“Woe
to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light
for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who
are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” (Isaiah 5:20-21)
A
familiar verse from the Bible reminds us that “The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) Honouring God, putting him first and
acknowledging His power and greatness is an age-long formula for wisdom. The
more we develop a relationship with Him, the more we get to know Him, the
stronger the ties we will knit.
God
is All-Knowing, so His wisdom surpasses ours---which is limited. We cannot be
wise enough to deceive or mislead Him. “For the foolishness of God is wiser
than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (1
Corinthians 1:25) Don’t even try! King Solomon who wrote the Book of Proverbs
knew this, for when God said to him; “Ask for whatever you want me to give
you,” he responded: “Now O Lord my God, You have made your servant king in
place of my father David. But I am a little child and do not know how to carry
out my duties.....so give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people
and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this
great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9)
Wisdom
is a gift from God. King Solomon prayed not for power or wealth but for
‘know-how’ with which to successfully operate in the position God had put him.
Two things king Solomon did; first he acknowledged that he could not accomplish
the mammoth task assigned to him; second, he humbled himself before God and
asked for His help. That serves as a warning. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely
on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great
strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek
help from the Lord.” (Isaiah 31:1).
King
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon boasted about his kingdom: “Is not this the
great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for
the glory of my majesty?” That very moment a voice came from heaven saying to
him: “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority
has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with
the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times (years) will pass
by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the
kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes.” (Daniel 30-31) We cannot
think more highly of ourselves than we should the Most High God.
This
same king had decreed---‘furious with rage’---that three young Jewish lads be
thrown into a blazing fire immediately for refusing to serve his gods or
worship the image of gold he had set up. He challenged them to see what god
would be able to rescue them from his hand. (Daniel 3:15) Read the response of
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves
before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God
we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O
king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king that we shall not
serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have set up.” (Daniel
3:16-18)
Faith
is demonstrated by corresponding action. (James 1:22) We cannot say we have
faith and not show it. We give God the glory for all those who stood on the
word of God and neither ran for cover nor crossed the borders as refugees, but
believed that God would fight on their behalf. Either God is who He says He is,
or He is not God at all. So know your God. Do not look at your circumstances;
look rather to God and His power to save by His mighty right hand. For the more
we look at our circumstances the more we magnify them. The more we look to God,
the more our circumstances are reduced in size and the name of our God made
bigger.
Whilst
others predicted the worst, the saints went on their knees and prayed. For the
Bible says, “....do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord
Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy. He is the One you are to fear,
He is the One you are to dread and He will be a sanctuary..... a stone that causes
men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” (Isaiah 8:12-14)
The
political impasse that shrouded the Gambia in the days leading to the handing
over of power is a lesson for all to hold on to their faith. To the
faint-hearted God is saying: “You who are far away, hear what I have done; you
who are near, acknowledge my power! The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling grips the godless: who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who
of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” (Isaiah 33:13-15)
“To
whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we
may be compared?” You know the answer to that question by now.
God
urges you: “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
