Tag: Wisdom

Treasures

I wonder what treasures I truly seek.  Are they treasures that are offered by this world?  Are they treasures for eternity? How can a person know?  If we search what our heart’s desire is this will give us a good understanding of the treasures we seek.  A very good place to start is captured in the 139th Psalm – Search me, oh God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.

Matthew 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field

Proverbs 2:1
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding

Philippians 3:7
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Isaiah 55:2
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant.

Stumbling Block

Seeking wisdom is not bad.  Wisdom allows good decisions if it is followed. However seeking it apart from God is. Wisdom of this world has a limit or duration.  That limit is from the the point of understanding until deeper wisdom is added, yet at the end of this death happens and it is gone.  This wisdom may benefit others but it too has a duration.  Scripture tells us that true wisdom begins with a fear and respect for God.  Beginning with this wisdom, all other wisdom that follows has much deeper application and benefit for eternity.  Do we wish for wisdom? “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added”

Matthew 12:38 – Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it

1 Corinthians 1:21
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world.? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men

Jeremiah 8:9
The wise men shall be put to shame;
they shall be dismayed and taken;
behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord,
so what wisdom is in them.

Wisdom of this World

We can all point at others who we think serve things of this world.  Yet if I search my self there are definitely areas that remain my master.  Not all of the time but certainly self interest rather than being a humble servant.  A good place to start each day or to end each day would be with Psalms 139 23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!”Matthew 6:23

If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Romans 6:16
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness

James 4:4
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God

Proverbs 28:26
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered

1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God