“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7)
There is, in the eyes of many, a very fine line between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God, but not in the eyes of those who have been blessed with wisdom that can only come from the Almighty. To them it is a great gulf, easily discerned, seen and understood with a clear distinction between the two.
If you will understand, you will be able to tell that most, if not all, of the wisdom of the world attempts to desire knowledge, to expound most generally upon the concepts and constructs of what is termed the human psyche, how mankind thinks and why. They offer reasons, but little wisdom towards growth, save for that of the world. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5)
What they are attempting to define without their knowledge of it is the foundation of sin, of open rebellion against the Almighty. Without adding the Living God to their equations, they become fools. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 14:1) Even the smartest of them, the one lifted up in the eyes of his fellow man as a brilliant, deductive reasoning philosopher has nothing of value to offer to the newest of those who have been born again, save for this, how the world thinks, and my friends, if you want to know how to witness to the lost you must know how they think and why.
“For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23) Paul perceived that wisdom of the world in those on Mars Hill, but the Lord, through only the wisdom that He can give, showed him a crack in their philosophies, one they knew they should be worshipping, but whom they did not know.
The wisdom of God can only come from God, and it is only given to those who not only apply it in their lives, but give it to others for their edification, the wisdom and knowledge of the Almighty is to be shared with all that will listen. And if you do not yet know this, it is also a truth, the more wisdom of the world a man has, the more he will despise the wisdom of God, pride stops him from accepting it.
The world calls them smart; we know them as fools, and those fools are who we are sent to reach.
The ability to retain and recall information at will does not a wise man make, but the world will lift them up on a pedestal every time.
If you want a master’s degree in the ways of the Living God, you must pray for wisdom. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7)
“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)
The wisdom of God desires to glorify God, to lift up the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1st Cor. 1:24)
Only the Holy Spirit can convict a man’s heart of this wisdom, for it goes against everything that the world teaches and holds dear, it proves to them that the wisdom of the world is foolishness. It cannot be sought out in a place of higher education, it is not taught by any in the world, it is a gift that must be asked for, and can only be given by the Lord.
It is His wisdom, not ours.
Those whom the world calls the wisest and most knowledgeable are fools in the eyes of the Almighty, the man of God who humbles himself before the Almighty will be shown wisdom, and that wisdom he will share with all that will listen.
“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
