Where do you turn for wisdom?

1 Corinthians 2: 6 – 10 (MSG) “We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text:

No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it— What God has arranged for those who love him. But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.”

Godly wisdom is so much different from the wisdom of this world. At the beginning of our walk with Christ, we approach Him all battered and bruised by consequences of the sin that has entangled us for years. We learn about Christ and His Word and begin building a solid foundation on which to stand. As we continue to grow in our walk, He chips off pieces of us that are not like Him because He wants us to be more like Him and less like the world around us.

We begin to turn more to the Word than the world for answers to tough questions. Have you ever noticed that God’s wisdom is not the most popular and often completely ignored by the world around us? Have you ever scratching your head and wondered why current circumstances have to be like they are? Worldly wisdom says:

Why God? Don’t you care about what I’m going through or how I feel? Do you really want me to live like this do you?

The answer is YES – God does care about us more than we even realize. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives and He will bring good out of the bad circumstances if we let him.

God’s word is clear. Sometimes we are placed in situations that make us downright uncomfortable. Instead of pulling away from Him, we need to draw closer and rely on His guidance. When we live obediently to His word, our lives bring Him glory. I can’t help but think of the lyrics to the Casting Crowns song The Voice of Truth.

“But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth”

When God calls us to something, we don’t have to be afraid or question why. We just have to listen closely and believe His voice. Current circumstances could be God’s way of revealing His glory.

How do I hear His voice in the middle of all the chaos? One way is to be in consistent communication with Him. Set aside time daily to pray and read His word. Jot down what you believe He is saying to you and then pray and ask for His guiding hand. Speaking of guiding hands, another Casting Crowns song comes to mind:

“Can’t live by what I feel
But by the Truth your work reveals,
I'm not holding on to you
But you're holding on to me,
You’re holding on to me.”

We can’t live by what we feel is the best direction for us – that is worldly wisdom and will surely lead us down the wrong path. As Christians we are called to live according to the standard of His Word. Remember, He is holding on to you and will not let go no matter what.

Christ: My refuge, my strength

Psalm 31:3 (NCV) “You are my rock and my protection. For the good of your name, lead me and guide me.”

I love reading through the book of Psalms when I need to be reminded of God’s ever guiding presence and protection as I deal with the “stuff” of this world. I find words there that describe who I am in Christ, who He is (words that describe His character) and what He offers when I come to Him. This morning, I found this example in the first verse of Psalm 31. Here we see David coming to God seeking refuge. David often prayed for God to be his refuge and deliver him from his enemies. David knew he could trust God to be his refuge, and his shelter from danger and distress. David was confident he could find protection and safety in God.

In God, David was confident, safe and protected (who I am in Christ). Why did David know this? Because David trusted God and knew He was a refuge – a safe place (who God is – His character). When David approached (or sought) God for protection, he knew God would lead and guide (what God offers) him in the right direction.

The character of God hasn’t changed since David’s time. God is just as much our refuge and security today. We can find protection in Him just like David did. It is up to us to trust Him completely – with everything we are and everything we have. We can be confident that God is true to His character and will deliver and protect us.