The Source of Wisdom and Understanding

1373/10,000 The Source of Wisdom and Understanding

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Daniel 12 v 10

Wickedness and injustice is increasing in these times and are rising up to our necks. The uni-verse says that “ none of the wicked shall understand.” It implies that wickedness is due to a lack of understanding. It is a kind of spiritual blindness. But those who are justified by their faith in Jesus are purified and sanctified by the Holy Spirit and the Word. Their faith is then tried and further purified and strengthened so that we will comfort those who go through trials like us. The faithful are the ones who are wise and are able to understand who God is, what His nature or character is and what His will is. They not only understand these spiritual truths but they are able to apply it in their lives and teach others too. They know that in order to truly understand what is happiness, one has to undergo sadness, in order to understand what is peace, one has to undergo misery and conflict, in order to understand the blessings of health, security and prosperity, one has to face sickness, fears and need. They know that the one who is forgiven much more, also loves much more.

Mankind tries to hide our folly and the shame of our misery and nakedness with the figleaf of ideology, good intentions, charity, empire building and religion. The wise will understand that nothing we do can save us from either our folly or our misery or our wickedness. We cannot pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We need a Saviour to justify or straighten us. We need the Spirit of God to sanctify, purify, comfort, counsel and teach us. The saviour is Jesus and the spirit is the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is compared to the cleansing properties of water from a spring. It springs from our hearts. It never dries up. It is perennial. It flows round the clock and all year long. It is clear and simple to understand. It makes the simple wise.

The garments of salvation Jesus gives us are pure and white. These are like the new clothes the father gives the repenting and returning prodigal son. The prodigal son is now wise and grateful for every blessing and unearned favour from the father. He no longer has a spirit of arrogance, stubbornness and entitlement. His folly was that he thought he could take better care of himself and his fortunes without the help or advice or presence of the father. He wanted to prematurely encash his inheritance. He once was spiritually blind and wicked but now he can see. He is wise and understanding. He now wears shoes that are ready to go places for the father. He wears the belt of truth to tie him always to the Word of the Father. He carries the sword or spiritual word of the Father sheathed in his heart and mind. He is surrounded by an invisible shield of faith made up with promises of the Father to put out the fiery arrows of both temptations and trials of life. He wears the signet ring of the Father’s authority to rule over His household. He walks around with the sense of security that he will never again have to move away from the Father’s love, protection and provision. He does not take any blessing for granted but is thankful at every turn. He no longer spends all his time, energy and resources only to satisfy his own need and desires but invests in others. The wise have a purpose larger, much larger than themselves. They discern the times, signs and seasons. They do not allow themselves to get bitter like the older son. They realize that staying with the Father and going through the motions of doing the right thing is not enough but it is necessary to keep renewing the right attitudes of the heart and spirit of man vis-à-vis the Father.

Prateep V Philip