When I am writing, studying, and teaching I feel like I know the least; when my children are full of questions about life, or sadness and I cannot seem to provide answers or peace; when my teenager gives me attitude and I want to pull my hair out; when I hear someone mocking God; when my students are trying my patience and I know I need to show them Christ-in those moments, I ask for wisdom.
James 1:5-8 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
Solomon asked for wisdom and “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29).
I’m pretty sure that when Solomon asked for wisdom, he did not doubt that God would give it to him.
James later goes on to say in Chapter 3, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (v. 17-18).
Do those attributes of wisdom ring a bell to anybody? To me they sounds like the fruits of the Spirit. So, if I am living in the Spirit, I am living in Wisdom! At this point, I think all should read John 15.
The main function of the Holy Spirit in pre-church history was “as a divine power at work in the world” (Grenz, 2011, P. 361). When the Spirit came upon someone, it was to fulfill a task given by God; He was never something that permanently indwelled in any human. However, as Jesus came and died, His Spirit was promised to come in His place. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit made an unabashed appearance, filling all who were present (Acts 2:4).
The Spirit comes to all who are saved as Eph. 1:13-14 says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
Other than the obvious, what is the difference between us and Solomon?
The main thing I can think of is that we actually have the Holy Spirit living in us – and He is not going anywhere. He is constantly working, fulfilling, and indwelling whether we acknowledge His presence or not.
We actually can have more wisdom than Solomon!
Reference:
Grenz, S. J. (2000). Theology for the Community of God (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
