Grafton
Free Presbyterian
Church
A Brief Meditation for the Month
May 2024
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, once said: “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Speaking from personal experience, Lincoln believed that we ought to become wiser as life progresses. If we keep repeating the same mistakes, it indicates we have not sufficiently processed past experiences or we have ignored the lessons we should have learned. I think it is true to say that the average person considers the application of wisdom when dealing with life’s experiences to be a valuable quality. How many lament, when confronted with the consequences of a bad decision, ‘If only I had been wiser?’ The truth is, wisdom normally develops as the result of experiences in life, as we learn to apply the knowledge we accumulate from those experiences. In ancient times, wisdom was expected to accompany mature years. In the book of Job, Elihu, the youngest of those who offered advice to Job during his time of affliction, said: “Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom” Job 32:7. However, the same person went on to state, undoubtedly from observation and experience, “Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.” Job 32:9. King Solomon, renowned for his outstanding wisdom throughout the nations of the world during his reign, made it his prayer when he inherited the throne of his father David: “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?” 2 Chronicles 1:10. Solomon acknowledged his personal need of wisdom, but he understood its source to be none less than God, who had providentially set him upon the throne. He exhibited wisdom by asking for wisdom where he knew it would be obtained. In the epistle of James, we are advised: “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. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering.” James 1:5–6. The apostle Paul sheds light upon the reason we need to ask God for wisdom when he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. In the first chapter, he makes a distinction between human wisdom and divine wisdom: between the wisdom of worldly men and spiritual wisdom. Paul distinguishes between the wisdom possessed by men to order the affairs of this present life, and the spiritual wisdom that God bestows upon his people to live godly in this world while wisely preparing for the eternal world to which they are travelling. Many appear to be very wise regarding the matters of this present world, yet they fail to manifest wisdom regarding their eternal destiny and their eventual accounting to God their creator. They leave this material world unprepared for the next.
During his earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus identified the truly wise man when he taught: “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man…” At the same time, Jesus identified the foolish person: “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man…” Matthew 7:24–27. None are so foolish as those who hear and know the word of God and yet dismiss it or neglect to apply it personally. On one occasion, when many followers of the Saviour deserted him, and he asked his disciples if they intended to do the same, Peter answered for them: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” John 6:66–68. Christ’s words, or sayings, are spiritual, life-giving words. If we value our soul’s salvation, we will act wisely, giving very serious heed to every utterance of Christ Jesus in his word.
G. G. Hutton.