Godly Wisdom Series

Opportunities Series

Godly Wisdom

Good Morning everyone…glad that you have joined us.

Proverbs 1:1-7 Read from Bible

We continue our series Opportunities-

You and I taking advantage of the opportunities that come our way.

Many people say they need a break in life to go to the next level in life. I am suggesting to you that most of us miss many opportunities because we are not diligently looking for them.

Apostle Paul tells us to put the past behind us and to strive forward. Putting the past in proper perspective and looking forward is important. You have to be able to move from where you are to where you need to be.

There lays the problem we will talk about this morning-

How do you know what to do and when to do it?

How do you know what is right and what is wrong?

How do you know which voice in the midst of many voices that you should be listening too?

I don’t know if you thought about it much but there are only two kinds of wisdom- Godly wisdom and Man’s wisdom. They are not the same.

The Lord says

“My ways are higher than your ways says the Lord” “My thought are higher than your thoughts”

Man was created by God to be an intelligent being on this earth… but we are not God! Let me say that again. Man was created by God so we cannot think that we would be smarter than the creator. Satan’s fall came as he thought himself to be equal with God.

It is hard to imagine a being like Lucifer (Satan) believing he could even do battle with God, much less defeat Him. Even the most depraved mind should be able to see that a creature cannot possibly contend with the Creator. Yet Satan attempted to dethrone God and strives to this day to defy God’s authority, thwart His plans, and harass His people.

God’s ways higher than ours

Do we really need to be told that or is it pride that sets in and we need to learn lessons the hard way.

Do we really need to be told or reminded that our wisdom does not compare to the wisdom of Almighty God?

Doug Larson

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.”

Automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn't find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life--but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high.

Steinmetz's reply: For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Ford paid the bill.

You don't have to be listed in Who's Who to know what's what.

1:5- “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Solomon says the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord. To show reverence for who He is…to be determined that you will have reliance on the Lord in all circumstances and always have humble submission to His Lordship.

He says that anyone who does not is foolish!

Several places in scripture the Lord distinguishes the difference between God and man- He uses the word Foolish

In our passage, we get the purpose for the book of Proverbs. It supplies a great introduction to our series. The purpose: to help the reader to know wisdom and instruction, to help the reader understand words of wisdom or insight, to prepare us to receive wise instructions in God’s righteousness, to learn His justice, to give importance to the simple truths of God, and acknowledge that we are not God and need His wisdom to guide and direct our lives.

The first six verses lists the purposes of Proverbs. Verse seven then lays the foundation for knowledge and wisdom.

I want us to launch our study with some simple points that draw from several passages to help us begin this study and search for more wisdom as God has planned.

What is wisdom?

What is the difference from wisdom, common sense and knowledge?

First, let me give you the secular definition of wisdom, not because it is right, but because it is commonly accepted.

The Webster dictionary says, Wisdom is knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action. Simply put, the dictionary defines wisdom as not only knowing stuff, but how to use that knowledge in a right way.