Compelling Love

With the help of many loving supporters in the United States, my friend Namugawe Esther, leader of the Unstoppable Love Orphanage in Uganda, was able to send all of her twenty-three children to public schools this term.  The current term is closing in two weeks (at the end of April), and the children will be taking their end of term exams.  Esther says, “They do well because the Bible says in Proverbs [9:10] that ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.’  They will do really well and I know they will get promoted to the next term for further learning.  I give all the glory to God and I pray for them every day, for God to give them wisdom, because it only comes from above.”

Indeed, God delights to give the wisdom we need whenever we simply ask.  James 1 promises that if any person prays in faith asking God for wisdom, it will be given generously:

 James 1 (NKJV)
⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

James later declares that our heavenly Father gives good and perfect gifts, including bringing us forth into new life through his word of truth.

James 1 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

¹⁸ Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

James proceeds to contrast true and false wisdom.  Wisdom so-called that is filled with envy and selfish ambition is unspiritual and from below.  True wisdom that comes from above is filled with mercy and bears good fruit.

James 3 (NKJV)
Two Kinds of Wisdom
¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

The true wisdom from above comes from trusting the Lord rather than in the arrogant speculations of men (Psalm 118:8), allowing Him to illuminate our understanding:

Proverbs 3 (NKJV)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Trusting in the Lord we follow Him, as William A. Ogden declares in his famous hymn, “Where He leads I’ll Follow”:

Sweet are the promises, Kind is the word,
Dearer far than any message man ever heard;
Pure was the mind of Christ, Sinless I see;
He the great example is, and pattern for me.

Where He leads I’ll follow,
Follow all the way.
Where He leads I’ll follow,
Follow Jesus ev’ry day.

Being born again through the word of truth, we allow Jesus to direct our paths.
This is true wisdom from above, leading us to ever greater light, as Proverbs 4:18 (NIV) declares: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, 4/14/2018, https://compellinglove.net/

Photo credits:
(1) https://thelovelyscribe.com/2013/11/04/wisdom-from-above-james-3-13-18/
(2) http://www.bryanhudson.com/2016/05/feed-your-faith-starve-your-doubts.html
(3, 4) https://www.creatingagreatday.com/praying-james-chapter-1-part-one/
(5, 6,7) https://achristianpilgrim.wordpress.com/tag/proverbs-35-6/
(8) http://judeochristianchurch.com/proverbs-418-path-just/