What Are You, A Wiseguy?

“Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7

            “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.” Matthew 11:25

These scriptures remind me of Winston Churchill’s quote, “A riddle in a mystery wrapped up in an enigma.” Why spend everything to gain wisdom if God gives His hidden things to children? The bible never placed a premium on ignorance or stupidity. Ephesians 6:7 teaches us to do all things with excellence. Performance at that level requires time, training and learning. If I need brain surgery, would I seek out the neurosurgeon who graduated at the bottom of his class? Probably not.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and discipline” Proverbs 1:7. Knowing God exists is the start of being wise. “You believe that there is one God? Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” James 2:19. Believing God exists is insufficient. The devil believes and it hasn’t helped him one bit. James wrote that faith goes past mental assent of God’s existence; it’s acting on your beliefs. I know who President of the United States is. I recognize his face and can tell you things about him. I’ve never met him nor spent personal time with him so I really don’t “know” him. Many wise people know about God, but the children know Him in an intimate, personal way.

The fear of the Lord is Godly wisdom’s foundation. Intelligence alone eliminates too many people. Seeing with God’s eyes is critical. Children are masters at believing in God’s specialties, the impossible and the miraculous. In Mark 6:35-44, when faced with the task of feeding a multitude, natural wisdom enabled the disciples to calculated the cost to provide food for all and the logistical impossibility to do so. Jesus’ childlike faith and Godly wisdom saw five loaves of bread and two small fish as more than enough for the task at hand. Everyone ate until satisfied and the remains filled twelve baskets. A lot of people were fed with one “Happy Meal”.

Wisdom and knowledge divorced from a personal relationship with God and an understanding of His ways eliminates the supernatural. The disciple’s ability limited their problem solving capabilities. They saw the need but lacked a solution. Not all situations require the supernatural; however, the possibility for divine intervention changes the dynamics of any dilemma. Godly wisdom spared a bride and groom embarrassment at their wedding feast, John 2:1-11. Peter found tax money in the mouth of a fish, Matthew 17: 24-27. On two occasions thousand were fed with next to nothing, Matthew 14:15-21, 15: 32-38; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9: 12-17 and John 6: 5-13. God’s wisdom enabled George Washington Carver to enter his lab with only his bible and find answers for the South’s struggling agricultural economy. Thank God for peanut butter! General Patton and his troops faced a desperate situation. Poor weather gave the Germans an advantage over the Allies. Inspired to have the soldiers themselves pray, Patton recruited a chaplain to compose a prayer, had it printed and distributed to the men with instructions to pray daily. The fog lifted and the Battle of the Bulge was won.

God’s ways take us places effort and ability alone can’t. Adding His super to our natural produces extraordinary results. Taking that route may earn you the label of lunatic or fanatic, even a “wiseguy”. Relax, people thought Jesus was crazy too. When impossible situations are reversed who cares what people think? Combine Godly wisdom and childlike faith and see the miraculous occur.