The Wisdom of the Wise - #235

When you choose to invest your time every day in the study and memorization of Scripture, and then throughout the day meditate on what the Holy Spirit is revealing to you, God promises that you will become wise.

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

Transcript

When you choose to invest your time every day in the study and memorization of Scripture, and then throughout the day meditate on what the Holy Spirit is revealing to you, God promises that you will become wise. You will understand how to apply what you have learned to your own life. You will begin to actually live a life that consistently glorifies God.

Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A powerful weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity and godliness. I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #235 entitled “The Wisdom of the Wise.”

In Psalm 119:130 David reminds us that “The unfolding of (God’s) words gives light; it imparts understanding (it gives wisdom) to the simple.” In Psalm 119:9, 11 we see that when you memorize Scripture, and when you hide God’s Word in your heart, it becomes a great deterrent to sin. Why? (Psalm 119:98-100) It is God’s Word that “makes (you) wiser than (your) enemies, for it is ever with (you).” As you dig into Scripture, you will “have more understanding than all (your) teachers, for (God’s) testimonies are (your) meditation.” 

I cannot overemphasize the importance and the necessity of investing your time daily to be in God’s Word and (Colossians 3:16) let the Word of God dwell in you richly. If you were with us for last week’s episode entitled “Be a Wise Guy” then you know we began a two-part look at Biblical wisdom. Our primary text for this week’s episode is found in Psalm 19:8 which says, “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

When you hear the word “commandment,” what comes to mind? Let’s consider it in military terms. “Command” is the authority a person in the military lawfully exercises over subordinates by virtue of his or her rank and position. The purpose of that command is to influence others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction, and motivation.  

Although the subordinate may not understand or agree with the command being given, he or she is to follow those orders to the letter, trusting that their commanding officer not only sees a bigger picture but also understands the plan and purpose.

Now, let me apply this. God is our “Commander-in-Chief,” and Scripture is clear that we will stand before Him one day soon to answer for our actions—did we follow His orders or not? 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “We must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” Did we worship God or King Me? Did we obey His commands or do our own thing? 

1 Samuel 2:3 warns us to “Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.” And Ecclesiastes 12:14 also warns us that “God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” “So then,” Paul reminds us in Romans 14:12, “each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

So, again let me remind you of what Psalm 19:8 says. “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” The word David uses for “commandment” here literally means “words of wisdom.” God is not randomly giving orders, blindly moving pawns around on a chessboard just to get His jollies. He has a plan and a purpose for your life—a mission specifically designed for you. 

Through the inspired Word of God and in His divine wisdom God instructs you in the task He has called (and equipped) you to. Job asked the question, “Where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding” (Job 28:12)? The answer is given in verse 13, “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13). You see, God’s “wisdom is profound, His power is vast” (Job 9:4). We can trust that God (our Commander) knows exactly what He’s doing – and what He is doing is exactly what is right!

In earlier years, before technology enhanced the ability of the military to communicate with each other, a courier would be dispatched with written orders. Once received, the written command was to be completed to the letter. If the orders were not followed, if the senior officer on the field disregarded the command in favor of his own plan, he might win the skirmish, but the war could be in jeopardy.  

In a sense, that’s what our Bible is: written orders from our Commander. The commands in Scripture are not to be taken lightly; they are to be followed to the letter. They’re not up for our own personal interpretation (2 Peter 1:20); they are words of wisdom from the One who sees the whole battlefield and understands the movements of the enemy (Proverbs 19:21).

In our battle against temptation, our Commander has given us marching orders. He has told us how to fight. James 4:7 commands, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” He has also told us to “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) Galatians 5:1 commands us to “stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” And we are even told what weapon to use against the enemy. Ephesians 6:17 says we are to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 

Ours is not to question God’s command or doubt His wisdom. Ours is not to try to figure out how that specific method or that particular weapon is going to work when everything else we tried has utterly failed. The responsibility that falls upon us as spiritual soldiers is simply this: obey God’s commands. Jesus declared “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) This is why Jesus asked in Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not what I tell you?”

I can remember a song my kids used to sing in Sunday school. It said, “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it happily.  Action is the key, do it immediately, joy you will receive. Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe!”

Psalm 19:8 reminds us that God’s commands are “pure.” In other words, they are clean, without error, without deceit, and without an ulterior motive. Follow them to the letter and one day you will see the bigger picture as your spiritual eyes begin to realize what God is doing in and through your life.

Psalm 19:8 goes on to say, “the commandment of the Lord is (not only) pure, (but it is also) enlightening (to) the eyes.”

Do you want to know how to effectively say “No!” to temptation? I know, silly question. And yet, I still ask: Do you desire to stop giving up and giving in to your sinful habits? Do you long for the time when you never have to lie to cover up your sin? God can show you how! Solomon said, “The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6)

Receiving that promised divine wisdom begins by choosing daily to open your Bible and let the truth and wisdom of God’s Word penetrate and permeate your heart and mind. As it does, your spiritual eyes will be opened and you will see what you need to do, where you need to go, and how to accomplish it. One of the primary ministries of the Holy Spirit in your life is to guide you into all of God’s Truth (John 16:13). Open your Bible my friend and let Him do just that.

God promises (Proverbs 4:11) that as you study Scripture “(He guides) you in the way of wisdom and (leads) you along straight paths.” David declares in Psalm 19:8 that God’s words of wisdom are radiant; they enlighten your eyes. In other words, God’s wisdom gives light and clarity to help you see the way to victory and freedom; it illuminates your path.  

Those divine words of wisdom are found in Scripture. So, every time you invest time opening your Bible and studying God’s Word, the verses you read act as “a lamp to (your) feet and a light for (your) path.” (Psalm 119:105) They are a massive spotlight pouring God’s pure white light of holiness, integrity, and wisdom on your life saying, “This is the way to victory, walk in it!” (Isaiah 30:21)

Recently I was sitting at my computer when a mosquito landed on my forehead and began to feast. I quickly slapped my hand to my forehead and nailed the little bugger. Pulling my hand away I saw not only the smudge of the bug, but blood. So, with a sigh, I went into the bathroom to deal with it. Wouldn’t you know, when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t see anything. So, I had to turn the light on. Surprise of all surprises, the brightness of the light allowed me to see the problem and deal with it.

In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.” And in John 12:46 He says, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” The Psalmist declared “For it is (God) who light(s) my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.” (Psalm 18:28)

Here's my point: When my mind is focused on self—when the goal of my life is to please King Me—every decision I make, every word I speak, everything I do will be focused on that singular goal: self-satisfaction. Truth be told, without Christ I’m working in the dark and so I can’t see what needs to be done to deal with my sin issues. In fact, I won’t see my sin – period. It will seem like I’m making good decisions at the time, but that way is always the wrong way. Proverbs 4:19 warns that “the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.” 

The only way to know where God wants you to be, and what God wants you to do is to open your Bible and dig into Scripture daily. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” Proverbs 30:5 reminds us that “Every word of God proves true.” This means that “the unfolding of (God’s) words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130) 

Ok, let’s take one more look at Psalm 19 before we close this week’s episode. Psalm 19:10-11 says of Scripture, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

One of the greatest struggles we face in the war against temptation in our lives is on the battlefield of misplaced desires. The lie of Satan is that “YOU need, YOU deserve, YOU have to have, YOU can’t live without this or that.” We get caught up in believing that our sinful desires are somehow justified because our particular situation is “unique.” We are convinced that “feeling good” will help us cope.

Let me read, one more time, Psalm 19:10-11. Listen closely. “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

Psalm 19 is clear that God’s Word is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. When you saturate your mind and fill your heart with Scripture it revives your soul, makes you wise, rejoices your heart, and enlightens your eyes. Why would you desire anything more than you would desire a closer walk with God through your study of His Word?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is all too true for the majority of us. You see, we have learned to focus our thoughts and feelings on pleasing King Me instead of pleasing God. We have developed the nasty habit of making our self-pleasure a higher priority than honoring and glorifying our Heavenly Father. We are on a self-appointed quest to find personal satisfaction instead of being on a divinely ordained mission to honor our Creator, Savior, and Divine Friend. As a result, we don’t see God (or His Word) as someone (or something) that will “meet my needs” and “provide me with what I seek.” This, in turn, creates in me a wrong desire. That desire leads me down a bad path where I make sinful choices.

Let me remind you that whom you choose to worship determines what you choose to think about. What you choose to think about determines what you choose to say and do. What you choose to say and do determines the consequences that result.

OK. So, now I want to draw your attention to Psalm 19:10 – specifically where David says of God’s Word, “More to be desired are they than gold.” Focus with me on the word “desired.” David uses the word “desire” to refer to taking great pleasure in something—namely, Scripture. Do you take great pleasure in God’s Word? Can you say as David did, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97)? David began the book of Psalms by saying that the man who knows God’s blessing on his life is the man whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

More to be desired is God’s law, God’s truth, and God’s standards of righteousness and holiness. I know that to many people this sounds boring, dull, unfulfilling, and mind-numbingly pointless. After all, how can I possibly find reading my Bible to be more pleasurable than giving in to temptation?

The reason we battle with this, the reason we struggle with comprehending something that seems so incomprehensible, is because we don’t really know God. We haven’t invested the time yet in digging for the hidden treasures He has buried for us within His Word. We are too focused on the here and now - on the tangible things we can touch, see, and feel in the moment.

This is one of the primary reasons for this podcast: to encourage you to dive into Scripture daily and to get you to meditate on the Word of God, seeking the God of the Word. I assure you, as a man who spent 30 years of his life pursuing the sinful whims and wishes, passions and desires of King Me, God’s Word truly is sweeter—more pleasant—than any sinful indulgence.  

God’s Word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) if you but choose daily to let it powerfully work in your heart. As Psalm 19 says, not only is it worth more than gold and sweet to the taste, but also by it we are warned. As we walk in obedience to it, the end result is great gain—a deep relationship with the Almighty God who loves you more than you will ever know.

OK, I’m going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin), be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com

One of these powerful resources we are making available to you is my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You see, saying “No” to temptation and choosing to live an upright and godly life is a daily decision you must make. Every time you are faced with a temptation, you are also faced with a decision: Do I give in, or do I stand firm in my faith and fight it? Do I yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and live to glorify God, or do I focus on King Me and give in to my fleshly desires?

This book “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” presents, in a very clear and practical way, how to live a life that is holy and pure, how to say no to sin and live by the Spirit in a way that glorifies your creator, your Savior, your Heavenly Father. So, head on over to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” or just look up my name, Steve Etner, and purchase your copy of any of my books today..

And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes! So, until next time this is Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry – reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.