‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
I feel like I don’t know sometimes! What is wrong with that computer? How do I help this child succeed? How do I teach my children to put God first? How do I impress upon the GA’s the importance of missions and praying? How do I get well? What do I do with my business? What I do to help someone? Why did I open my mouth? Am I accomplishing God’s will for me? What is the first thing on my to do list to do? Where are my keys?
Perplexed and cross eyed in front of a broken computer — I have cried out to God for wisdom many times. God has often sent the answer to me as clearly as the morning sunrise.
“It was frustrating,” Corrie says in her book, In My Father’s House, “so I talked over the problem with the Lord, and He gave me the solution.“
Is this supernatural mumbo jumbo? No! Let’s look at our Authority, the scripture!
Notice that this discussion about wisdom comes right after the discussion about patience! Corrie had tried relentlessly. In my computer repair situations, I had exhausted all of my known knowledge. We’d done everything humanly possible and were coming up short!
Sometimes the first step is knowing we don’t know!
What did the wisest king who ever lived, Solomon, say when he ascended to the throne in Israel?
Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
Solomon didn’t know!
In fact, some of the most impossible people to teach are the ones who don’t know that they don’t know! Don’t debate with a know it all! It is a waste of time. Why do you think Jesus came to help those who are sick? — They know they need help! Don’t be an arrogant know it all! Realize you don’t know!
“Talk no more so very proudly;Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
12 “ I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
Proverbs 8:12-13
God is the God of knowledge — he holds the keys! Does this mean that if I really want to do open heart surgery that I can ask and God will tell me? Well, God can do anything, however I have found that God typically bestows knowledge in our area of calling. If I am called of God to an occupation, God will use my work in that occupation to make people’s lives better. God endows us with knowledge to enable us to do what He has called us to do!
Moses – Didn’t know how to speak. God gave him Aaron to help him and scripted his words to Pharoah.
David – Wasn’t hunted by Saul and didn’t know how to escape. God guided his step and became his shield.
Ruth – Was destitute with Naomi and didn’t know how she’d survive. God guided her steps to her new husband.
Esther – Was a condemned Jew unknown to her husband. God guided her steps and gave her wisdom and justice.
Daniel – Was condemned to the lion’s den. God gave him protection.
The Disciples at Pentecost – -Didn’t know how to reach the world for Christ. God gave them the ability to speak languages they didn’t know so they could reach people from foreign countries.
Why doesn’t God call somebody who knows more than me? God didn’t initially call theologians to be his disciples — he called uneducated know-nothings. I have a college education, but I’ll be the first to admit that I usually feel like a know-nothing. I take comfort in this:
[ Glory Only in the Lord ] For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
That’s me! That’s how God works!
And remember there is no knowledge that supersedes the knowledge of God. Just as if our feelings contradict God’s word — we defer to God’s word. If knowledge contradicts God’s word — we examine our interpretation, but if there is no room for interpretation, God’s word is first.
Remember, that there are some things we do not know. Those disciples heard Jesus say he would die and be resurrected again, but didn’t understand at the time. (It wasn’t time!) We must know that there are some things that are just not revealed to us at this time.
1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
It is exciting to know God is in charge of knowledge! How perfect! We have the endless resources of God to help us! If He does not tell us, He doesn’t want us to know. He orders our steps, but sometimes He doesn’t let us see the preview. That is where faith comes in. There are some things we could ask God for and He says He’s not going to tell us.
[ No One Knows the Day or Hour ] “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
If God has called you — that’s it! Persist, have faith, pray, and trust God to enable you to meet the demands of His call on your life! I am so excited about this truth! I just want to live it and not fall off the knowledge bandwagon into the mud of self pity about my insufficiency!
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Lord, we pray for you to bless the Tuareg people today. We ask you to call a virtual missions team to create a website for the Tuareg in a way you would have it be done. We ask you to equip us for every good work. We seek your wisdom today and ask you to guide us in knowledge. We need your wisdom and help! We want to follow You! Guide our missionaries who are getting ready to go to Italy and bless them. Help them and encourage them! Give them wisdom of where to go out and come in. Open doors and hearts to your word as we close on your second coming. We love you, Jesus. Bless the SBC and help us focus on the Savior. In Jesus name. Amen.
You make a great point. Many people receive their knowledge and become full of pride. They often forget where their knowledge came from. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Let us all be humble in his works and always be found in his Word.
God Bless.