“Living Skillfully in the Midst of Foolishness”

“Living Skillfully in the Midst of Foolishness”

Proverbs 2:6-8
“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;  he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.”

God Gives Wisdom

Here Solomon states that the Lord gives wisdom speaking knowledge and understanding.  He also states that God stores up sound wisdom for His people. So any serious pursuit of wisdom will lead the seeker to its source which of course is God himself.  If God has stored up wisdom and gives it freely to those who ask for it in faith, then wisdom is certainly a gift from God.
We know from the Scriptures that God speaks to those who pray. We also see in the Scriptures many instances where God has spoken to a group of people who were gathered together in prayer. In every case where God has spoken, His wisdom, knowledge, or some insight that was previously hidden was released to those who were seeking Him.

Wisdom is Essential
Wisdom carries with it the idea of “good sense” and “skill” for the purpose of living skillfully. God is not interested in having His people living like fools. God has an infinite supply of wisdom, infinitely more than enough for us to live by in our lifetime. Proverbs is quite clear that it is God’s desire that His people demonstrate His wisdom to the world by skillfully navigating all the ups and downs we experience in this life.

In Proverbs 4:7 Solomon says that acquiring wisdom is the first sign of having a measure of it. God will give gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and insight by the Holy Spirit, to those who pray. How often have you read these words in the bible “He that has an ear let him hear?” At least seven times in the Book of Revelation alone the Churches were told to “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.” Jesus in John Chapter Ten says “My sheep hear my voice.” So you can see that hearing from God is quite normal for the genuine Biblical believer. Therefore God’s wisdom should be a most notable trait of the Church.

Wisdom is Essential to The Church

Paul in Ephesians 5:15-17 tells the Church to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
We know from Ephesians 1:7-9 that God has given the Church wisdom to carry on His will of uniting all things in heaven and on earth in Christ. We know from Ephesians 3:10-11 that “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose (God’s will) that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  

The Church is as Jesus stated; the salt and light of the world. Salt preserves, and light shows the way in darkness. How important it is for the entire Church to hear God’s wisdom, and be guided by what The Spirit is saying. The whole world depends on the wisdom that comes from God through the Church for its survival – whether it knows it or not.
In 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 Paul explains where the Church’s wisdom and knowledge comes from, when he said; “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

So, be much in prayer because God desires you to be among those who know the mysteries of the Kingdom. He wants you to receive revealed Wisdom and knowledge from His Holy Spirit. Your life, as well as the lives of those around you, will change dramatically by you knowing the will of God, living skillfully, and following what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Remember, whatever The Spirit is saying to the Church, He is saying to you. Walk in God’s wisdom and Be Encouraged!

John S. Picarello