Young Adult Director for the Conference but has taken on the Vice President of Ministries role as of this week! Anil is also the host of Hope @ Night on the Hope Channel. He’s a longtime friend, a colleague, and we both will have the privilege of serving in the administration of the Conference together for the next 5 years. I know that the Holy Spirit is going to speak powerfully through him on Sabbath. Praying for you all!
Pastor Dean