Education, Experience or wisdom

Today most people say you need a good education to get ahead in life, some say all you need is experience, the reality is that we need both. But, education and experience together are not enough, we need something that only comes from GOD and is only available to those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD and the Savior of the world, His Spirit, Holy Spirit!

James in speaking to believers says, “If anyone of you lacks wisdom let him ask GOD who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given him. But, let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind. Let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD; for he is a double minded man unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8.

A good example of this is King Saul: Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Look you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD and the LORD said, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them.” Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel that he may save My people from the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people because their cry has come to Me.” So when Samuel saw Saul the LORD said, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.” Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him and said: “Is it not because the LORD has anointed you commander over His inheritance?” When Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. When he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families the family of Matri was chosen. Saul the son of Kish was chosen but when they sought him he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, “Has the man come here yet?” The LORD answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.” So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted, “Long live the King!” Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly, you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your GOD, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom shall not continue.” So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side. The word of the LORD came to Samuel, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as King for he has turned back from following Me and has not preformed My commandments.” As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe and it tore. So Samuel said, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. (Excerpts from I Samuel chapters 8-15)

Study I Samuel 8 thru 15 to understand the rise and fall of Saul, the only time he sought the wisdom of the LORD was when he was looking for his father’s lost donkeys and even then it was at the urging of his father’s servant who was with him. GOD raised up Saul and gave him everything he needed to be king and reign over the nation of Israel and defeat all of its enemies. GOD gave Saul many opportunities to repent and to seek Him and to keep His commandments, but Saul did not seek for GOD’s wisdom in how to accomplish all the he was called to do as king he did not even seek the LORD when he knew he had sinned and needed to repent, he asked Samuel to pray to the LORD for him to be forgiven. Therefore Saul did everything in his own understanding and strength and they always failed him.

Compare Saul to David whom GOD chose to replace Saul, David was a man of violence and sinned before the LORD, yet GOD called David, “A man after My own heart.” Why? Because he kept the commandments of the LORD and he always truly repented and personally sought the wisdom of GOD in everything that he did. Study 1 Samuel 16 thru 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Kings 1 thru 2.

Solomon the son of David asked for the wisdom of GOD to rule the people of Israel and the LORD gave it to him. He became the wisest and richest King of Israel ever and his reign was a reign of peace and prosperity for Israel. Yet he turned away from the LORD and GOD divided the kingdom between his son Rehoboam and one of Solomon’s servants, Jeroboam. GOD gave the northern kingdom of 10 tribes to Jeroboam and Judah and Benjamin to Rehoboam. Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam rejected the wisdom of GOD and sought to reign as they desired. Study 1 Kings 2 thru 14.

So education, experience and the wisdom of the LORD is not enough if we are to serve the LORD we must also be humble and repentant, obeying His commandments as given not as we interpret them. We must seek His Kingdom first and do His will above everything else.

If we do not have His Spirit living in us and do not have His wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment we will not be able to keep His commandments and do His will! GOD’s commandments are in His Word to humanity, the Bible. His wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment are found as we learn and live His Word and follow the instruction and discipline of His Holy Spirit.

It’s the without and within lifestyle of Christianity that allows us to hear GOD, know GOD and serve GOD. If we believe GOD’s Word in our heart and live it for everyone to see in humility as the LORD directs then we can be friends of Jesus not servants, John 15:9-17, “As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love, just as I have kept My father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”

To be the friend of GOD we must obey Him and keep His commandments! If we are the friend of GOD then we will keep His commandments and obey Him!

Friendship with GOD is produced by obedience because obedience is better than sacrifice. Sacrifice is religious works that bear no fruit just responsibility and guilt in not being able to perform or pride and judgment of others in selfrighteousness rather than humbly recognizing our personal need of GOD’s presence, guidance and love. Study Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John and Jude.