Masculinity - Wisdom Pt 2

 "...we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:9-10

Is wisdom one of those qualities best defined by, "I know it when I see it," or "I know it when I hear it/read it"? Dr. Michael Ziegler, speaker of the Lutheran Hour, has been focusing on the book of "Ecclesiastes" these past few weeks. "Ecclesiastes," as he noted on his broadcast on Sunday, July 10, was summarized by saying that Solomon's preaching in "Ecclesiastes" was the ultimate, "Meh." In case you don't know what "meh" means, it is the way of saying "it's okay" sarcastically, as though "okay" isn't all that great. It was "meh."

Solomon, at the end of his earthly life, seems to say life is just that, okay...maybe. Worse, it is all vanity (vapor). When speaking in chapter one of wisdom, Solomon says, "I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under they sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind." (v. 13-14) I can see a person with a smile on his face going to Solomon asking, "What is life all about?" and getting that answer as his smile falls to a flat line look.

Yet Ziegler notes at the end that while the book is a sobering reminder of what pursuing the earthly good life can ultimately be, it is also a reminder of what our mindset needs to be when approaching God daily. It reminds us of exactly what Paul is saying, that we be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding...." We cannot do it if our posture is anything but humility, on bent knee, asking God to grant us knowledge, understanding, and wisdom (discernment) for each day as we go about life seeking to do His will and His will alone.

So as we noted in the last devotion, we seek God's Spirit to provide us with strength and wisdom each day which come from Christ and God the Father (1 Corinthians 2). God's Spirit will search God's wisdom and give us our daily provision as we seek to truly live under the theme, "Give us this day our daily bread" and "Thy will be done."