Oh, the Depth

Wednesday - April 27th

Scripture to Read Today: Romans 11:33-36

Wise: God always knows and chooses the best purposes and the best means to accomplish those purposes

The Names and Attributes of God

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Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom

and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

Romans 11:33

Mark Twain has some of the greatest quotes. He was a funny wordsmith. Here is one that I have always liked, and the older my kids get, the funnier it seems:

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

I remember how much I thought my Dad needed to learn about the world when I was a teenager. I also remember how wise he had become by the time I reached my early twenties. As a father, I have seen the same thing happen, but from a different perspective. There was a season when my kids pursued others' wisdom, assuming that I might not be wise enough to give them helpful input. Each of them, now in their twenties, had a specific point that they learned I might have something wise to say, and they reached out to me for my thoughts.

Twain's humorous quote makes a great point. It seems we all have to play the teenager's role first as we go through those formative years and then switch to the part of the parent 25-30 years later. Some people seem to be born wise. It is just who they are. But, even those folks would say, and those who know them would testify, they grow in their understanding and insights over time.

The Scriptures give a whole different perspective on the wisdom of God. He does not grow in wisdom. As part of the essence of His very being, He possesses the attribute of being entirely wise all of the time. His wisdom goes beyond His knowledge. To say that God is wise is to say that He always knows and chooses the best purposes and the best means to accomplish those purposes.

God imparted wisdom into all of creation. Human beings, made in God's image, possess the greatest capacity to become wise. At times God tells us to look to various creatures in creation to discover practical wisdom for our lives. The wisdom of an ant is not the same as the wisdom of a human being. But the wisdom of any creature, or of all creatures together, is infinitesimally small compared to God's wisdom. For this reason, Paul refers to God as the "only wise God" (Rom. 16:27).

When given an opportunity by God to ask God for anything, King Solomon asked for wisdom - not money, not power, not pleasure. God gave him such incredible insight and understanding that today, the name Solomon is synonymous with wisdom. But, even the wisdom of King Solomon pales in comparison to God's attribute of being wise.

Thankfully, James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom in our lives, we can ask God for it, and He will give it to us generously. The wise God will impart wisdom to His children as they walk with Him and ask Him for it when they need it. Maybe the challenges of our times have left you with disruptions in your life that have you baffled or searching for direction. You can ask God to give you wisdom. You will never find any better source than your Heavenly Father to navigate the days, weeks, and months ahead. Unlike your earthly father, you will never see Him improve or grow in being wise. He simply is wise.

As God's child, you have access to the wise God Himself. He will give His wisdom to you generously!