"Wisdom And The Most Important Decision" (Videos - Chuck Smith and Andrew Murray) - Inspirational Weekend

The dictionary informs us that wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.  The word "wisdom" is mentioned 222 times in the Hebrew Bible.  True wisdom is a gift from God.  Jesus is wisdom, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:30 below:

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification. and redemption."

"True wisdom is the knowledge of Divine things, rightly used."  

"Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it."   -  J.I. Packer 

The book of Proverbs is best known for its wisdom.  I recommend you read all of it, and especially chapter 8 of Proverbs.  

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:  and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."  -  Proverbs 9:10

We are only wise when we turn to God and reverently fear Him and go to Him about all decisions that need to be made; asking for the Holy Spirit to guide us and to give us strength and endurance.  He will enable us to deal rightly in all matters, when we seek to know His will and to follow through by obeying Him and doing His will, not ours.  We need to develop a close, personal, intimate, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ in order to know His will and to obey Him.  You must communicate with someone in order to build a relationship.  The same is true of the heavenly Father.  Go to Him often in prayer, and study His Holy Word to, in turn, listen to Him speak through His written Word.  As you come to know the Lord more and more, you will obey Him out of love, and you will surrender your life and your very being to Him.  

Andrew Murray says, "Abiding in Him, His wisdom will come to you as a spontaneous outflow of a life rooted in Him."  Following is an 11 minute audio sermon by Murray about abiding in Christ as your wisdom:

The late pastor, Chuck Smith, gives the benefits of wisdom in the following 25 minute audio sermon.  

In pastor Smith's sermon above, he mentions how experience is often the best teacher, especially when raising children.  We learn wisdom when we make mistakes and thereby learn what to avoid in the future.

We also learn wisdom by reading the Scriptures ....a really deep, serious study of God's Word.  

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  -  James 1:5

To acquire wisdom, go to the good Lord in prayer and ask Him to give you wisdom.  God is a giver.  If you are a believer and in good standing with Him, He will grant your petition.  That is, if you ask in faith.  Remember, the doubting man dishonors God.  Therefore if we do not have faith, we should not expect God to answer us.  (James 1:6,7).

In making decisions, we should always endeavor to make them in a manner that glorifies God.  Always ask yourself what the Bible says about the problem.  Talk to your pastor or a mature believer and ask them if they can help you to more fully understand just what God's Word says about the matter you are concerned about; the decision you need to make.  Also, you may go by your past experiences to help you make a decision.   And, again, go to the Lord in prayer for help.

Ask yourself if this decision will keep you from a good witness for the Lord. We need to honor God and bring Him glory in all that we do and say. Consider all options and, again, take it to the Lord in prayer.

The most important decision anyone can make is the one that determines their eternal destiny.....heaven or hell.   If you are a true believer and have been born again (John 3:3) and you are putting God first in your life, then you will have heaven to look forward to.  But beware if you are putting off coming to the Lord in faith; refusing to believe in Jesus as your Savior.  Think about it:  Eternity is a long time to spend it in the wrong place, and suffering unbearable torment at that.

We are living in the last days the Bible prophesied about; current events are evidence that we are, indeed, in the very last hour of this present age.  Read Ezekiel 38 and 39 for starters; all the countries are now coming against Israel (as prophesied) in an effort to annihilate her.  Israel is God's prophetic time clock; God will rescue His chosen people.

The fact that this is the last "hour" of the end times, should move everyone to turn to God and cry out to Him for deliverance.  Unbelievers should repent of their sins, pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and believe with all their being that Jesus is the Savior and to put their faith and trust in Him.  They need to also believe that He rose from the dead and is now in heaven to make intercession for us to the Father.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).

Time is short.

Jesus will return soon to take true believers to heaven with Him in the Rapture of the Church.

Don't be left behind to face the torment and horrors of the 7 year Tribulation period and then afterwards hell itself, unless you repent first.

Jesus loves you !!

He will welcome you with open arms and pardon your sins, if you will only turn to Him in faith and belief and repentance.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:  therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" -  Deuteronomy 30:19

Concerning end time events, Jesus said at Luke 21:28:  "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

"Prayer For Wisdom and Knowledge To Walk Worthy Of The Lord" - Inspirational Weekend

Do you ever feel at a loss as to know how to please the Lord?  It may be because you need to read your Bible more, because His Word is rich in showing us how to please Him and how to walk as Jesus walked, in total surrender to Yahweh.

Total surrender.  That is a primary way to please God the Father.

There are two prayers we will consider here that will show us how to please the Lord and to walk worthy of Him; one in Ephesians and the other in Colossians.  Both deal with prayers for knowledge and wisdom.  In truth, how can we please God and walk in His will without knowledge of His Word and without His guidance?   You might want to read a previous post on being wise by knowing God's will.  Here we will explore walking worthy of the Lord with the help of wisdom from Him and as found in His Holy Word.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints:"   -  Ephesians 1:17-18

The above prayer for wisdom and knowledge in Ephesians is the first prayer we will discuss.  To know God is to be wise.  This is not just mere acknowledgment, but true knowledge.  The Ephesians did possess knowledge and enlightenment to some degree, but Paul prayed that they might more clearly and fully hold their present views.   Since we are imperfect humans and prone to error, we are not totally pure and we may have some dimness or not have a clear understanding where spiritual things are concerned.   That is why we need to be constantly reading the Bible and in frequent prayer.  Pray for God to give you a clear understanding of spiritual matters.

Until the Lord opens the eyes of our heart, we are as if blind.

I remember, before I was truly born-again, there was something like a veil that prevented me from completely comprehending revelations from the Lord; from understanding the Bible as I should have.   I may still understand in part, but the Lord has opened my eyes and my heart to a greater degree than ever I could have imagined.

Colossians 1:9-10 is part of the second prayer for wisdom that we will now consider:

(9) " For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (10) that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Let's just concentrate on verse 10 above, particularly "that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."   We can see from this verse that to please God, we need to be fruitful in good works, and to also increase in the knowledge of God.   When we increase in the knowledge of God, we grow closer to Him and can therefore have a close and personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  God wants to fellowship with us, and this is possible only with a close, intimate relationship with Him.  That pleases Him.  And if we have this close bond, we will naturally be inclined to please God in return and to obey Him and keep His commandments.  That is part of walking worthy of the Lord.  When we put God's kingdom first and endeavor to be as Christ-like as we possibly can, that is also pleasing to God and walking worthy of Him.  Put God and Jesus first in your life.

Be filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, killing the lusts and desires which are of the world (Galatians 5:24-25).

All of these things may seem impossible to do but, if you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit will help you to walk worthy of the Lord.  Be constantly in the Holy Word and fervent in prayer; it will enable you to draw close to the Lord and to understand and do His will.

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.  To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it.  There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can Divine wisdom become ours."    -   J.I. Packer

I have not mentioned love.   "God is love" (1 John 4:16), "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  Without love, we cannot truly begin to walk worthy of the Lord and please Him.
 If we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30), we will gladly obey Him and display true godliness, which enables us to walk worthy of Him.

First, be sure you are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Get rid of all worldly lusts and desires and sinful thoughts.

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."  -  Romans 8:8

You need to have vigorous faith to please the Lord, as that will enable you to be strong and to endure trials and to wait on the Lord, thereby walking worthy of Him.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight:"  -  2 Corinthians 5:7

"The just shall live by faith."  -  Galatians 3:11b

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  -  Hebrews 11:6

"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more."                       -   1 Thessalonians 4:1