"When wisdom enters into your
heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul; discretion will preserve you,
and understanding will keep you." "A word fitly, spoken is like
apples of gold in pictures of silver." - Proverbs 2:10, 11; 25:11
BEAUTIFUL
and greatly to be desired are these promised results to those who seek after
heavenly wisdom and spiritual understanding. How very fruitful a life can be
when from this spiritual wisdom, the habit of speech, springing from a cleansed
heart, ministers grace to the hearers. To possess this wisdom and
understanding, according to many other Scriptures similar to our texts, is to
be endowed with a true sense of values, and thereby be prepared unto those good
works and words by which others are blessed and God is glorified. Thus we are
told, "Happy is the man that finds
wisdom, and the man that gets understanding. For the merchandise of it is
better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold. She
is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be
compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand
riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are
peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her: and happy is every one that retains her"
(Proverbs 3:13-18).
To
be thus taught of God to seek for and value such wisdom as being of priceless
worth, means being gifted with a degree of spiritual discernment by which the
mind and heart will be kept in the even tenor of God's way, which is, "In quietness and in confidence shall
be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15). Only in such quietness of spirit can
the real issues and values be seen with needed clearness, and words of sober
wisdom adorn the speech. Thus in the measure in which these qualities are
possessed, in like measure will be our enjoyment of all that is promised in the
texts we have quoted. The impartation of this heavenly discretion brings a balance
of mind by which the relative importance of a number of things connected with
our faith will be viewed and acted upon. Doctrines, some more, some less important,
will be understood and appreciated in their comparative values, and kept in
proper alignment with love, striking a balance mindful of individual rights and
liberties, all calculated to produce a sober and peaceful spirit. With this
good lesson well learned, it is then possible to see all matters pertaining to
our faith in a true proportion, making love and wisdom's ways truly ways of
pleasantness and peace. The mind can rest serene in the knowledge that the love
of God is direct-
ing and overruling in all the affairs
of His people, working all things
according to the counsel of His own will. In this quiet state of mind -
occupied most with eternal realities - “the
peace of God which passes all understanding" keeps the heart and mind
in a true equipoise, garrisoned with the assurance that He does all things
well, and, "when He gives quietness,
who then can make trouble?" - Philippians 4:7; Job
34:29.
However,
it is very necessary to remember that this endowment of wisdom and the gift of
helpful speech comes only to those ready to confess their own emptiness and
inherent lack of these virtues and who set themselves to seek these from
above, according to the word of promise, "If
any of you, lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be
given him" (James 1:15). To receive this blessing in the liberality
with which God is willing to bestow it, makes life much more worthwhile because
life is what we make it, according to the rule of Scripture which says, "As one thinks in his heart so is he"
(Proverbs 23:7). The level of his thought determines the measure of his
character. He is limited, self-centered, short-sighted, unable to "see
afar off" if the habit of thought tends downward to carnal realms; but
reverent and humble, calm and mature, if the mind is ever toward the majesty
and wonder of God's perfect wisdom, justice, love, and power.
If,
therefore, this spirit of a sound mind, the spirit revealing a correct
perspective is gained, then the whole realm of thought takes on the largeness
of eternal principles and verities with the character reflecting growth
accordingly. From the inner heart of such characters, "the good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things," like apples of
gold in settings of silver. This being true, it becomes increasingly desirable
in this present hour to have this mind, and have it stored with all the
elements of the wisdom from above, "pure,
peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated in accord with purity, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James
3:17). This is very important now, for as has been said, "He who would speak for our time, must speak from eternity."
How true! The "shining shore"
being only a little further on, ere long the most important thing in all of our
experience will be, are we ready to enter
into the realms of heavenly habitation? Only they who are ready go in, only
those who have Christ formed within them may pass into the place prepared for
His own.
The good, seasonable word now is the word that is filled with eternal
values, and weighted with a definite influence in the direction of that righteousness and love of God required of all to whom
an abundant entrance shall be
ministered. Very soon, it will be
a matter of putting off this tabernacle, which has served in our
probation years, and then comes the issue of God's perfect judgment as to our
fitness for His presence. Life's brief span becomes ever more shortened and probation
opportunities hasten to a cessation, therefore the trend of mind should now be
more and more that of viewing life and all its present activities, attitudes
and motives, as these will appear in the blazing whiteness of God's holiness.
This is the wisdom and understanding by which we are preserved and kept true to
life's ultimate purpose. Such thinking will mean an endeavor to so live and act
now, as we will want to have lived and acted when that hour of final decision
comes. Would it not be something to deplore in that hour, if it is then seen,
that the present time of solemn moment had been used in any manner unwise and
unprofitable?
Then
to make sure that such regret shall not be ours, let us be concerned to so live
within the circle of God's love, so wholly at one with His will, and so
amenable to the Spirit's guidance; that the word and character of Christ may
mark us as His. Then through the blessing of God, there will be nothing in
present acts or words, which He cannot convert into treasures laid up in heaven
for us, and over which we shall rejoice forever. All this is comprehended in
the very timely words of the Apostle Peter, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things [the
dissolution of the present order], be diligent that you may be found of Him in
peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14).
How
much it means to be able to say in truth, "We have the mind of Christ."
What a moment has come in a Christian life when that degree of maturity and
spiritual perception is reached! That mind of Christ in all its perfection is
of course still an unattained end. However, there can be and must be a very
real desire on our part to attain it in the measure possible to us now. If
this is our aim, then through the grace of God we shall surely reach the goal,
which in aim we have cherished for so long, for He who began His good work in
us will some day finish His workmanship concerning us. With the Apostle Paul,
we have said that to "know Christ and the power of His resurrection has
been our one great objective, and like him we will press on in confidence
toward that end.
But such mature understanding of the real facts of life is something
very particularly of the heart, for "With the heart man believes unto
righteousness." This is a deeply significant statement. It means that
when the life and affections are centered in God's will for us, which will is
our sanctification, then the double action of heavenly wisdom will be
manifested. The "wise and
understanding heart" will be first of all concerned to keep their feet
in the paths of righteousness where alone the light is clear, and then with
such a course followed, it comes to pass that the speech will be in accord with
another of Solomon's good words: "A
wise man is esteemed for being plea-sant; his
friendly words add to his influence. Good sense makes men judicious in their
talk; it adds persuasiveness to what they say. Kindly words are like a
honeycomb, both sweet and healthful" (Proverbs 16:21-24 - Moffatt).
We
live today in a world filled with confusion, in governmental, social, and
religious fields. This confusion fulfils the "sure word of prophecy," and as we are privileged to know
from that prophetic word, this confusion is leading the world steadily toward a
complete collapse in chaos from which man will be utterly unable to deliver
himself. Great events relating to that hour of ruin are already casting ominous
shadows beforehand, and therefore who can tell how very near the
completion of the Church may be? Who can tell how soon her place on earth shall
be no more because her course is finished?
How
important then is a calm, clear vision of what matters most for the Christian? To
us of this particular time the tenor of many Scriptures is of this strain, "Be also ready: for in such an hour as
you think not the Son of man comes" (Matthew 24:44). The gathering out
of the elect Church is most certainly converging rapidly toward the hour when
the door to this privilege will be closed, never to open again. So manifestly
is this true that each day adds to the sobering force of Jesus' words, "And they that were ready went in with
Him to the marriage, and the door was shut" -- shut to all found
lacking in that all im-portant requirement, the oil of the Holy Spirit in their
vessels with their lamps. However, to those who have been wise and have given
special attention to this requirement, these signs now so numerous, should be
truly inspiring and purifying. Their particular concern being that of having
the Spirit's work completed in life and character, these may say with a
confidence that such emphasis on true readiness begets: "We see the marriage splendor, within the open door; we know that
those who enter are blest forevermore; we see our King, more lovely than all
the sons of men; we haste because that door, once shut, will never open
again."
(To be continued)
J. J. Blackburn.