Wisdom and Knowledge

Wisdom and knowledge are important to all of us. But what is the difference in the two. Is it sufficient to have only one, or will our minds then be half full?

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness. Proverbs 15:2 

Wisdom and knowledge go hand in hand. They are not the same but they work together to our benefit. Wisdom shows us what to do with the facts. Knowledge is an accumulation of facts. To have experience or book learning takes time and is an honorable thing. But wisdom shows us how to use the knowledge we learned.

In the Bible wisdom and knowledge are gifts of the Spirit. 

to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, 

to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 

1 Corinthians 12:8 

True wisdom comes from God. It existed in him before he created the world or its people. Psalms 124 describes the greatness of God, the creator of all that exist. God used his wisdom to create this world. 

How countless are Your works, LORD! 

In wisdom You have made them all; 

the earth is full of Your creatures 

Psalms 104:24 

God shares his wisdom with his children through gifts. Wisdom is not earned or bought. It is a gift that God gives as he desires.

When Solomon became king, he realized the great responsibility of ruling Israel and he asked God to give him wisdom and knowledge.

Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people, 

for who can judge this great people of Yours?” 

2 Chronicles 1:10 

Because Solomon did not ask for riches or glory God granted his request. Solomon was not only wise and knowledgeable in ruling Israel, he also taught on plants, animals, and many other things. Rulers from all over the world came to Solomon to learn from his wisdom.

From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, 

sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. 

1 Kings 4:34 

It is God’s pleasure to give us wisdom. We only need to pray and ask.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, 

who gives to all generously and without criticizing, 

and it will be given to him. 

James 1:5 

How does wisdom manifest itself? How will we know it when we see it? Let us begin by studying how Jesus used wisdom. When Jesus taught he did not use complicated descriptions, or convoluted philosophies. He taught with simple ideas and words such as oil, lamp, sheep, farming, love, hate, envy, and joy. He taught things a common person could understand. He taught with parables that drew from everyday life. His words described scenes that were happening daily. Nothing was complicated. Yet every word was profound. Even so, his teachings have stood for two thousand years. Millions of people still rely on his words to guide them in life.

Wisdom it not complicated. It applies to daily life in all situations. It provides you with what is needed to accomplish an immediate task.

In Luke 5:4-10, when Jesus called Peter to follow him, he began by telling Peter to put his net in the water and try to find fish again. Peter was fishing all night and had caught nothing. But Jesus told Peter to try one more time. Peter obeyed and when he pulled his net out of the water there were so many fish that two boats could not hold all of them.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down 

the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night 

and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets 

began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help 

them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 

Luke 5:4-7 

Jesus had wisdom from God to know where the fish were. Even though Peter could not see this Jesus could. This is God given wisdom. To see a situation in a way others cannot. To understand something that someone needs to know. Wisdom from God does more than give information. It also spiritually convicts people of God’s greatness and power.

Peter was convicted of his sinfulness compared to God’s greatness.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; 

I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish 

they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. 

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 

Luke 4:8-10 

Jesus used this wisdom from God to show Peter what he would do as he following Jesus.

Wisdom is a valuable gift from God, which we should ask to receive as Solomon did. In all situations God can help us by sharing his wisdom with us.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, 

preserve sound judgment and discretion; 

Proverbs 3:21 

Knowledge is also a gift from God. The knowledge which God gives is different from the book knowledge we acquire in school. God’s knowledge is all encompassing covering everything that exist in the past, present, and future. God’s chooses to impart his knowledge to his children as he desires.

As with wisdom we do not earn God’s knowledge. We may pray for knowledge but God decides when to give it to us. In Psalm 139, David declares the knowledge of God is more than he can understand. God knows everything we do. He knows what we will say before we say it. Nothing can be hidden form God. LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up;

You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; 

You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD. 

You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. 

This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. 

Psalm 139:1-6 

The beginning of knowledge is to fear the Lord. True knowledge is to understand more and more of God.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, 

and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 

Proverbs 9:10 

When we fear the Lord, we are not terrified of something horrible coming into our lives. Rather we know the greatness of God and we realize that we are mere ants compared to him. We know that our power and might are small in comparison to the creator of all that exist. We are humbled before his majesty. This is the place where we being to know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, our weakness and great strength. These are the godly facts which lead to true knowledge.

The spirit of wisdom and knowledge was given to Jesus when he walked on this earth.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, 

a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 

Isaiah 11:2 

Jesus displayed this knowledge in the New Testament when he saw Nathaniel for the first time. Nathaniel did not believe the Messiah could come from Nazareth? He went to meet Jesus and was amazed by his knowledge.

Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said about him, 

“Here is a true Israelite; no deceit is in him.” 

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. 

“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you, ”Jesus answered. 

“Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 

John 1:47-50 

Jesus’ knowledge convicted Nathaniel that Jesus was the Messiah. He could not imagine any other way a man would know his heart and see him under the fig tree. As with godly wisdom, godly knowledge will convict people with faith to believe in Jesus as their savior.

Godly knowledge may come to a person with godly wisdom. In Acts 9, after Paul was struck down on the Damascus road he was lead to a house where he stayed for three days. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. God spoke to him, giving him a word of knowledge as to Paul’s exact location and what he was doing.

“Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, 

“to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, 

since he is praying there. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias 

coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.” 

Acts 9:11-12 

God followed this with a word of wisdom, which told Ananias what to do with the knowledge of Paul’s location and prayers.

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument 

to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. 

I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!” 

Acts 9:15-16

 God could have given Paul his sight after Paul prayed. But God chose to have Ananias come to Paul with knowledge only God could provide. This was to convict Paul of what Jesus wanted from Paul and what Paul must do for Jesus.

Wisdom and knowledge work together. Sometime we are given wisdom to help ourselves or another person with knowledge that already have. Other times we are given knowledge to confirm or prepare us for an event. Sometime we are given both. Godly wisdom and knowledge always are used to convict us of the truth, the power, and the supremacy of God

Dear Lord, Lead us and guide us in all we do. You are a great and almighty God. Teach us to fear the Lord. Show us your great wisdom and knowledge. Do not leave us to our own understanding. Teach us to pray for godly wisdom and knowledge in our lives. Show us how to wait patiently for your perfect timing to impart wisdom and knowledge to us. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.

Fighting Depression

What is depression?

Life can be difficult in many ways. Sometimes we feel sad, discouraged, indecisive, or guilty. We may have loss interest in life, have no motivation, or suffer from insomnia. These are normal feelings which every person will experience at some time or another. But when these feeling last for more than two weeks and interfere with daily life, we may be suffering from depression. Depression is a feeling of loss because something bad has happened. Maybe you were rejected by someone or you failed at a task at work. Afterwards you began to believe something even worse was about to happen.

Anyone will feel sad when a friend dies, or relationship ends. But depression is a much deeper sadness that will last longer. When depressed you feel as though you might lay down and never get up again. Healthy sadness last for a shorter period of time and is not as overwhelming as depression.

Do you need professional help?

If you have been depressed for a long period of time or have considered suicide it is important that you seek professional help. There are therapists trained in understanding and helping depressed people. You do not have to fight this battle alone. Please pray for the courage to reach out for help.

Whether you are receiving professional help or simply talk things through with a friend there are Biblical ways to improve your emotions. The Bible is full of truths about God and about ourselves. When we are depressed our thinking has become twisted. We become consumed with unrealistic thoughts which haunt our happiness. When we align ourselves with God’s truth we are walking in the light and the darkness will lose power over us. So, lets dig into the Bible and realign our thinking.

Tell me the Bible verses!

There are many Bible verse to straighten our thinking. These six were specifically chosen to bring us out of emotional darkness and into the beautiful light of God.

1. Acknowledge there is a problem using Paul’s words.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; 

perplexed, but not in despair.

 2 Corinthians 4:8

Dear Lord I am hard pressed on every side but I don’t have to be crushed. 

I am perplexed but I don’t have to be in despair.

Acknowledging our emotions before God helps us to look more clearly at the things we are thinking.When we get honest with God we can also get honest with ourselves. God wants us to lean on him when we are trouble. We do not need to fight depression alone, God is there to help and comfort us in our troubles. You may not know how to change your situation or your emotions but God does. He has been helping people for 6000 years.

2. Ask God to strengthen you and protect you using Isaiah's words.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Dear Lord help me not to fear for You are with me.

 I will not be dismayed for you are my God. 

You will strengthen me and help me. 

You will uphold me with your righteous right hand.

God is an awesome and powerful God. We do not need to be afraid because God is working on our behalf to improve our situation and emotions. God can do anything and will do anything for his dearly loved children. You are one of his dearly loved children. God makes it very clear that he wants to help us. He wants to protects us. He wants to give us his strength so we do not rely on our own weak strength. He knows we are too weak to make it through this world on our own. He will be with us to help us.

3. Know that our troubles will come to an end using the Isaiah's words.

The oppressor will come to an end,
and destruction will cease;
the aggressor will vanish from the land.
Isaiah 16:4

Dear Lord, thank you that the oppressor will come to an end,

  and destruction will cease. The aggressor will vanish from the land.

God will not let oppression and destruction continue forever. He will bring them to an end. Whatever you are enduring, God will bring it to an end. If you are mourning God will restore your joy. If you are in a difficult situation God will change your circumstances. If you are alone God will bring people into your life. Whatever is troubling you God will bring it to an end and give you joy to replace your suffering. Trust him. Obey him. Let him work things out in your life.

4. Believe that you will rise from the darkness using Micah's words.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
Micah 7:8

Dear Lord, tell my enemies to not gloat over me. 

Though I have fallen I will rise. 

Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light.

God will slay your enemies for you. Whether it is a situation, a loss, or a person God will intervene on your behalf. God will bring you up out of the pit you believe yourself to be in. God will bring you into the light of his glorious love. Who ever is looking down on you or has given up on you, it is not God. God wants to lift you up and restore you.

5. Know that God will set you free from your pain using Isaiah's words.

to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’
“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.
Isaiah 49:9

Dear Lord, call me out of the darkness and set me free. 

                                     Good Shepard let me find pasture on every barren hill.

You can be free of your pain. There is a pain-free future in front of you. God wants you to live a life without endless sadness and despair. God himself will call you out of your emotional darkness. Even though the world around you seems barren and dry, God will help you find pasture and comfort. A place to nourish your soul and lift your emotions.

6. Remember you are a chosen child of God using Peter's words.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 

God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him 

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

Dear Lord, let me always remember I am a chosen person,

a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to you. 

God allow me to declare the praises of you who called me 

out of darkness into your wonderful Light.

Always remember you are a chosen child of the great King. You are set apart to belong to God’s family. You were made to praise God, to love God, to walk in God’s light. There is no human emotion which can deny you your rightful place in God’s kingdom. Whatever is happening in your life keep reminding your self of who you are in Christ.

God’s word is strong and powerful. If you kept repeating these verses, day by day you will begin to walk in greater light and leave the darkness behind you. Don’t stop. Keep reminding yourself what the Bible says about you. Do not let twisted thinking about who you are rob you of joy. What ever you are feeling today, God has better plans for you tomorrow. God plans to give you a hope and a future.

 

                                     For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

 “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans 

to give you hope and a future.
Jerimiah 29:11