Wisdom means the mind of the wise hence fools are deemed not to have wisdom. Wisdom encompasses experience, knowledge, and good judgment from which sensible or wise thinking is produced. The psalmist said in Psalms 119: 98 your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. Wisdom therefore comes with a relationship with God and it is contrary to any association with iniquity as many suppose.
Unfortunately, we have arrogated to ourselves God’s full wisdom upon the misconception that God created us in his image or likeness, so we are equal with God in wisdom. We fail to recognize God’s wisdom in our affairs because we have imbibed vain theories of equality with God including the big bang, one world religion, same sex agenda, unlimited knowledge etc.
Rivaling God is not new. In Genesis 3: 1-5, the serpent said to the woman (Eve), “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”… “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” This deception and its consequent disobedience never elevated man to be like God yet we continue to embrace this evil craftiness.
We read in Genesis 6: 5 that the LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. This state of affairs of man’s wickedness has not changed. In our web of evil, we are deceived to believe that it is wisdom. There is a difference between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of Satan or the world.
God’s supreme wisdom
God said in Isaiah 55: 8-9, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. No matter what we do or wish for, we cannot rival God in any way with our perishable nature and very limited knowledge and wisdom. The world is under illusion.
In our world today, scripture is fading away as irrelevant so we are being destroyed. The bible says in Hosea 4: 6 my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. As Hosea observed in his days, we have also failed God as his children in whom he trusted.
Wisdom of the world
Worried about our lost souls, God sent Christ Jesus to save us with his blood. In spite of his sacrifice, we continue to lean on our own wisdom and knowledge of sin to defy God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1: 18, for the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. The wisdom and knowledge of this world, if not applied under God’s directions through the Holy Spirit will destroy us. Only God’s grace will save us.
The world is under self-inflicted doom. Proverbs 14: 12 say, there is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. It is recast in Proverbs 16: 25 saying, sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end it is the way to death. The world is shifting from waiting on God towards adapting the attitude of impatience and self-sufficiency without God. Are we wise?
Setback of worldly wisdom
Worldly wisdom cannot lead us to God because it does not please God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2: 14 those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Any denial of God’s wisdom shows it comes from a contrary spirit. We must be careful of what we receive and practice.
Again, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3: 19-20 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Our knowledge, wisdom and logic are all foolishness to God except led by his enablement through grace. Our thoughts are destructive against our own peace and existence.
This confirms what is written in 1 Corinthians 1: 20, 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? Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1: 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. In proof of our inferior wisdom to God’s, 1 Corinthians 1: 27 said God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. What nature of wisdom do we have?
How must we apply wisdom?
Paul remarked in Galatians 3: 3 are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? We must not be foolish. We must apply wisdom under God’s guidance because foolishness could be packaged as divine wisdom. Paul cautioned in Ephesians 5: 17, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Applying wisdom means knowing and doing God’s will. We need God’s wisdom if we must solve the challenges of the world including wars, conflicts, hunger, mutilations, migrations, disasters, etc. The crafty wisdom of this world cannot resolve the issues.
Paul referred to his own life in Titus 3: 3, For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. Peter addressed Paul’s problem in 1 Peter 2: 15: for it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. We must be resolute with heavenly wisdom under the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 15: 5, apart from me you can do nothing. Do we have worldly or heavenly wisdom?
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, your wisdom surpasses all wisdom combined everywhere. We need your wisdom to be our guide in all circumstances so we may live with your truth which is life. Save us from the deceit which the enemy has packaged as wisdom and aimed at our destruction. Hide us in your pavilion and clothe us with divine wisdom to humble us in you. We humbly pray in the name of Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord, Amen!!
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