[Note: Our rural church, Lake Como Community of Hope in Lake Como, Florida, is non-denominational with several retired pastors of varied church backgrounds
gracing our pulpit each week. Every now and then, however, scheduling conflicts
or unexpected personal concerns leave us without a pastor to lead that day’s
worship service. Since Sunday August 17 was such a day, I read the recommended
Bible readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many Christian denominations then
presented the following “Bible Talk,” based on the reoccurring theme of wisdom.]
1
Kings 3:3-14
Psalm
111
Ephesians
5:15-20
John
6:51-58
With COVID again on the rise, we’re wise to wear masks in public, but
Lord willing, we will all have unveiled faces soon! Meanwhile, let’s keep
praying for the Lord’s healing presence in our lives. In fact, let’s pray right
now:
Lord God, heavenly Father, thank You for bringing us together in
prayer, worship, and fellowship with You and with each other. In many ways,
Lord, these are troubled times, but we trust You to protect, heal, and guide us,
our families, and our church. We praise You and thank You for being with us as
we come into Your presence and Your Word in Jesus’ Name.
As you probably noticed, the big theme in the Bible readings this
morning is wisdom. So, truth time: Are you wise?
Do you want to be wise?
Have you ever asked God to give you a gift of wisdom? If not,
ask! If so, you have it! Believe it. Claim it. It’s yours.
Hearing Solomon’s prayer again this morning, I remember the first time
I heard that Bible story in 1 Kings. Solomon was wise enough to ask for wisdom,
and the request pleased God so much, He gave the king gifts of wisdom,
understanding, and discernment – unsurpassed until Jesus came.
But God also promised to honor Solomon with riches and a long life. And
the truth is: that’s what I wanted. I probably wasn’t as interested in having wisdom
as having more money than my 50-cent allowance allowed!
Despite my questionable motivations, wisdom is ageless. I first
saw wisdom in my children when they were too young for an allowance of any
kind! For example, my daughter was about 5 when she came home from Sunday
School, puzzled. The teacher had been talking about people in other countries
who didn’t know about God and/or did not believe in Him. My daughter looked at
me sadly and asked, “But wouldn’t we believe that too if we lived in another
country?”
Most likely, yes. And that brings us to a message about wisdom in verse
10 of Psalm 111. i.e., Knowing God, believing in God, and, especially, being
in awe of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Wisdom keeps us out of trouble! As we’re
reminded by today’s Epistle reading in Ephesians 5, we’re to live – not as unwise people – but as wise. This can require
head knowledge, but mostly it requires the ability to know how and when to apply
knowledge in a wise and timely manner.
Ephesians 5 goes on to point out the need to be filled with the Spirit
as we sing scripturally-sound songs, regularly read God’s Word, and faithfully give
thanks to God the Father for everything – everything – in Jesus’ Name.
Christ lives in us and redeems us from humanity’s Fall from Grace in
the Beginning of Time. Before that one act of disobedience brought spiritual
death and troubles to everyone in the world, Adam and Eve had wisdom! They
walked with God. They heard God speak. They had fellowship with Him – until opting
for Knowledge over the Wisdom they already possessed.
Remember? They disobeyed God when they ate from the forbidden fruit of
the Tree of KNOWLEDGE of Good and Evil. From that moment on, they no longer had
the innocence still apparent in today’s young children, but they could not turn
back. No one could – until Jesus came along!
Jesus redeems the times. Jesus renews our fellowship with God and
breathes new life into us – the life of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives us peace
with God, peace with other people, and peace with ourselves.
As the Wisdom of God with us on earth and beyond, the Lord knows what
we need. He alone has full KNOWLEDGE of the good and
no-so-good thoughts, acts, and traits in us. He alone can rescue us from
ourselves.
The Gospel reading in John reassures us that Jesus gave Himself for the
life of the world to be transformed into life with God. But that’s only the
beginning. To live out our time on earth more fully and faithfully – and
joyfully – we need Wisdom to guide us. And all we have to do is ask!
As we read, study, and talk about the Bible, we can see that God has
made promise after promise to us, individually, and to the church Body of Christ
throughout the world. Our part is to believe, respond, claim those promises,
and ask for whatever we lack, knowing God will provide. And why wouldn’t He? We
are His ambassadors – representatives of Christ in the world. Surely, the
Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, and Heavenly Father of All does not want
us to speak for Him foolishly nor would He want us to act unkindly – unwisely –
toward anyone else.
God has not only given us wisdom for the asking, but He’s also given us
power to use that gift as we’re enabled and guided by His Holy Spirit.
What a powerful purpose we’ve been given – to help others and, indeed,
to influence the whole world as we spread the Good News of forgiveness and
salvation in the Resurrected Christ! Even Solomon didn’t have that. The young
king had hope of a long life on earth because God Himself said he would. But to
us, God promises an even longer life – one that never ends!
That’s not the kind of power I thought I might get as a child, and, as
you might have expected, I haven’t received the massive wealth I had once hoped
to get! But what a wealth of wisdom widely
available to all who ask – wisdom:
- In the book of Proverbs (attributed to Solomon!)
- Wisdom in the Gospels – the Good News of Jesus Christ
- Wisdom in communal worship, fellowship, and Bible study
- Wisdom in praying for ourselves and one another – in praying for our
church home and Christians around the world
- Wisdom in the gift of God that comes to those who ask!
Let’s ask now:
Dear Lord God – Master, Possessor, and Provider of All Power, All
Wisdom, and all the Wealth of the earth and universe, we ask You now for the
gift of discernment and the wisdom to lead the kind of life to which You have
called us. We praise You, Lord, for forgiving us and lifting us into Your compelling
love. And we thank You for giving us the power, authority, and every other provision
we need to carry out the work You have given us to do in Jesus’ Holy Name.
©2021, Mary Harwell Sayler
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