Making Wise - Psalm 19:7

The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. (CSB) Psalms 19:7 https://my.bible.com/bible/1713/PSA.19.7

I need wisdom. Badly.

I need His holy wisdom today, not a made up idea of what wisdom is supposed to look like. I need the wisdom that only He gives.

In James He says:

“If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. Let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. He’s a double minded man, unstable in all his ways. (NKJV)

Here’s another one; maybe my favorite verse, my most go-to verse lately: For God has not given us a Spirit of fear but one of power, love, and sound judgement. 2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB).

And the verse above from Psalm 19.

And the book of Proverbs.

How can I get this wisdom I need so badly?

1. I can just ask. I must believe that the Lord will come through. I must trust Him.
2. I must recognize that I don’t have a Spirit of fear at work in me. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. I can make decisions based on that fact. Today. I can act like the temple of the Holy Spirit! Not a garbage dump.
3. And wisdom comes from the scripture. Psalm 19:7 says, “The instruction of the Lord is perfect… It renews my life! And it is trustworthy. Doing what? Making the inexperienced wise.

Sometimes, I hear about events coming up that I know will need wisdom. God is almighty, all knowing, and all loving.

But He expects me to ask Him for help in the trouble. Again and again. Right?

How about all of those other days, days when I have no idea what is going to happen? Hey, I need His wisdom on those days too, right?

It occurs to me that there are various circumstances in which to ask for this wisdom.

1. Everyday, as I wake and talk to Him. "Lord, Give me wisdom for today. I have no idea what trouble lies ahead. I need Your help to make good decisions."
2. When I realize that I am in it up to my neck. I thought I was going out on a calm sea, and before I know it, I’m in a rowboat with eight foot waves crashing all around. Figuratively of course. I need to ask Him for wisdom in the moment.
3. I need to ask Him for wisdom when I read and study the scripture. Timothy says that I must rightly divide the word of truth. That implies that I can read it and get it wrong too. I need wisdom to get it right.
4. I need wisdom in my marriage. I need wisdom in dealing with my kids. I need wisdom at work. I need wisdom in traffic.

I need it. He gives it. But I must believe Him.

See, I can have this thing in my head that knows that God gives wisdom. But, then, I think He gives it out, but does He give it out to the likes of me? I’m not one of THOSE Christians that God really answers, that God really listens to, that God really loves.

That sounds pathetic, I know. But sometimes I’m pathetic!

Look, I know that Jesus loves me. But I get worried that I don’t have it together enough to be asking for all this wisdom. It’s a little presumptuous of me to be asking for it, right?

Isn’t that funny?

We have to ask for wisdom because we don’t have it.

There is a never ending supply of it from God.

All I have to do is believe that God will generously give it to me.

But I don’t ask because I don’t think I’m wise enough for God to actually deliver it to me.

Did you follow that?

How silly I can be!

Hey, we need a revival in powerful Christian thinking and prayer. Part of that is for us to ask God for wisdom and believe Him when He says He will give it to me!

Lord Jesus, You are wisdom. You are the truth. I am not God. I need you. I serve you. Today, give me wisdom, and give me the grace to believe you when you say (anything), when you say you will give me wisdom. I believe you. Help me believe you when I feel like a complete wreck. And Lord, Holy Spirit, revive us with powerful, loving, sound thinking. May your church know who they are, may they know their own attributes as Children of God as well as your divine and eternal attributes. We need you every hour. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.