The Words of the Wise

When I come to the Word of God with the right attitude, I always come away having learned something truly wise. That is because in the Bible is found wisdom that is beyond the capability of man to invent or even to improve upon. After all, the Bible says, "...the world through wisdom did not know God..." (1 Corinthians 1:21a, NKJV) Human wisdom falls ever so short of the wisdom that God wishes to impart to us. It is through God's wisdom that we come to "know God," in a personal relationship that is not only life-changing, but also soul-saving! That is why the Apostle Paul advised his young protege Timothy to "...continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15, NKJV). Obviously, the key for learning God's wisdom is in His Word, the Holy Scriptures.

Through the writer of Proverbs, God spoke long ago about the importance of hearing His words of wisdom. The writer of Proverbs says for God, "Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge; for it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips, so that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?" (Proverbs 22:17-21, NKJV)

There are three things that you must do to know "the words of the wise." First, you must "incline your ear and hear" what God has said. Let's not make this too complicated. He is simply saying to listen to Him, in order to consider what He has to say. Next, you must "apply your heart" to God's "knowledge." To do that you must simply take what you have heard from God and "apply" it to your life, through letting His Word be your guide in life. Finally, you must let God's Word "be fixed upon your lips." This does not mean that you are to strap a Bible over your mouth, but rather that the words of the Bible should regularly be coming out of your mouth. This could mean quoting Scripture or simply saying things that are in agreement with Scripture. The point is, if you are seeking to know God's wisdom, you will be listening to His Word, applying His Word to your life, and using His Word as a standard for your own words.

Knowing "the words of the wise," will result in three basic benefits. First, you will know that truly "it is a pleasant thing" to have God's wisdom "within you." Anyone who has weathered trying times as a Christian, knows the power of what has been previously learned from God's word to bring peace, assurance, and courage when it is needed most. Second, through knowing God's wisdom, you will have placed "your trust" in the right place, namely "in the LORD." Salvation only comes through trusting the LORD by faith, and that faith comes through hearing and believing God's Word. Finally, having God's wisdom ready at hand in your life will enable you to "...answer words of truth to those who send to you." There will come a time when someone will approach you for advice for their life. Maybe it will be because they have seen you living by God's wisdom and have begun to desire to be able to do the same. Whatever the case may be, you can be ready for them, if you truly know God's wisdom. In short, to know God's wisdom is to be fortified with his strength, assured in your faith in Him, and equipped by Him to help others in finding His wisdom.

God has given a word to the unwise (to all of us): "...hear the words of the wise..."

"Thank-you, Lord, for Your Word. I pray that more will read the Bible today and every day. I know that Your Word has the power to change and save lives. I am living proof of that. May there be others that discover that too! In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."

IMPORTANT ARTICLE!

The following Baptist Press article is a must read for Southern Baptists who are increasingly called "intolerant" and "unkind" over their position on Scripture and salvation. This article illustrates the reasons why we have made the stand that we have.

Here is the link: http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=27331