Godly Wisdom

How do you define Godly wisdom?

The Bible tells us that Godly wisdom is our birthright as a child of God and it is ours for the asking.

James 1:5 HCSB

“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.”

But first, it's important to understand there are two kinds of wisdom, one that comes from God and the other from the devil. Read James 3:13-18 to gain a better understanding of the two. We see in James 3:17 that Godly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Are you familiar with Solomon?

He was the son of David and Bathsheba and known as the wisest king. He wrote most of Proverbs and all of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs (a.k.a. Song of Solomon). When he became king at a young age, he asked God for wisdom and God granted it!

1 Kings 3:7-9 NIV

"Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Because Solomon asked for a discerning heart God was pleased and in 1 Kings 3:10-14 we see that God not only honored Solomon's request, but he also gave him riches, honor, and said he would have a long life if he obeyed God's commands and follow His ways.

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”

Too often we fail to ask God for His help or even His wisdom. We have forgotten that God created us to have a love relationship with Him and therefore we minimize how much He actually loves us and wants to do for us and through us. God's love is beyond our limited knowledge and comprehension. At times, we may even think we are not worthy of it because of our sins or lack of trust in Him. Can I tell you that God is always eagerly waiting for us to come running into His open arms! God loves us too much to leave us where we are. Take a moment today to repent and ask God for His forgiveness, ask God to give you His wisdom as you humbly submit yourselves to Him and obey His commands.

Psalm 111:10 NIV

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

God meets us right where we are, flaws and all, He is eager for us to walk closely with Him!

My HCSB Study Bible side notes say: One of the most important virtues a Christian may lack is wisdom. James 1:5 refers to wisdom as Christian enlightenment, which only comes through the work of God in a believer’s life since He is the source and giver of wisdom. The idea is more than a temporary solving of difficulties. It includes learning and profiting through challenging experiences. In promising his readers that God will give wisdom to those who ask, James reflects on OT (Old Testament) teaching (Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding). James bases his confidence in God’s response on His character because He gives to all generously and without criticizing.

Proverbs 1:7 NIV

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Notice a key word in this verse above, "discipline". We need to become disciplined in our walk with the Lord by creating quiet time with Him, and by doing so we will come to know Him on a more personal and intimate level as the Holy Spirit reveals God's will to us. The more you come to know God through His Word the more you will recognize Him working in your life.

If you are wondering, "how do I gain God's wisdom?" I want to encourage you first and foremost to read the Bible.

But before you begin, always pray and ask God to reveal His wisdom as you read His Word. Secondly, I encourage you to get the Experiencing God book (2021 new edition) and the EG Bible Study because it will help you gain a better understanding of what your relationship should be like with our heavenly Father.

If you are unsure of which book in the Bible to start with, my recommendation is to get yourself a study Bible first because this will help you gain a deeper understanding of what the verses are saying. The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom and the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) will give you an understanding of Jesus' life and His ministry work which is another great place to start reading!

If you are wanting a greater understanding of the history and background of the Bible, a good book to get is "Self-Guided Tour of the Bible" by Christopher D Hudson I have found this to be helpful because it gives you background on the people in the Bible, Jesus' life and ministry, a breakdown of parables, miracles, prophets, events and timelines, maps and charts, and descriptions of each book in the Bible etc. *make sure to read the Bible alongside this book!

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.”

Your challenge today is to surrender this day completely to God, ask God to reveal His will to you and pay attention to Him prompting you to step out in faith!

Psalm 32:8

“I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel.”

My prayer is that God will strengthen each one of you in mind, body, and spirit as you begin this exciting journey of getting to know Him on a personal and intimate level. May you be filled with God's peace that surpasses all understanding as you surrender your life into His hands and gain His wisdom as you allow Him to direct and guide you each moment of your day through His Holy Spirit!

Written by: Jill Theriault

Crossroads Coaching - @crossroadscoachingongodstime