Can the expression, “What do we do now,” be considered an “age-old” question. I think it can be. Yes of course it is a question that people have asked forever. We see people asking this question of John the Baptist in Luke 3:10. We can also find Jesus being asked this question in John 6:28. Why do we ask this question, as I am sure you are thinking of occasions when you have asked it. Just yesterday I muttered to nobody in particular in the car as I sat in traffic, late for where I had to be, looking at road construction, and realizing that I was in the dead spot for cell phone service. I actually just waited and eventually got to where I needed to be, late. Is our first answer to this question that we ask to seek God’s guidance? Be honest now.
In my really great spiritual moments, I absolutely seek God’s guidance. Now of course you are saying, “But you are a pastor of course you always seek the Lord first when seeking guidance.” I will just leave that one there. People ask often what they can do to help me as a pastor. The answer is prayer, and if asked for more specifics I ask for them to pray specifically for the wisdom of God to be what I always seek and always have. That is a prayer we can all make for ourselves as we seek the wisdom of the Lord in our daily lives. I would guess that at many times throughout the day we can make that petition to God. God is clear in His word that we need His wisdom when He says, ‘“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord’ (Isaiah 55:8).
The wisdom provided to us by God is always better than what we can think and rationalize in our finite thinking. I am struck this week as I look toward Sunday and our text of John 3:1-8, and as well I look at what we are planning to study tonight at our Bible study in Acts 16 as Paul and his team head out on their mission trip. In John we find Nicodemus asking the question of how a man can be born again. We find in Acts of the Apostles that Paul, Silas, and Timothy are directed in the way in which they are to go. What I see in these two cases is that the will of God was being sought. Nicodemus is physically coming at night to see Jesus, while Paul and his missionary team are seeking to proclaim the Word of the Lord.
In this discussion of God’s wisdom and the direction in which we are to go, it seems that seeking God’s wisdom is critical. Think of all the challenges that we face everyday of our lives. Each day that we wake we will find ourselves be bombarded with the wisdom of the world. I will offer that the wisdom found there is bad. Think about prevailing wisdom that is taking place right now. Federal tax dollars are about to be given to Planned Parenthood. Worldly wisdom says that killing babies is okay. God’s word speaks that all life is sacred, and each person is created in His image. Critical Race Theory is being forced upon students in schools and says that inequality is present, and that more inequality is needed. God’s word says that all people, every nation, and all tribes and peoples and tongues will stand before Jesus one day in heaven (Revelation 7:9). Worldly wisdom says that people know better in choosing their sex. God wisdom is evident as He created men and women (Genesis 1:26-27).
I see that more and more that wisdom for the church is that we need to pray. I mean really pray. Think about how Moses prayed, for the Jewish people. Think about right now how Jesus is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. Intercessory prayer is a model that Jesus has given us. As I have been praying, I feel a great burden for those in the world who do not know Jesus, and in this lack of knowledge are promoting worldly wisdom to others. I may even feel like getting mad at them but is that what Jesus wants from me. More wisdom, I am to love my neighbor. Worldly wisdom may cause us to ask Jesus exactly who our neighbor is as we look to justify ourselves. For the truth of our neighbors, we can find that in Luke chapter ten.
Seeking wisdom is not what we always want to do. It is something that we need to do. Godly wisdom is what changes the world, is what overcomes hate in the world, is what is ultimately going to prevail in this world. Where do we go from here? There is only one way to turn and one place to go and that is towards and to Jesus Christ.