Some people are intelligent, educated, informed, clever, but the truly wise bow to the Source of all wisdom.
- Like Solomon, who wrote, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).
- Like Daniel, who said, “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his” (Daniel 2:20).
- Like Paul, who told the church at Corinth, “You are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Without His wisdom, we’re lost in the wilderness, with no compass or map to guide us. Ah, but with His wisdom, we’re on the path to peace and the road to righteousness, following the One who leads with love.
Both Hebrew—chokmah—and Greek—sophia—capture the same meaning: “wisdom, skill.” Wisdom isn’t simply thinking; it’s also doing. God pours His wisdom into those who love Him, so we’ll use it for the good of others and for the glory of His name.
How does His wisdom work in the real world? I invited my speaking and writing sister, Susie Larson, to share her heart with us this week. If you’ve not heard Susie on her radio show, Live the Promise, then here’s the scoop: she loves God, loves His Word, and loves people, which explains why everybody loves Susie!
Adapted from her brand-new book, Your Sacred Yes, from Bethany House Publishers, Susie Larson points us to wisdom’s Source:
In a day where chaos seems to reign, it’s good for us to remember where our help comes from: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Consider our tendency to race through life at sprint pace. We run ourselves ragged until we’re overwhelmed and underjoyed. I lived that way for years. But you know something? It wasn’t wise. And it surely wasn’t God’s best for me.
Dallas Willard once gave this advice to John Ortberg: “You must arrange your day so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God.”
How do you need to rearrange your day so you can experience regular deep contentment, joy, and confidence with God? Pause and really think about that question for a moment because it’s a life-changing proposition.
Caught up in this whack-a-mole culture, we ask God to bless us quick. “I need a green light here, Lord. I’m late!” Or, “Please, please don’t let that officer pull me over.” Or, “Why did I sign up for this? How did I get myself into this mess? Lord, get me out!” We race ahead and repeatedly beg God to bail us out.
Here’s an important point: God’s love never goes away. Our mess-ups don’t make Him give up on us. He’ll meet us in all of our wandering ways and provide a way out and back to the path that’s best for us. He provides new mercies every morning because we need them. But still, when we’re sloppy with our yes, we miss out on God’s best.
Now consider the invitation not to race ahead, but to follow God’s direction in our lives. Sometimes God gives us more information than we expect, and other times, less. But the point is, when we wait on Him, we stay in step with Him. And every step we take will have redemptive possibilities.
God offers us wisdom for our daily lives because we need it. Dare to ask Him for more wisdom. Dare to trust Him as He leads. His will for you is your best-case-scenario. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
Thanks, Susie, for gently stepping on our toes with that green light bit (smile), and reminding us why God’s wisdom is worthy of our praise.
To celebrate Susie’s new book, I gave away 5 copies of Your Sacred Yes, choosing 5 winners at random from the many comments posted here. Congrats to Debbie, Holly, Julie, Bobbi, Laurie, and thanks to everyone for sharing!
Your grateful sister, Liz,
@LizCurtisHiggs
P.S. For my sisters in Michigan and beyond, a special invitation for Ladies’ Days at Gull Lake Ministries in Hickory Corners on June 16-19. Pick the day that suits—Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday—then join us and find out why It’s Good to Be Queen!