By David Brenneman
When we read the book of Job what do we see? The life of a man tested? The life of a man whom 'fate' has dealt a crippling blow? If indeed you're one to put merit in such things as fate. Fate is an excuse to not look for truth. It's a reason to give up rather than to look for the nugget of truth brought about by wisdom.
All but one of Job's friends gave their worldview of God and Job...and got it entirely wrong.
In your worldview today you may either be in Christ or haven't yet come to Christ for salvation, your own worldview needs challenged if it's not aligned with the word of God.
"“But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Mankind does not know its value. Nor is it found in the land of the living. The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire. Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold. Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than pearls. The topaz of Cush cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is this place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature,
And concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’ “God understands its way, And He knows its place.
For He looks to the ends of the earth; He sees everything under the heavens. When He imparted weight to the wind, And assessed the waters by measure, When He made a limit for the rain, And a course for the thunderbolt, Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. And to mankind He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to turn away from evil is understanding.’” Job 28:12-28
I have learned bits of wisdom in my life, but only in the presence of God's Word and Godly men whom the Spirit has brought into my life. True Wisdom is only possible and is only found in Christ Jesus.
Mankind often doesn't seek wisdom. Solomon was considered the wisest man to have ever lived yet sin still ensnared him.
Mankind, and you don't need to look far, looks for the easy way out. Whatever can be done or had without cost or work to obtain.
Yet to gain wisdom from God you indeed must DO something. You must take up your own cross and follow Jesus. You must lay down your thoughts and feelings, your ideas and understanding.
You must indeed ask of God who, according my Gospel, gives freely to all who ask.
In this one thing it seems that most miss out on one particular point. Read it. See for yourself.
James 1:5 NASB "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
It does not say that you must be found in Christ Jesus to receive it, but since this IS the Bible, the very Word of God, it implies a Spiritual purpose.
If you are indeed on the fence concerning God, concerning Jesus Christ, concerning a "need" to be saved, in THIS particular case and in this particular question...if indeed you ARE serious...your quest to know WILL be answered by God.
Our world seems to believe that it can create Heaven here on Earth. Why? Because that's what Satan is trying to do. He cannot get those who died in Christ Jesus to come follow him so he has to try to get those still yet alive to do so.
The wisdom of God, in respect to the knowledge of salvation, he tries to hide, to cloud the judgment of, in order to gain a following. The result is people of a depraved mind who reject the knowledge of God of salvation in Christ Jesus and those who physically die...wake up in Hell, the reality sets in and their judgment is unclouded. They see and know the truth of God, of His judgment concerning sin because they now are reaping the fruits of sin.
What is amazing to me is the nearer I am to understanding the truth of God’s Word, of my relationship with Jesus, the less I need to understand. People strive for peaceful experiences, a peaceful existence, in this world. Working hard at it. Yet they lose thousands of hours of sleep because they fret about the unknown and about tomorrow before tomorrow gets here.
Jesus promises that for those who do come to Him for salvation, a peace that passes all understanding. You cannot express or experience that kind of peace without a right real relationship with Jesus Christ. Your understanding if this world and your place in it becomes simpler. The Word of God tends to wash away the complexity of life. It removes the tangled web of sin and the more that is removed, the more light shines from your relationship with Jesus.
Matthew 16:25-26 NASB "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?"
My Dear Reader...struggling and striving after success, riches, and in some cases health, in this world is like trying to capture the wind. You will find yourself exhausted at the end of the day rather than what life could be in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is ready and is waiting for you to open the door of your life to Him, for Him to show you a still better way.
Don't expect the world to understand what you will find because your relationship with Jesus is yours. It's a personal relationship with Him and you.
Some who come to Christ for salvation will indeed find others coming against them for leaving their old way of thinking behind. Some indeed will find persecution because Satan lost another to the truth of God. Even in that, you will never be alone. Jesus promised to never leave you nor forsake you. Life might get difficult but you and Jesus are a majority in every situation.
The more I desire a better relationship with Jesus the less the stuff of this world matters to me. I never realized the useless burdens that I placed upon myself because I listened to what the world said was important.
God the Father never made salvation to be complicated. The decision to come to Christ is a freely offered solution to sin. Sin will forever keep you separated from God. Soon, Jesus is returning because the Father has set a day that the rest of the judgments of God must be completed.
Salvation in Christ Jesus is a relationship its not a religion. It's filled with all the goodness of God in all things that our minds can wrap our heads around. But you cannot know until you ask Jesus to save you and become the Lord of your life.
Wisdom of God is at your fingertips, it's at the tip of your tongue, awaiting your desire to speak and to reach out for it.
Life might still be hard but you'll never again be alone in it.
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