In Pursuit of His Wisdom

R T Kendall Ministries Inc., R.T. Kendall

• Editorial: Hodder Faith
• Año: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781444749731
• Categoría: Theology & Religion
• Categoría: Religion

We all want to live a good life - but how do we go about doing so? Much-loved author R. T. Kendall urges us to take the Bible at its word when it encourages us to get wisdom - and live by it. In this wise and practical book, R. T. encourages us that not only is God's opinion - his wisdom - on offer, God actually desires us to have it. 'Wisdom is supreme - the greatest good we can seek, the most noble virtue there is, the greatest gift that is on offer and the highest plateau for living that is available in this present world.' Join R. T. on the journey of a lifetime as he shows us the beauty of a life lived with God, secure in knowing the next step forward.

1

A Wise Choice

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov. 9:10)

. . . since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you . . . [Because you] did not choose to fear the Lord . . . (Prov. 1:25–26, 29)

I have some good news – wisdom is not far away. It is not for the ‘gods’ alone, as the ancient Greeks reckoned. It is not for the ‘Platos’ and ‘Aristotles’ of this world. It is on offer to all of us – to ordinary people like you and me. In fact, it is closer than our hands or our feet, closer than the air we breathe. For wisdom is the result of a choice we can make – it starts with an act of the will. It is like total forgiveness; we choose whether or not to forgive totally.

In the Introduction I suggested several definitions of wisdom:

•	It is seeing why God sent his Son into the world.

•	It is having God’s opinion on any matter.

•	It is discerning the presence of the mind of the Holy Spirit.

•	It is knowing the next step forward regarding what we do.

•	It is saying the right thing at the right time.

•	It is having the ability to get things done.

•	It is choosing wisdom above anything else in life.

The fear of the Lord: choosing God’s opinion

How do you get wisdom? By choosing the fear of the Lord. As we shall see in more detail below, this means that you so respect God’s ways as revealed in his Word that you value and seek his opinion on any issue, above any other perspective. Wisdom comes from making a calculated, strategic choice by an act of the will. It is not that you merely say, ‘I choose wisdom’ – as if to verbalise a wish. Note the order: you choose what Proverbs calls ‘the fear of the Lord’. Wisdom follows. The fear of the Lord means choosing God’s opinion over anyone else’s – on any matter. The reason I emphasise this so soon and so strongly is because the book of Proverbs (known universally as the handbook of wisdom in the Bible) makes an inseparable connection between wisdom and the fear of the Lord. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Prov. 9:10). Job agrees: ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding’ (Job 28:28). But it is a choice we must make.

It is the wisest choice you will ever make.

What is therefore so encouraging is that wisdom is clearly available to all of us – not merely the privileged or the elite. It begins not with good breeding, but with the fear of the Lord. The simplest and most ordinary person on the planet is invited to enter the arena of greatness – the obtaining of true wisdom. Few get there – but all are capable of it. Indeed, those who ‘hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord’ are those who suffer the consequences of having God turn his back on them when trouble comes (Prov. 1:29 – my italics). The result of not having wisdom can be pretty awful, as we will see in more detail below.

Important clarification

However, choosing the fear of the Lord does not mean running scared day and night. It does not mean ‘I choose to be afraid of God’. It is not living in perpetual terror that you have done something wrong and God is no longer speaking to you. It is not biting your nails regarding whether God is pleased or upset with you – like picking the petals off a daisy, saying, ‘He loves me, he loves me not’. Away with the notion that God is always looking for a way to throw the book at us!

Wisdom means seeking his opinion, and choosing the fear of the Lord is precisely that. It is also seeking his timing as to when to speak or act. God has a point of view on everything, and he waits to be consulted before we make major decisions. It is our job to consult him. One of my favourite verses in the Bible is this: ‘. . . in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’ (Prov. 3:6). It cannot get more encouraging than that. This means to share your plans with God – to talk to him about anything and everything. Hide nothing from him. He is your friend, not your enemy. He loves being asked before we make major decisions. He likes being ‘in’ with us before anyone else is. Take him into your confidence. The fear of the Lord is consciously respecting that God can bless or withhold blessing as we show reverence for his perspective – that is, his Word and his ways.

One of the ancient prophets lamented that the people of God ‘rejected knowledge’ (Hos. 4:6). This does not mean they rejected education or did not go to university. That particular generation of ancient Israel rejected God’s Word and ways, as we shall see further on in this chapter. I have been to countries where people can’t get Bibles. I once gave a man a New Testament in a particular country, and he wept. He held on to it as if it were pure gold. Do you have a Bible? Do you read it? It is ‘wisdom’ to do that and ‘wisdom’ flows from that.

What if God had said that we get wisdom by having great brains? How would you feel if God had said:

•	‘By education you get wisdom’?

•	‘By being cultured you get wisdom’?

•	‘By intellect, intelligence or a high IQ you get wisdom’?

•	‘By success in making money you get wisdom’?

•	‘By becoming knowledgeable in politics you get wisdom’?

•	‘By seeking a political office and succeeding you get wisdom’?

•	‘By being well connected you get wisdom’?

•	‘By reading books on wisdom you get wisdom’?

•	‘By hard work and experience you get wisdom’?

•	‘By learning to play the piano or a musical instrument you get wisdom’?

•	‘By reading How to Win Friends and Influence People you get wisdom’?

But no, acquiring wisdom is none of these. Thank God. It is the fear of the Lord that leads to wisdom, and it is choosing the fear of the Lord that results in wisdom. This leaves all of us without an excuse. We can’t blame our brains, lack of learning, or not being born into a position of privilege. It is level ground; we all qualify.

The passive fear of the Lord

The fear of the Lord, however, may be understood in two ways: (1) a choice we make – wanting his opinion; and (2) a passive sense of the fear of the Lord – an unsought feeling. It is of vital importance that we grasp (2) as well as (1); the passive fear of God demonstrates that we are talking about the living God. This means God can roll up his sleeves as if to say ‘Enough is enough’ – and answer prayer, or even bring judgment. When we realise that God is the same yesterday, today and for ever, we should be all the more motivated to choose the fear of the Lord.

Whereas the wisdom we are in pursuit of – the subject of this book – comes as the consequence of a choice, there have been occasions when the unsought passive fear of God was experienced. In the latter case, then, it is not the result of choice, but a feeling. It is sudden, unexpected. It is the experienced awe of God. In other words, it just happened!

How can this be? What is it like? Answer: it is when God steps in supernaturally. Here are three examples:

First, passive fear may emerge when God does something wonderful and extraordinary. That should bring great joy, and yet, strange as it may seem, it may bring fear. When Moses’ face was radiant the people were ‘afraid to come near him’ (Exod. 34:30). When God answered Daniel’s prayer, he ‘stood up trembling’ (Dan. 10:11). When Zechariah saw the angel of the Lord in the temple – who brought good news of answered prayer – he was ‘gripped with fear’ (Luke 1:12). When Jesus healed a paralytic, the people were ‘filled with awe’ (Luke 5:26). The women who saw and heard the angel at the empty tomb of Jesus on Easter Day were ‘afraid yet filled with joy’ (Matt. 28:8).

Second, passive fear may come upon people when God brings judgment – and shows his displeasure. The Mosaic Law was God’s judgment upon Israel for their transgressions (Gal. 3:19). When the people heard the thunder, saw the lightning, heard the trumpet, and saw the mountain in smoke, ‘they trembled with fear’ (Exod. 20:18). When Uzzah touched the Ark of God – and was struck down dead – King David was ‘afraid of the Lord that day’ (2 Sam. 6:9). When Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit, ‘great fear seized all who heard what had happened’; indeed such fear ‘seized the whole church and all who heard about these events’ (Acts 5:5, 11). One might surmise that such a scary and solemn scene would put people off – and drive them from coming to church. Yet the opposite happened (see...