Sunday, March 12, 2023
Wisdom in the midst of chaos
The US is not just edging us to World War III, but a global recession. The sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank roiled global markets, and left billions of dollars belonging to companies and investors stranded. Banks and foreign governments are losing their pants on US Treasury bonds as the Fed hikes interest rates to contain inflation. One of the most important things to remember about investing in bonds is that bond prices move inversely to interest rates. That means when rates rise, bond prices fall, all else equal.
Chaos abound in today’s world yet those walking with God with a “listening heart” will thrive in these end times. In the Hebrew text “wisdom” literally means a listening heart.
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it. (Amos 9:13)
Yes, a Tsunami of blessings will soon come for God’s people as the world gets dimmer, sicker and darker as Pastor Carey prophesized. Hence there is no need for God’s people to fear.
Indeed you will even be a partaker of the favour of another man's labour. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not laboured; others have laboured, and you have entered into their labours.” (John 4:37-38). I have entered into some business arrangements whereby my partners have taken decades to build their global sales arm and network; which without, my books, my skills, my health courses and services will have no platform to showcase. But of course you must have some talents to offer them as there is no free lunch.
Today Joy Yee preached on what is true wisdom, how to abound in it, and how do we purchase such wisdom? She reminded us that Christ has purchased it for us on the cross. Wisdom is a Person. Even King Solomon in all his splendour failed to grasp this. The person who correctly wrote “How much better is wisdom than gold and understanding than silver” (Proverbs 16:16).
Joy Yee shared that the ancient Greeks literally worshipped and followed the ancient scholars and wisemen of their times. Likewise the ancient Chinese revered the sages like Confucius, Mencius and Lao Zi. Sure these people may be intelligent and knowledgeable, and flawless in their reasoning. In fact Confucius said in his analects that he is not the Saviour, and such a Saviour will come from the west and whose sandals he is not worthy to carry. So his followers went west and brought Buddhism from India which is west of China. But if they went further west, they will arrive in Jerusalem.
Mencius who lived in the times of Prophet Daniel correctly predicted the Saviour will come 500 years from his time. Lao Zi who wrote the Dao De Jing described the “Dao” or the “Way” as the Holy Spirit. He said for the lack of a better word, he called the Dao the “Almighty”. But now people have lost all these facts and even worship Lao Zi as the Dao.
So "Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" (TS Elliot).
Some believers still lack the revelation of what wisdom is. You may be walking in it. But just don’t think of it as just some proverbial saying found in a book written principally by Solomon or even limit it to just the Bible. It’s about a Person.
WHAT IS WISDOM?
The ancient sages and scholars may have more neurons in their little toe than most of us have in our entire brain. But wisdom has nothing to do with IQ or even intellect, not even common sense.
Today there are many people who are intelligent and highly educated, but they run broken homes, have poor marriages, and make lousy investments and fraudulent business decisions. Is that wisdom? There are many ‘intelligent fools’ indeed not? How wrong is Shakespeare who describes man as a breed infinite in wisdom and noble in his reasoning. But J.I Packer is probably more correct. He says man is half angel, half ape. We aspire to be like angels, but we consent like apes. Just look at the world today.
Wisdom is seeing and responding to life from God’s (Christ’s) perspective (Proverbs 4:11) If that is not everything, then what is? Solomon tells us that it is supreme; it is the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7). Even if you have to lose ‘everything’ to obtain it (Proverbs 4:7), it is worth it he says, because nothing you could ever desire could compare with it (Proverbs 3:15)
WHERE IS IT FOUND?
Where can wisdom be found? (Job 28:12). There was no doubt in Job’s mind, but he was not certain his few pious friends knew.
But we know very well today what is wisdom. Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1;24). Just look at Jesus. He embodies it. He is wisdom personified. His wisdom completes us despite all our flaws and imperfections. Therefore live in Him, and He in you. That is everything, as He is the ‘purest and most infinite source of wisdom.’
Songs of Songs is akin to a love poem and relationship between God and his church.
A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms
In the vineyards of En Gedi. (Songs of Songs 1:13-14).
Like the Shulamite woman, we are already in the King’s chamber (Song of Songs 1:4). We lack nothing, not even wisdom. On the cross His death (myrrh) exchanged our foolishness for His wisdom, the propitiation (henna blooms) for our mistakes, that we may live in the oasis of His love and providence (En Gedi).Therefore, have a “listening heart” and focus on Him to draw our power, guidance, peace and as our source of infinite Wisdom. Amen.
