God is Sovereign: Daniel 4:34-35

Our next presidential election is almost here and the candidates seem to be running neck and neck.  I though I would relieve some tension this morning by going ahead and letting you know who the next president of the United States is going to be.  The next president of the United States is going to be whoever God wants it to be.  This is one of the implications of the truth that God is sovereign and is explicitly stated in Daniel 4:17,25,32: that God rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will.  This does not mean that we should not be responsible citizens and vote.  We should, and we’ll say more about our responsibility in light of God’s sovereignty a little later.  But this does mean that ultimately only God’s “will” will be done. 

In Daniel 4:34-35, king Nebuchadnezzar learned the reality of God’s sovereignty.  Nebuchadnezzar was king of the most powerful empire in history at that time.  And during his reign, God would have him go crazy for seven years to teach him a lesson: that God, not Nebuchadnezzar, rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will (4:17,25,32).  This is mainly what is meant by the truth that God is sovereign: that He rules (and that He exercises that rule) over all of His creation forever.  Here is how Nebuchadnezzar described the lesson that He learned:

 [34] At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; [35] all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

The truth of God’s sovereignty is something that all people need to be persuaded of.  It is one of the ultimate realities of this universe that God created.  And we must not only understand and be persuaded of this attribute because it is true, but also because it is one of the most comforting and assuring attributes of God that there is.  Today we will see five ways from Daniel 4:34-35 that God is sovereign over all. 

I.              God’s Rule is Unending (34)

The first thing that we learn about God’s rule, or sovereignty, is that it is unending.  Not only is God eternal, His sovereignty is as well because as long as God is, He is sovereign.  “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (34b).  God always has and always will rule over everything.  This is why God bears the title “King of king and Lord of lords” in the Bible, because no matter who rules the earthly kingdoms of men throughout history, only God alone is ultimately reigning at any point in history. 

The scope of God’s rule (the extent of His dominion) covers all of history and all of creation.  It is unending.  Let’s see this truth established in the Bible.  For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:28) [7] For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! [8] God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. (Psalm 47:7-8)  The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)  [11] Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. [12] Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. [13] And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:11-13)

God also rules in the individual lives of people.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (Acts 17:26).  The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

God is not only sovereign over nations, kings, and individual people; He is also sovereign over the minutest details of His creation.  [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. [30] But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)  So in short, there is no end to God’s rule. 

II.            God’s Rule is Unparalleled (35a)

The second thing that we learn about God’s rule, or sovereignty, is that it is unparalleled.  Nebuchadnezzar states that before God, “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,” (35a).  Now this does not mean that mankind is worthless.  It means that, in comparison to God, any human being accounted as nothing.  We are nothing compared to God.  And don’t miss that fact that the most powerful man on planet earth at the time is saying this!  The reason God had Nebuchadnezzar go crazy for seven years and restored him was to teach Him that it was God who was actually ruling things all along and that He can take or give his kingdom whenever and to whomever He will.  God is “the Most High,” not Nebuchadnezzar. 

God’s rule is unparalleled even by earth’s mightiest kings.  Proverbs 21:1 says that “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.”  God’s rule is unparalleled by even the most powerful created being, Satan himself.  In Job 1-2, we see Satan under the rule of God, having to have permission to attack Job in any way. 

In Monday night’s presidential debate over foreign policy, both presidential candidates made some outrageous statements about our nation.  President Obama stated that America was the “only indispensable nation” in the world.  And Governor Mitt Romney stated twice that the United States of America was “the hope of the earth.”  I am afraid both men are sorely confused.  America is not indispensable!  Nations have rose and fell through out all of history and given enough time, America will fall.  And if it does, the earth will not stop spinning.  Only God’s kingdom is indispensable and only God’s reign has and will last forever.  Also, the United States of America is not the hope of the earth, Jesus Christ is.  The world doesn’t need America more than anything; it needs Jesus.

III.         God’s Rule is According to His Will (35b)

The third thing that we see about God’s rule is that it is “according to His will.”  4:35 says that God “does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.”   This is why Ephesians 1:11 calls God “him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”  This is what Psalm 115:3 means when it says that God, who is in the heavens, “does all that he pleases.”  This is what Psalm 134:5-6, which we looked at when considering God’s independence, means when it says that “Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” 

I want to be clear here: only what God ultimately “wills” will happen in history.  Now we must make a distinction between what many theologians call God’s revealed will and God’s secret will.  This distinction simply takes into account that God certain things that He does not “will” in one sense because they move history towards accomplishing His ultimate “will” for eternity.  An illustration of this truth is that of the narrow and wide lens that we considered when we looked at God’s independence.  But at the end of history, only what God has willed will ultimately have taken place.  This is precisely why James cautions us to pray and plan with such a perspective in life.  James 4:13-15: [13] Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—[14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. [15] Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  Proverbs 16:33 also says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”

IV.          God’s Rule is Unstoppable (35c)

The fourth thing that we learn about God’s rule, or sovereignty, is that it is unstoppable.  “No one can stay His hand” (35c).  This is the same lesson that Job learned: “[42:1] Then Job answered the LORD and said: [2] “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:1-2)  This is the same truth that Isaiah would declare: [8] “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, [9] remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, [10] declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ [11] calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Isaiah 46:8-11) 

The reality that God’s rule is unstoppable should cause the hearts of God’s people to be filled with hope, confidence, and boldness in the face of all the obstacles that we face.  It is because God’s rule is unstoppable that we are to have hope and confidence as the people of God in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.  Jesus declared in Matthew 16:18 that “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.” 

V.             God’s Rule is Unquestionable (35d)

The final thing that we learn about God’s rule, or sovereignty in this passage is that it is unquestionable.  Nebuchadnezzar declares, “none…can say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (35d).  This does not mean that no one can question God or that it is wrong to question God in humility, brokenness and faith, but this does mean that as finite, created beings, we have no right to question God in distrust as to what He has done.  No one can ask God, “Just what the heck do you think that you are doing?” 

For starters, we can’t question God in this way because He simply is God.  He gets to do what He wants!  Secondly, He only does what it ultimately good, wise, and therefore best.  Only God always knows what He is doing. 

To close, let’s address a few questions that naturally arise in a sermon like this.  If God truly rules in this way, many are moved to ask about the presence of evil in the world and if any of our choices are real.  First, to say that God is sovereign means that though God is not the source of any evil nor is He directly responsible for it, He does rule over it.  The source of evil that we see in the scriptures is not God but creatures that have rebelled against their good Creator.  He did not create a world in which evil existed.  However, He did create a world in which the potential for evil existed (a world where creatures could exercise free choice).  This helps us understand the difference between how God relates to good and evil.  God relates to goodness directly as its source (James 1:17) and to evil indirectly as its sovereign guide. 

Second, because we are creatures who exercise free choice, we are also creatures who are responsible for those choices.  We must always remember that God holds us responsible for every thought, word, and deed that ever takes place in our lives.  Sin will be reckoned with either on the cross or the Judgment seat of Christ.  

God's Goodness: Psalm 34:1-22

[34:1] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. [2] My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. [3] Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! [4] I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. [5] Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. [6] This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. [7] The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. [8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

[9] Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! [10] The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. [11] Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. [12] What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? [13] Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. [14] Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. [15] The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. [16] The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. [17] When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. [18] The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. [19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. [20] He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. [21] Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. [22] The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.  (Psalm 34:1-22 ESV)

In Psalm 34 (which is an acrostic psalm), David contemplates the goodness of God and how God extends that goodness to those who are His.  He calls people to “taste and see that the LORD is good!”  This means that one must “taste” in order to “see that the LORD is good!” but also that if one will “taste,” they WILL “see that the LORD is good!”  This is my prayer for you today: that you will choose to “taste” God in every since of the word!  Why should we do so?  Consider the following three reasons from this chapter.

I.              God is the Summit, Standard, and Source of All Goodness (34:8)

Before we unpack the expression of God’s goodness in this chapter, we should first consider what it means to say that God is “good.”  The tricky thing about defining God’s goodness is that any definition of goodness must begin with God because He alone is good.   Jesus responded to the rich man in Mark 10:18: “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good?  No one is good except God alone.”  This passage means that God is the apex, or summit, of all goodness.  We could further say that He is not only good; He is goodness itself. 

God is also the standard of all goodness.  Whatever God is, is good because God is that.  “The original Saxon meaning of our English word God is “The Good.” God is not only the greatest of all beings, but the best.”[1]  What ever God is, does, says, or approves of is the essence of goodness.  See why I say it is tricky?  And in the end, anything that we call good must square with what God calls good or we are wrong.

But since we must try to define or describe God’s goodness in some way, a helpful description is that God’s goodness refers to His benevolent disposition to act for the good of His creation.  It is His benevolent disposition to give, to help, to save, to show concern, to show grace, to show mercy, to show kindness, to redeem, to graciously provide, etc. It is a benevolent disposition to act for those who belong to Him and even to act for those who are His enemies. 

Finally, the Bible also teaches us that God is also the source of all goodness.  [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV) He is the fount of every blessing.  This brings us to our next point:

II.            God Expresses His Goodness to All People in Some Ways (34:6,18)

This passage describes how God hears and saves the poor, oppressed man and is near the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit to save them (6,18).  Now while that should be a profound encouragement to those who are poor, oppressed, brokenhearted, and crushed in spirit, what I want to point out is that this is but one example of God’s goodness towards all people.  Not all poor people love God, but He looks out for them in some way.  Not all brokenhearted people love God, but He looks out for them to some degree. 

God’s goodness is expressed to all people in some ways.  Everyone who ever draws a single breath experiences the goodness of God.  [9] The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. (Psalm 145:9 ESV)  Later, in the same psalm, the psalmist says, [15] The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. [16] You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15-16 ESV) Every drop of rain, ray of sunshine, breath of air, morsel of food, ounce of drink, meaningful relationship, joy, etc. is an expression of God’s goodness to mankind from their Creator. 

Commenting on God’s goodness to all people, Arthur Pink said, “The goodness of God is seen in the variety of natural pleasures which He has provided for His creatures. God might have been pleased to satisfy our hunger without the food being pleasing to our palates—how His benevolence appears in the varied flavors which He has given to meats, vegetables, and fruits! God has not only given us senses, but also that which gratifies them; and this too reveals His goodness. The earth might have been as fertile as it is without its surface being so delightfully variegated. Our physical lives could have been sustained without beautiful flowers to regale our eyes with their colors, and our nostrils with their sweet perfumes. We might have walked the fields without our ears being saluted by the music of the birds. Whence, then, this loveliness, this charm, so freely diffused over the face of nature? Verily, the tender mercies of the Lord “are over all His works” (Psa 145:9).” [2]

III.         God Expresses His Goodness to His People in All Ways (34:1-22)

Though God’s goodness is expressed towards all people in some ways, it is directed to His people in all ways.  This passage establishes that the benevolent disposition of God is expressed to His people in a special way, a way that is not expressed to all people.  To establish this truth, I first want to point out who His people are in Psalm 34.  In 34:5, they are described as “those who look to him.”  In 34:7,9, they are described as “those who fear him.”  In 34:8,22, they are described as “those who take refuge in him.”  In 34:10, they are described as “those who seek the LORD.”  In 34:15,17,19, they are described as “the righteous.” And in 34:22, they are described as “His servants.”  In short, they are those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. 

It is monumental that in 1 Peter 2:1-3, Peter quotes Psalm 34:8 to describe our conversion.  “[2:1] So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. [2] Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—[3] if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV) Peter describes being saved, being converted, being a Christian, being atoned for by the work of Christ as having “tasted that the Lord is good.”  This is because the supreme expression of God’s goodness toward His people is the cross of Jesus Christ.  The goodness of God moved Him to send His own Son as a substitute for His people and to have Him crucified and resurrected for them. 

Next, I want to point out the various ways that God’s goodness is expressed to this group of people who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good.  “Those who look to him” are radiant and their faces will never be ashamed (5).  “Those who fear him” are protected and delivered by the angel of the Lord and will never lack (7,9).  “Those who take refuge in him” are blessed (happy) and will never be condemned (8,22).  “The righteous” experience the constant, watchful care, attention, and protection of the Lord, His eyes and ears always being toward them (15,17,19).  “His servants” will be redeemed (22).  And “Those who seek the LORD” will never lack any good thing (10). 

Now when it says that God’s people will never lack any good thing, notice that it does not mean they will be free of affliction (19).  It means that though the afflictions of the righteous will be many, they will ultimately be delivered.  In other words, that God’s people will “lack no good thing” includes bad things that will be turned for good.  This is exactly what Paul says in Romans 8:28-39, that God is working all things together for our good.  There the “good” that Paul is talking about is our being conformed to Christ’s image.  Sometimes severe mercy is required to conform us to that image.  Sometimes a gracious wound is required to free us from certain sins or to bring us into a deeper walk with the Lord.  And, since that is our ultimate good, God will be sure that we lack no good thing! 

These benefits are only available for His people.  The LORD acts quite differently to the wicked (16, 21-22).  Their memory will be cut off and they will be eternally condemned.  Their affliction will not be turned for good; it will slay them.  Every good thing that they experienced will turn out to be a slap in the face to their Creator because they refused to be thankful to Him for it and give Him appropriate glory.  If that is you today, come taste and see that the Lord is good! 

I’d like to close with what this psalm is calling each of us to do.   There are three admonitions given here in light of God’s goodness to His people.  The first admonition is found in 34:3: “Oh, magnify the LORD.”  This means to praise God and to declare how great He is to others out of humility and gratefulness for His goodness toward us.  

The third admonition (I’m saving the second one for last) is found in 34:9: “Oh, fear the LORD.”  What it means to fear the LORD is unpacked in verses 11-14: to keep our tongue from evil, our lips from speaking deceit, to turn away from evil and to do good, and to seek peace and pursue it.  It is by faith (because fear of God is an expression of faith in God) agreeing with who God says that He is and what He approves of as good.  Now isn’t it strange that we are told to fear a God who is good?  It shouldn’t be, because as Lewis so eloquently put it, “He is good, but He is not safe.”  This is why there is unique combination of fear and wonder when people experience the presence of God in the Bible.  We see it being both a dreadful and a wonderful thing at the same time.  We see this mentality of, “I shouldn’t be here, but please let me stay!”  We are to fear Him and want Him at the same time! 

And finally, the second admonition is found in 34:8: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!”  This means to look to, to take refuge in, to seek, and to fear God, and in so doing become one of His righteous servants.  This Psalm is calling each of us to taste God and so become one of His people who see that He is good in all that He does.  I want to remind you of what we said at the beginning, that this verse is tell us that one must taste in order to see that God is good, but also that if one tastes, they will see that God is good. 

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[1] Pink, Arthur W. (2010-04-05). The Attributes of God (p. 62). Kindle Edition.

[2] Ibid.

The Only Wise God: Romans 16:25-27

We will begin today with a little review.  So far we have learned of God’s incommunicable attributes of being independent, immutable, eternal, and omnipresent.  We have also learned of some of God’s communicable attributes of being omniscient and omnipotent.  Today we will continue with another one of God’s communicable attributes: that God is all-wise. 

[25] Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages [26] but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—[27] to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27 ESV)

I.              Recognizing the Wisdom of the Only Wise God

In this passage, God is called “the only wise God.”  We will give attention to other elements in this passage later, but the majority of our time will be spent focusing our attention on those four words.  Let’s unpack this description of God and consider why Paul would describe God this way.  The first idea we see here is simply that God is wise.  What does that mean to say that God is wise?  The contributors of the ESV Study Bible offer the following explanation of God’s wisdom: “God always knows and chooses the best goals and the best means to accomplish those goals.”[1]  To put it more simply: God’s being wise means that He always knows the best thing to do and the best way to do it.  If God is omniscient, as the Bible clearly teaches, then this must be true. 

I would compliment this description of wisdom by also stating that wisdom is when one’s perception of reality is in fact reality and they are acting accordingly. Perception is not always reality, and we can act foolishly at times because our perception of reality is so far removed from reality.  Furthermore, wisdom goes beyond knowledge, so wisdom must be more than simply knowing the best goal and how to accomplish it.  It must also be acting in accordance with that knowledge.  This makes wisdom as much a moral quality as it is an intellectual quality, for to know the best thing to do and how to do it and then not to do it would be more than foolish, it would be sinful.  Likewise, to know the best thing to do and how to do it and then to do so would be not only wise, but also good. 

Second, God is not only called wise, but “the only wise God.”  Why is God the “only” wise?  Let’s consider again that wisdom is when one’s perception of reality is in fact reality and they are acting accordingly.  God is ultimate reality and there is no gap between God’s perception of reality and reality.  We could say that only God’s perception of reality is entirely accurate.  Only God sees things as they truly are, and being omniscient, only God truly knows what the best goals are in any situation and what the best means to accomplish those goals are. 

This is why the scriptures distinguish between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of this fallen world.  [18] For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

[20] Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. [22] For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, [24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

[26] For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; [28] God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, [29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, [31] so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31 ESV)

The illustration given here in Romans 16:25-27 of God’s wisdom is God’s plan for the ages through Christ (the eternal plan of God in the gospel). When Paul contemplates this plan, He is moved to praise God specifically for His WISDOM.  He says this “gospel” or “preaching of Jesus Christ,” reveals the mystery that has been kept secret for long ages.  It discloses what God has been pointing to in the prophets: that the nations are being brought into the obedience of faith through the gospel.  So basically the redemption that God has planned from eternity past and how God has and is bringing it about makes God infinitely wise to Paul.  We see this exact same progression in Romans 11 (11:33-34), Ephesians 3 (3:1-12), and Colossians 1-2 (2:3). 

How does God’s plan for the ages (that centers on the work of Jesus Christ) supremely display God’s wisdom?  Let’s return to our description of wisdom as God’s knowing and choosing the best goals for history and the best means to accomplish that goal.  Some of God’s goals for history are receiving the maximum amount of glory possible and also having a people for Himself whom He can display that glory to and who can enjoy Him forever.  The best means to accomplish that goal was the work of Jesus Christ on the cross in God’s wisdom.  When you stop to think about it, the cross kills these “two birds with one stone” so to speak.  The work of Christ allows God to be both just and justifier of the one who believes in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26).  Attributes of God that seem in tension with each other are resolved at the cross.  God has a people from a rebellious race without compromising any part of Himself.  Also, the work of Jesus on the cross not only pays for man’s rebellion, it solves the problem of human rebellion: it grants new hearts by faith.  

II.            Relying Upon the Wisdom of the Only Wise God

It is not enough just to recognize God’s wisdom.  We must also come to rely upon it. The wisdom of God is the bedrock of stability in a Christian’s life.  It is at the bottom of why we can trust God in everything.  There is much to be said about God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and sovereignty.  But it is the wisdom of God that guides each of these attributes towards the best goal for history and for each of our individual lives.  

So how do we rely upon God’s wisdom rather than our own?  The first way we do is simply by trusting God in all His dealings with us.  Romans 8:28-29 is either true or it is not: [28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  God is working ALL THINGS together for His glory and our good in such a way that to do anything differently would be a world that was less glorifying to God and worse for us.  This means that every trial, temptation, heartache, sickness, pain, etc. is an opportunity to trust the wisdom of God. 

And this is where we struggle!  We want to question God’s infinite wisdom with by our finite perspective.  We are quick to forget the words of Isaiah 55:8-9: [8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. [9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Or perhaps Deuteronomy 29:29: [29] “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

A second way that we rely upon the wisdom of God is by fearing God.  This is the consistent message of the wisdom literature.  Psalm 111:10: [10] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!  Proverbs 9:10: [10] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Thirdly, we rely upon God’s wisdom through praying to God: [5] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. [6] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. [7] For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

A final way we rely upon God’s wisdom is by getting into God’s Word.  The Bible is the mind of God revealed to us so that we may learn to trust Him, fear Him, pray to Him, etc.  No pursuit of wisdom will yield the fruit that a serious relationship with God in His Word will. 

What stability, what faith, what humility, and what peace we would enjoy if we would be a people who trusted in the Lord with all our hearts and leaned not upon our own understanding!  May you come to know in trust in the only wise God today! 

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[1] ESV Study Bible, 2512