Kansas City, Missouri, Untied States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Consider the Source” – Sunday, 30 March 2014 - Scripture: Job 28:12-28

Kansas City, Missouri, Untied States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Consider the Source” – Sunday, 30 March 2014 - Scripture: Job 28:12 “But where shall wisdom be found?

    Where is the place of understanding?

13 Man doesn’t know its price;

    Neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’

    The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’

15 It can’t be gotten for gold,

    neither shall silver be weighed for its price.

16 It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir,

    with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.[a]

17 Gold and glass can’t equal it,

    neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal.

    Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,

    Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 Where then does wisdom come from?

    Where is the place of understanding?

21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living,

    and kept close from the birds of the sky.

22 Destruction and Death say,

    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23 “God understands its way,

    and he knows its place.

24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,

    and sees under the whole sky.

25 He establishes the force of the wind.

    Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.

26 When he made a decree for the rain,

    and a way for the lightning of the thunder;

27 then he saw it, and declared it.

    He established it, yes, and searched it out.

28 To man he said,

    ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord,[b] that is wisdom.

    To depart from evil is understanding.’”

Footnotes:

a. Job 28:16 or, lapis lazuli

b. Job 28:28 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

“Consider the Source” by Mallory Sauer

We are all seeking wisdom, whether we know it or not. Why are there so many self-help books, psychiatrists, religions, psychics, advice columns, and so on? People want to find a source of wisdom so they can get answers. Unfortunately, society tends to accept the lie that wisdom can be found within the world or even within us. Listen to your heart, they say, let your heart guide you. Yet, the Bible tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9).

In spite of all this striving, the answer is quite simple. God is the only source of true wisdom. If anyone has true wisdom, it was gained directly from Him. Job was a wise man, but his mistake was justifying himself because of his righteous behavior and blaming God for his troubles. We must ask for wisdom daily so that we do not stumble and claim, “I have the answers, and I know what is best. My inner desire-my heart-guides me.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). Do not look inward for the answers. Look to God!

Hymn for Today:

“How Firm a Foundation” from John Rippon’s Selection of Hymns, 1787

1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

is laid for your faith in God's excellent Word!

What more can be said than to you God hath said,

to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

2. "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

3. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;

for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,

and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

4. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

5. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."

Thought for Today:

“because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” (1 John 3:20).

Prayer Needs:

Many people in the Philippians will come to know Jesus the Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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