Cornerstone

Luke 10:25-37

Sometimes I wonder if God shakes His head in dismay.  As He observes our attempts to be good Christians there have to be times of divine discouragement.  We seem to learn rules and ritual more rapidly than right behavior.  As I read the following account shared by one of my online students I actually felt sorry for God.  A divine tear must have fallen on His royal robes as he watched this man in his attempt to be a responsible Christian leader.  Read and weep with God.

“When I first came to Christ, I was a real legalist.  Things had to be done a certain way or you were going to hell.  I did not give anybody any slack.  I not really interested in help serve people.  I just want to tell the truth of the Gospel and not really move to much farther beyond that.  That was until I had a unique experience happen to me in college.  When I was in college, I accepted Christ and got involved in the local Student Union.  After I was there for a few months, I volunteered to lead a Bible Study on Campus.  One day I was running late, so I grabbed my materials and ran up the hill to the building where the Bible Study was being held.  As I approached the top of the hill, A homeless man started toward me.  When I saw him, I moved to the other side of the street.  So he moved to the other side of the street.  I switched sides a few time, but he always followed me.  In my mind I said, “I do not have time for this.  I am late.  Maybe I can give him a few bucks and he will leave me alone.  So as I approached him, I pulled a few dollars out and handed it to him.  As he took the money, he grabbed my hand.  He would not let it go.  He said’ “Before you go, I have a quick question to ask you”.  I thought, “Ok here comes this guy’s sob story.”  He asked me “Do you know Christ?”  My heart sank.  He said’ “I see college kids go by all the time and I wonder if they know Jesus.”  At that moment I felt 2 inches tall.  Here I was going to teach a Bible Study about Christ and missed an opportunity to minister to someone else.  As we talked, he told me that it was hard to share with people because he did not have a bible.  I had some with me so I gave him one.  I walked away changed that day. “

Now it is time for us to pray.  Can we be changed like this young man?  Can we understand and order our priorities so that they follow God’s plan rather than our preconceived notion of what it means to please God?

by Dr. Gayle Woods

Proverbs 2:1-15

In the text for our consideration a number of If/Then propositions are made. Each of these involves the wisdom of God which is referred to repeatedly the book of Proverbs. “Wisdom” in Proverbs may be regarded not as a mere personification of the attribute of wisdom, but as a divine person, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24. In this particular portion of Scripture the Hebrew word Chakam is used. It is an important word in the Scriptures and is used to speak of “good and evil, prudence in secular matters, skill in arts, experience in Divine things, and even dexterity in magic.” (Girdlestones Synonyms of the Old Testament pp 89-90). The Greek form of the word which is used in the Septuagint is Sophia. The word as used in this context is narrowed in scope somewhat to refer to living a life that is pleasing to God. This is done by having a proper honor of God and by learning how to properly conduct himself in everyday life so that the principles of godly wisdom are applied. Doing this always brings glory to God. By exercising Chakam the reader is assured that he will finally come to understand the fear of the Lord and will find the knowledge of God. This can only be accomplished, however, by living for God because wisdom is a gift from God (vs. 6). Paul referred to this concept when he said that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. This is not to say that pagans can not learn about the Bible and learn lessons from it. It does suggest that to develop a relationship with God and understand things from His perspective that we must give our hearts and lives to God. When you see things through the eyes of God, have an inward inclination to do what you have perceived and then carry this into practice you can say that you are exercising true wisdom. Thus to carefully exercise godly wisdom is to pattern our lives after than of Jesus Christ who is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Matthew Henry once said, Those who earnestly seek heavenly wisdom, will never complain that they have lost their labor; and the freeness of the gift does not do away the necessity of our diligence, John 6:27. . . When wisdom has

dominion over us, then it not only fills the head, but enters into the heart, and will preserve, both against corruptions within and temptations without. Matthew Henrys Commentary Proverbs 2.

Dr. Gayle Woods