Being Wise&Happy - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

Wise Up! #2

Being Wise & Happy

by Louie Marsh, 10-29-2023

 

Intro.  Mr T last one.

 

1)    What Wisdom Will Do For me.

 

“¹³Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, ¹⁴for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. ¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.” (Proverbs 3:13–18, ESV)

·       Wisdom Makes me HAPPY.

 

“¹³Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,” (Proverbs 3:13, ESV)

 

Word blessed is the closest word to happy in the Bible - it means being blessed or happy because God is working in your life. Lloyd John Ogilvie suggested “Congratulations.”

·       Wisdom Makes me  PROFITABLE .

 

“¹⁴for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” (Proverbs 3:14–15, ESV)

 

Hebrew word means a good return on a trade. This doesn’t mean wisdom makes your bank account fat.  Wisdom will help us to get a good return on the work we do in our life. Wisdom makes our life worthwhile - not wasted. Therefore wisdom gives us a profitable life.

·       Wisdom Makes me  HONORABLE .

 

“¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.” (Proverbs 3:16, ESV)

 

The world could use more honorable people - that’s why we’re studying character on Tuesday nights. Being wise helps you understand how to be an honorable person.

·       Wisdom Makes me  COMPLETE/WHOLE .

 

“¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:17, ESV)

 

The word here is Shalom - the Hebrew word for peace. But it means far more than just the absence of conflict. Instead it refers to the peace that comes from being whole - from having every part of your life in harmony with God, you and others.

·       Wisdom Makes me  SPIRITUALLY ALIVE .

 

“¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.” (Proverbs 3:18, ESV)

 

The Tree of Life is a symbol of spiritual life - wisdom shows us how to take our Bible knowledge and turn it into reality - thus bring us spiritually alive.

2) How To Become Wise…

 

·       ASK  for It.

 

“⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5, ESV)

 

Two important things to understand about this verse:

1, It doesn’t say HOW God will give wisdom

2, It doesn’t say WHEN He’ll do it!

 

·       SEARCH for it.

 

“³yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,” (Proverbs 2:3–4, ESV)

         

This search for wisdom is a life long activity. Not just a quickie to get what I need now - Jesus said it well - Matt. 7:13-14. All written in the present tense - continual action.

 

“⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8, ESV)

 

o   Ask - we already covered that!

o   Seek - like we said life long process.

o   Knock - Bold requesting what you need.

·        IDENTIFY  it.

 

“⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:5, ESV)

 

Biblical Wisdom is different from all others - because it is always linked to and flowing from God! We’ve got to understand that and never sever wisdom from God - He’s the source of all wisdom - so when we seek for wisdom we seek for Him!

·       LIVE  It.

   

“²⁸And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ ”” (Job 28:28, ESV)

 

          Notice that wisdom is something that show in what you do not just in what you say. Notice also that wisdom is avoiding sin. A wise person is a someone who avoids sin.

 

3) Where Wisdom Begins…

 

·       CHRIST  Is Our Wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18,24)

“¹⁸For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” … “²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18,24, ESV)

·       RESULTS  prove Him true.

“¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”” (Matthew 11:19, ESV)

         

·       ACCEPTING  Him Is the Wise Choice (Ecc. 8:5; 2 Cor 6:2)

“⁵Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.” (Ecclesiastes 8:5, ESV)

 

“²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20, ESV)

 

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