Godly wisdom

https://odb.org/2024/09/25/mind-blowing-teaching

Proverbs 3:5-10 NKJV –

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they not only sinned against God but acquired worldly wisdom. As a result, mankind likewise sinned and was separated from God, but we have an intellect that is far superior compared to other living creatures on earth. Worldly wisdom enabled us to achieve much throughout civilisations. We use tools in our everyday lives. We cultivate the land and rear animals for wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, meat, and milk. We could travel to the ends of the earth and back in a matter of hours or travel to farlands relying on vehicles rather than just our legs. Today, we could communicate, keep in contact, and visually see our loved ones through video calls and text messages via WhatsApp, sending photos and video clips wherever we are. It is amazing how far we have progressed as a human race compared to other animals.

Yet, Solomon, regarded as the wisest man ever lived, concluded in Ecclesiastes that life is vanity or meaningless unless we know God. Are we created just to live and die, to exist in the 60 to 90 years of our lives? Or do we have a higher calling and purpose in life? Proverbs, also written by Solomon, advises us to trust in God and not lean on our own wisdom. In all our ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct our paths. Fear the LORD and depart from evil. Do not be wise in our own eyes, speaking of the pride of life. Honour the LORD with our possessions and our produce (money), and He will fill our barns with plenty and our vats (tanks) with wine. This means we will have wealth and enjoy the finer things in life if we honour Him with what He blesses us in terms of our finances and possessions.

In the end, the Godly wisdom we should have on top of our human wisdom is the wisdom to put our trust in God. If we have God in our lives, our lives will not be vanity. With God in our lives, our lives will be meaningful as we get to serve Him and live our lives for Him. One day, we will live with God again in Eden recreated in the new heaven and new earth. Solomon was given the choice – do you choose wisdom or wealth? In foresight, I used to say that it’s a no-brainer as wisdom will lead to wealth. But true wisdom is really choosing God over everything else. It’s actually also a no-brainer, except that not everyone will choose God. Do we live by faith or by sight? Do we follow our flesh or our born-again spirit, led by the Holy Spirit?