When I was young and innocent,
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer
I prayed for her before the temple,
and I will seek her until the end,
The LORD stands ready to give us his wisdom in abundance. We neglect it mainly because we think we don't need it. Our human cleverness is doing the job so far, right? We navigate the decisions of our lives without crashing and burning. Or at least it looks this way when times are good. It appears this way when the decisions are easier.
But even now we are missing the blessings we can know if we allow our lives to be more directed by God's wisdom.
My heart delighted in her,
My feet kept to the level path
because from earliest youth I was familiar with her.
The starting place for this wisdom is the fear of the LORD. This is the awe before the all-powerful Father that allows us to truly take his words to heart, knowing that they are not like any other words we hear.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
When the Pharisees try to entrap Jesus with a difficult question he turns the tables because the wisdom of God dwells so perfectly in him.
“By what authority are you doing these things?
The first thing wisdom helps him with is to know that they are not asking him sincerely. If we ask Jesus sincerely about his authority he tells us that it is from the Father (cf. John 5:37). But he will not waste words of truth on people who aren't listening. That would just make them used to hearing the words without hearing the meaning behind them. Ultimately it could push them further from the truth.
And Jesus has the wisdom to trip them up in their own insincere question. He makes the Pharisees subject their question to the popular consensus about John the Baptist. Because pride is important to the Pharisees and not the truth they cannot bear to lose the crowd's approval.
Let us turn away from the Pharisaic pride within ourselves which wants to be wise without relying on God moment to moment. Let us seek the wisdom that God delights to pour out so that the truth may be our lasting joy.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
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