I've been impressed with the precious thought of heavenly wisdom. It's a good thing to talk about. It matters not how much wisdom any of us has, none of us has so much that he has no need for more. It's something we never can get too much of. The nearer we get to God the more we'll have. The more we read our Bibles and meditate upon them, and the more we wait on God in prayer, the more heavenly wisdom we'll absorb from God.

Job28:28 tells us what wisdom is: "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." We should have more of the fear of God in our hearts, and there'll be no room for any other fears. It'll be a safeguard against all the wickedness and evil spirits that the devil's imposing upon the world today. Where the fear of God is, there's wisdom. Solomon says, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." If the fear of God is wisdom and if we keep in the fear of God, we'll have the courage to increase in this wisdom. Jesus said, "Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

Value of Wisdom...

Wisdom's more valuable than any earthly treasure. The Bible compares it with different things. It can't be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for it. In Eccl. 9:16 we read, "Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength." The power of man may be great, but it's nothing compared to wisdom. With heavenly wisdom, man can speak such words that our adversary can't gainsay nor resist. Again, it's said in Eccl. 9:18, "Wisdom is better than weapons of war." It can overthrow the wisest generals. We should depend on God to speak through us, that the world may see that there's something more than human wisdom and judgment in us.

Source of Wisdom...

When the three Hebrew children were in their distress and their lives were in danger, you remember how they didn't know what to do, but their eyes were upon God. Daniel told the ruler of the wise men, just give us a little time and let us seek God; and he went to his friends and they got down before God and sought wisdom from God. That was a critical moment of their lives.

You remenber, too, how Solomon did when he had the responsibility of ruling the children of Israel. God appeared to him in the night and said he could have whatever he wanted. Solomon said that above everything else, I want a wise and understanding heart. That's what made him the man he was. God said because he had desired this, it pleased him to give him more. Were you ever in a place where you didn't know what to do? It's good just then to seek just as Solomon did, and as Daniel did---to seek for wisdom. Man's wisdom is spoken of in the Bible. The apostle Paul, who was well up in the scale of intellectuality, ability, and learning, as a man of his day, when he caught a glimpse of heavenly wisdom, it seemed that the wisdom, he had was like trash. The wisdom of God is wiser than man. Our human wisdom , so far as that's concerned, is of very little good unless it's inspired with the wisdom from above. Some have natural wisdom, but dear brethren, it takes heavenly wisdom to help us to know how to make use of our human wisdom.

Making Use of What we Know...

Here's a definition of wisdom, one of my own: Wisdom is the divine power to make the right use of what we have. On this thought, what we know, I want to say what I have in my heart. We, as a people this morning, as ministers in the church, know more about God than any people on the face of this earth. Now, do we boast about this? No, we should rather hang our heads in humility of heart. The more we know, the more we're responsible. This will only add to condemnation if we don't make the right use of it. To know somthing isn't sufficient, but to practice what we know will be a blessing to us.

The wise virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps. What made the others foolish? The foolish knew as well as the wise that the bridegroom might tarry his coming? That was a common thing in those days. But the wise, knowing what had happened at other times and that he might tarry, took oil in thier vessels with their lamps, and when the bridegroom came, they rose, trimmed their lamps, had oil in their vessels, and went in to the marriage supper. The follish didn't do what they knew they should do. It seems to me that the most foolish people in the world are those that don't make use of what they know.

Our Source of Stabilbity...

In Isa. 33:6 we read, "And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strngth of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure." The world has never seen a more unstable time than now. The religious world has never seen such unsettled conditions, such momentous questions to solve, such upheavals and revolutions in doctrine. While God has seen fit in these last days to shine this evening light on us as workers and ministers, we ought to be posted on every subject of the Bible and have knowledge of these vital things. We have a book or tract on nearly every Bible theme. all these volumes of knowledge, and all these things will stand against us and make us foolish, if we don't act upon what we know. Let's be like the wise virgins. Let's keep our vessels filled with oil. Thus we shall keep the truth ever burning. Let's do what we know's the right thing to do.

Knowing What to Do...

Sometimes we come to a place where we dont know what to do. Were you ever there? What! a minister of the gospel, a man or woman versed in the Scriptures and yet doen't know what to do? Were you ever so sick you didn't know what to do? I remember one night when Brother Brown was suffering so intensely. He wakened me and said, "I don't know what to do." We prayed until I fell asleep, but I was again awakened by hearing him rebuke the devil. That was just the thing to do and it worked successfully. Perpelxitites will arise, but we know what to do. If you're so afflicted you don't know what to do, what does the Word of God say to do? PRAY! "If there's any sick among your, let him call for the elders of the church." Says one, "I 've prayed and I can't get hold. I've prayed myself out." Call for the elders of the church. I'd put myself into the hands of the ministry and let them be responsible for my healing. This'll work in business difficulties also. We do know what to do if we but stop and wait upon God. That's where it takes heavenly wisdom. Let's act upon what we know, and act upon the principles taught in God's eternal Woed, and we'll come out right every time.

I remember a perplexity I had in a business matter. I went to a brother who was a good business man and asked him for some advice in the matter. He'd had experiences like mine and I knew he could help me out. but I was very much disappointed...for after I poured out my troubles to him all he said was, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I felt sadly disappointed, as I'd been looking for good advice. As I went home, I began to think on it, and I began to see the beauty of that advice. It worked out beautifully, and I learned a lesson I want to remember all my life.

Ministers, when we meet our brothers and sisters in distress, when they don't know what to do, just simply encourage them to trust in God. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." That's heavenly wisdom! Wisdom is making use of what we know. We may think we know things sometimes when we don't; but if we make use of that which we do know, we'll never fail. Let's do just what we know, and let's know God and know what God says about everything we have to do. God's judgment is what God thinks and says. Are you going to take what God thinks and says and let your will be subject to that? We should refresh our minds every day with God's judgment of things.

Heavenly wisdom will make us fit to be ministers of God. See Jas. 3:17---"But the wisdom that's from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." When I made my first trip on gospel work my dear old mother handed me a little slip of paper and said, "Here, take this along with you." I didn't know what it might be, and didn't think to look at it immediately; but when I opened it I found this precious verse of scripture: "But the wisdom that's from above is first pure, them peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Jas. 8:17. My heart is open to God this morning for more of this wisdom to be seen in me. I've made many blunders, but that precious verse has been in my heart ever since. Many a time the powers of darkness were so arrayed against me that I didn't know what to do, but I sought help in God, and he's been a source of strenth to me in every time of need. I pray God that we put into practise in everything in our lives that wisdom which is first pure. It must be pure, as it comes from God. God's the source of it. It's peaceable, then gentle. I want to be like an adament against the power of sin, but I want a humble, gentle spirit. "First pure, then peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits, easy to be entreated, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." I believe that's one of the greatest qualifications that we need in our hearts. I'm ashamed that I haven't been able to make better use of the wisdom described in this verse. It's the very qualification that will make us able ministers of the gospel. We ought to seek more and more the heavenly wisdom.

Wisdom in Winning Souls...

It's a wonderful thing to win souls. There's not a higher vocation on the face of God's earth. Talk about the president in his chair, the emperor in the power of his realm; the highest honor conferred upon mortal man is to be a soul-winner. But if we're going to be soul-winners we must have heavenly wisdom. There are promises in the Word of God that we may have this wisdom. Jas. 1:5---"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." How good it is that we may have this wisom that will enable us to be better soul-winners, and better able to do the will of God. Dear fellow laborers and workers for precious souls, let's just keep our hearts open and let's pray mightily. We may not always know when we speak words of wisdom; we may be the least conscious of this fact; but it'll work its effect into the hearts of men.

Jas. 3:13 tells how to make use of this wisdom. "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." That message of ours will be fruitful if it's inspired and filled with heavenly wisdom. That wisdom which man may have, may be very shrewd and intelligent, but that's not heavenly wisdom.

Wisdom from above will build up, edify, strengthen; the work of God will grow, and our labors will be helpful to all with whom we meet. Jesus speaks about wisdom of a wise servant that gives meat in due season. Matt. 24:45---"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give him meat in due season?" A wise servant will give meat in due season. A servant doesn't think about feeding himself. His business is to feed others. His object is not to be fed, but to serve. That meat in due season is the food the people need. Brethren, if ever in our lives we need wisdom, it's when we come before a congregation. God help us to be like that wise servant that gives the meat in due season and the kind of food needed, that serves in love and sincerity, from a motive of others welfare. And when the Master comes, what will he do for us? He'll gird himself and serve us. There'll be a reward in the day of reckoning.

Wisdom of Submission...

There may be times when we may come against difficulties, and our brethren may be at variance with us in some things in human judgment. What's the course of wisdom in such cases? Perhaps a brother or sister doesn't see something as we do; we may have a different opinion. What shall we do? Shall we contend for our opinion and idea and strive in this respect? I heard someone say yesterday how we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren. Lay down our lives for our brethren? Yes. If we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren, should we not lay down our opinions, also? We should submit our opinions , and submission isn't always sacrifice, either; but if it's a sacrifice, it's a truth, it's a safeguard against all heresies and divisions. If I'm wrong, I need to know it; and if I'm right, it'll take care of itself. Submission's not always sacrifice, yet we should sacrifice if necessary. We should submit to God and the church. We can afford to wait.

Let's pray God to give us the wisdom that Daniel, Stephen, and Joseph had in the time of their perplexities. God gave them wisdom. David prayed, when he was thinking of the shortness of life, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Let this be our prayer. [ The End ]