Wisdom and the Will of God

Learning how to navigate life.

Adapted from Wisdom and the Will of God by Bob Deffinbaugh www.bible.org/page.sp?page_id=650

The Need for Divine Guidance

1. Man is sinful – Mark 7:21– Romans 3:23– Romans 5:20John 8:7

(we know we’re sinners)

2. Man is simple minded (naïve)– 1 Cor. 2:6-16 (Human wisdom vs. Godly)

3. Man is solicited to sin (The Voices are Calling)– 1 Peter 5:8 (He’s out to kill us)– Cf. Gen. 3; 1 Tim. 2:14; 4:1-5 (Easily deceived)– 2 Cor. 11:13-15 (Easily fooled)

The Nature of Divine Guidance

1. Discerned primarily by Wisdom– Wisdom and Guidance are inseparable

• Prov. 1:1-5

• Discerning between things – good/bad; good/best

• Acquiring the wisdom to navigate through life

Who could possibly guide you better on the course than the one who created every bump and turn on the course?

The Nature of Divine Guidance

2. Based on Divine Revelation– Cf. David’s dying charge to his son Solomon in 1 Kings

2:1-3

– Cf. Psalm 119:1-8 1 Happy are people of integrity, who follow the law of the LORD. 2 Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all

their hearts. 3 They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. 4 You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. 5 Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your principles! 6 Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your

commands. 7 When I learn your righteous laws, I will thank you by living as I

should! 8 I will obey your principles. Please don't give up on me!

The Nature of Divine Guidance

3. Also through wise counsel– Prov. 12:15– Prov. 13:10

The Nature of Divine Guidance

Precepts (5:1-23; 6:29; 28:13; 11:1; 13:13)– Specific and clear commands of God

Principles (14:23; 15:1; 16:23; 18:17)– More general. Broader guidelines for life.

Patterns (6:16-19; 15:8-9; 12:2; 15:26; 11:1)– Inferred from Scriptures.

• Characteristics of God should be what we strive for

Finding True North

The Nature of Divine Guidance

4. Requires Confidence– Before we can ask “What must I do?” we

must ask “Whom do I trust?”– The greatest obstacle to seeking God’s will is

our attitude of self-sufficiency and self-reliance.

• Prov. 3:5-7 deals specifically with this tension.• Let us trust God’s wisdom and not our own!• We don’t have to lay aside all reason but we do

have to put aside merely human wisdom. We must trust Him even when it doesn’t make sense

The Nature of Divine Guidance

5. Requires Commitment– Trust demands that sometimes we have to trust what

we cannot see – this is the essence of faith!• Heb. 11:1• Trusting that what we can’t see yet will happen because He

says it will.

– Therefore, knowing what to do is sometimes difficult because it sometimes takes great effort to learn to be wise. It takes diligence.• Prov. 2:1-5• However, God promises if we ask to supply – James 1:5• This is a paradox (seems to contradict but doesn’t)

– Ask and you’ll receive but it also takes hard work

The Nature of Divine Guidance

– Cf. Jeremiah 42:2-3• A small remnant of Israel is left in Canaan and the

rest had been carried off into captivity in Babylon.

• They request wisdom from Jeremiah

• After 10 days God’s response is to stay put in Canaan and He will protect you there.

• They don’t trust and go to Egypt to have “real” protection from Babylon.

• They suffered the consequences.

The Nature of Divine Guidance

6. Requires Character– Character comes is who you really are.– Character is who you normally are.

• Character that leads to death and destruction– 2:12; 4:14, 19; 8:3; 10:29; 12:15; 15:19; 16:25; 22:5

• Character that leads to wisdom and righteousness– 4:11; 6:23; 9:6; 12:28; 15:10; 16:13; 21:16; 22:6

– Character development is the key to wisdom and divine guidance.

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