Dear Friends,
This past week, Mary Ann and I were with two of our grandchildren at Forest Home Family Camp in California. I was one of two speakers for the adults at camp. I spoke in the mornings on marriage and family. The evening speaker was Dr. Erik Thoennes, who heads the Theology Department at Biola University in La Mirada CA. In his messages, he talked about what the Bible has to say about wisdom.
There is a difference between being smart and being wise, right?
Smart people know facts, have information and have knowledge.
Wise people know what matters in life and how to live life in a way that brings peace and joy to your soul.
A smart person without wisdom can get good grades on tests or can get a scholarship to college. He can win at Trivial Pursuit. He can qualify for a slot on Jeopardy. He can impress people at dinner parties or edit Wikipedia articles.
But information does not bring joy or peace to your life. Wisdom can and does lead to shalom.
It’s the wise person we turn to for help when life is hard or when we need counsel.
Ultimately, a wise person is someone who knows how to live life the way God designed life to be lived. Wisdom comes as we figure out that it’s God’s design and purpose for our lives that brings us the contentment and peace and joy for which our soul longs.
Tim Keller says that wisdom is “the ability to grow and handle and flourish in the midst of life circumstances, whatever they are. Having great life circumstances, fame and fortune and power and happiness, is nowhere near as important as having wisdom.”
“Many decisions,” Keller says, “in order to make them well, only require knowledge. If you had all the knowledge, you could choose the right car, maybe the right medicine, or something like that.
“Other decisions are mainly a matter of your principles and your commitments. But for the vast majority of the decisions we actually face, the rules and the facts won’t help you.
“Who do you marry? Do you get married? Who should you date? Do you break up? What career should you go into? What school should you go to? Should I stay here? Should I go to another job? Should I move here? Should I move there? Should I confront the person, or should I hold back? Should I take the risk, or should I play it safe?”
To deal with questions like those, we need more than knowledge. We need more than facts. We need more than an ethical system.
You and I need wisdom.
RC Sproul points out that while you can be smart and not wise, it is impossible to be wise without at least some knowledge. He says “ignorance breeds foolishness, but true knowledge — the knowledge of God — leads to the wisdom that is more precious than rubies and pearls.”
It is that knowledge of God that is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of God is what the Psalms and the Proverbs call “the fear of the Lord.”
Years ago, I was aided in my understanding of what it means to fear the Lord by a book written by Jerry Bridges called The Joy of Fearing God. Bridges defines the fear of the Lord as a combination of three things: deep awe, reverence and joyful wonder. It’s not terror or servile dread. The fear of the Lord is a life-giving attitude that draws us closer to God.
Here's how Bridges unpacks what is embodied in what it means to fear the Lord:
Respect (Reverence): An acknowledgment of God’s infinite majesty, holiness, and absolute authority.
Admiration: A deep appreciation for God’s glorious attributes and character.
Amazement: A profound wonder at His infinite, unconditional love for humanity.
Ultimately, Bridges says that biblical fear is not something we should avoid; rather, it’s a healthy, awe-inspired posture that leads to a life of wisdom, obedience, and genuine intimacy with God.
You will never know real wisdom in this life without a knowledge of God that generates reverence, admiration and amazement.
Next week, I want to reflect with you on what the book of James tells us about how we can recognize the difference worldly wisdom and the wisdom from above.
ROOTS SUMMER FUN UPDATE
As you saw last Sunday, our Roots students are back from Memphis. Next up? A trip to Magic Springs – not this weekend, but next weekend. Here’s the revised schedule.
HELPING THE HARRIS FAMILY
Some of you have been asking about how you can help the Harris family.
Thanks to your generosity, we’ve already been able to pass along needed benevolence funds.
Here’s another way you can help. Before you head to the grocery store this week, click this link (https://us.list-manage.com/26qrvklvkxS?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf). Select a few items and add them to your grocery list. Then on Sunday, bring those items to the kitchen at church. We’ll gather them together so that Grace can take them home with her to keep the pantry full.
It’s an easy way to make sure she has what she needs for her family.
Thanks in advance for whatever you’re able to do.
READY FOR SUNDAY
Here’s the preview (https://us.list-manage.com/xVFN6ujMfKq?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf) of the songs we’ll be singing together this weekend.
One of the key ideas that separates Christianity from other world religions is this: Christianity is a grace-based covenant anchored relationship with God, while other religions are transactional, where God’s favor is based on our performance. We’ll see how easy it is for any of us to come before God with a transactional mindset as we learn about Jephthah this Sunday in our ongoing study of the book of Judges.
See you in church!
Pastor Bob
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