Sunday, May 9, 1999 This Week's Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from Proverbs 8:22-25, we learned about the eternality of wisdom and how that wisdom can show a person the way to true happiness. Everyone wants to be happy, but most people go about trying to find happiness and satisfaction in the wrong ways. Having great possessions or tremendous wealth are not keys to being happy. Living the wild, pleasure-filled existence is not the key to being happy either. The only true way to be happy in this life is to have the Lord's touch upon your life. That touch begins with salvation, when the sinner repents of his or her sins and comes to Jesus in faith. By accepting His finished work on the cross at Calvary, a person can find the joy of having their sins forgiven. After that, a person can continue on the path to happiness by studying the Scriptures. It is when the Holy Spirit-indwelled heart encounters the true teachings of the Bible that the soul really begins to come alive and understand what it means to be free in Christ. Godly wisdom is not as much a factor for the young Christian because wisdom is only developed in the heart of the believer over time. Nevertheless, to say that godly wisdom leads to earthly happiness is a true statement. Being rightly related to the Lord and following in His steps are sure ways to have maximum joy and peace in this life.
In this passage from Proverbs, Solomon wrote that the Lord had possessed wisdom from the beginning, even before His works of old. His works of old are a reference to Creation since the next sentence clearly speaks about the time before earth. Genesis 1:1-2 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Wisdom existed when God was creating the heaven and the earth. It existed before any of the earth's features were established, and Solomon wrote about the existence of wisdom even before the depths of the earth were put into place. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word used for depths in this verse from Proverbs is the same word used for deep in Genesis 1:2. Wisdom has always existed, and it has been everywhere. It was in heaven when God prepared the heavens. Wisdom was present when the clouds were formed, when God formed the deep seas of the earth, and when He established the foundations of the earth. No wonder Solomon wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we should seek wisdom and understanding. Wisdom brings delight to God. He always loves us, and we do not have to be without sin or with godly wisdom to be received by Him. But as we pursue and develop godly wisdom, He feels an even greater appreciation for us. As we pursue and develop godly wisdom, our life takes on an even greater stability. Wisdom and understanding will help us live orderly lives and stay out of trouble. The person who finds wisdom finds life, even fulfillment of life. The person who rejects God's wisdom sins against his or her own soul and finds the ways of physical and even eternal death.
Wisdom is God's daily delight. We do well when we seek out wisdom for our own life. As you go through the coming week, seek God's wisdom and ask Him to help you be the person He wants you to be.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Send email to: tlee6040@aol.com