24 Jul W4 | Fruitful with Wisdom
REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
Proverbs 9:10 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (NIV)
OBJECTIVE
To understand that true wisdom comes from a listening heart and how fearful obedience to the gospel truth edifies our character to bear much fruit as a Christian.
CONTENT
A LISTENING HEART
- King Solomon prayed to heed wisdom’s instructions instead of asking for riches. The Hebrew word for what Solomon asked for is shama, which means a hearing heart--one that can hear the Lord’s direction and guidance with clarity. This posture of humility pleased the Lord, so he was given much more (1 Kings 3:9-13), as fear of the Almighty is the beginning of all wisdom (Pro 9:10).
- Solomon’s unrivaled wisdom eventually failed him as he descended into idolatry. He attended more to foreign gods of foreign wives, lavishing upon any type of pleasure a man could ever desire through the end of his life. It wasn’t until the King of kings came and did everything He heard the Father say (John 5:30) that the truth of His Word rose into being. Having been reconciled with the Father and baptized by the Holy Spirit through Christ, hearing heavenly counsel became possible at any given time for us today.
- He who has ears, let him hear: We inherit God’s wisdom by allowing the Spirit to cultivate habits of behavior rooted in the gospel truth. This takes careful listening and responding to God’s Word on our part, whereby decision-making is not based on what we see in the natural world, but on righteous judgment that we have received from the Redeemer.
OVERCOMING DEATH: FRUITFUL FEATS OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN
- Under the old covenant, bearing the gospel message was mostly an individual pursuit (presenting the truth with lofty speech and human wisdom, i.e. calling attention to one’s self). For an educated and experienced man like Paul, he made a conscious choice to embody no other knowledge but Jesus Christ and His crucifixion (1 Cor 2:2)--the only “real” truth on which we can form good sense and true discernment.
- When we bend our ear to the truth against today’s self-obsessed culture, others can recognize the goodness of God (Mat 7:16) and come to know the message of Christ. For Christ crucified is God’s power and wisdom (1 Cor 1:18)--His undying obedience to the Father should serve as any believer’s moral compass.
- Our salvation may be deeply personal, but how we live and what we listen to accounts for every member of the whole body of Christ (1 Cor 12:26-27). One man’s disobedience can defile many (Heb 12:15), but by the obedience of one, many can be made righteous (Rom 5:19). Only when we remain in the Vine can our inner being and outward actions grow wiser. The resulting fruit is God glorified, as others turn to hear God’s call to His way of life. May we boldly and unashamedly abide in Christ, bearing and building up one another in His love!
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- How do you usually tell between God’s voice and the internal dialogues of your own heart? Who are some people you would consider to be wise?
- How do you remind yourself to seek God for advice and counsel in this age of self-reliance?
- In what ways have you nudged others to reverent obedience to the gospel truth?
REFERENCES