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"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Prov. 9:10).

When we're talking about the wisdom of God, there are three words that you need to understand. First, you need to understand what knowledge is. Knowledge is information. Knowledge is not understanding.

When I was in school, there were things that the teacher put up on that blackboard, or knowledge in those books, but I didn't understand them. It wasn't that knowledge wasn't there, there was knowledge available; but I didn't have understanding.

So, there is a difference between knowledge and understanding. Being able to comprehend the knowledge is what understanding is. Then there is wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge to its fullest potential.

Skillfull Wisdom
There were a number of different Hebrew words for wisdom in the Old Testament, but primarily wisdom means: Skillful or skill. We read a text where it says, God made the worlds through wisdom. In other words, God made the world with great skill.

An individual can have knowledge and still be far short. An individual can have understanding and still fall short. Let's take pro baseball. Scientists understand that a man can throw a ball at 98 miles an hour, and they understand how a round bat swung with a certain force, with a certain direction, can strike that ball and cause it to go over 400 yards, go over the fence, and be a home run. You may understand how that happens, but that doesn't mean you've got the skill to do it. Those that have the skill are able to make a million dollars a year.

There is knowledge, there is understanding, and then there is wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to use the knowledge to its fullest extent. I want you to know that the wisdom of God is available unto you in full measure. Thank God for the wisdom of God. We are not left to our own devices or our own wisdom. Godly wisdom, God's wisdom is available to every believer.

"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21).

Jesus is the wisdom of God, personified. The word Christ means the Anointed One and his Anointing. We know that the anointing of God is burden removing, yoke destroying power. Christ is the wisdom of God. That means that the Anointed One, and the anointing that was on the Anointed One, is the wisdom of God. The anointing of God is the Holy Spirit. The anointing of God will remove all burdens and will destroy every single solitary yoke of bondage and oppression.

The wisdom of God is available to us because the Holy Ghost is on the inside of you. "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." The anointing of God is available to us. So, wisdom is a person, yes, Jesus. Wisdom is also the person of the Holy Ghost. The world doesn't understand this wisdom, but I want you to know that the wisdom of God is available now, and that wisdom will help you remove every burden and destroy any yoke in your life.

Thank God for the wisdom of God. When you are functioning in the wisdom of God, you can't help but be successful. Enough of walking in our wisdom; our wisdom gets us in trouble. There is the wisdom of God. Ecclesiastes 7:12 says this: "For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it."

You can have a whole lot of Bible knowledge, but you need to have some wisdom flowing in it. How many times have you met people that have a whole lot of information but are foolish? They can be educated, which means that they have accumulated a lot of knowledge, but they have no wisdom. They're just educated fools.

A man who would say that there is no God is a fool, and most of those are usually educated fools, filled up with pride. Anybody who thinks that there could be nothing higher than themselves is purely a fool. You've got to see, you couldn't have created this world. You couldn't have planned out this universe. You couldn't have put all the intricacies together. I don't care how smart you are. I'm telling you right now, if you don't believe there is a God, you are a fool and you have no wisdom. You just got a lot of knowledge and most of the knowledge man's got is wrong.

How they change their minds! Those who've held the theory of the Big Bang have changed that. They were talking on TV the other day about how the dinosaurs died by a meteor coming and striking the planet, putting dust all over the planet and blocking out the sun. Then I read in the newspaper the other day, they said, no, we now think that something else happened to cause that, there was a shift of the poles, the North Pole and the South Pole changed and moved.

They don't know what they're talking about. The answer is found in wisdom. "For God so loved the world that he gave...." I'll tell you what else—God made this world. Wisdom gives life to knowledge. It's good for you to go to college and trade school and to accumulate knowledge, to read and watch TV, but I'm here to tell you that in order to have some life, you need Godly wisdom.

"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish" (James 3:13-15).

The Greek word used there for "sensual" is "suka" and it means "soulish, of the soul, of the will, of the mind, of your feelings, of your emotions". He says it's devilish.

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" (James 3:16).

So there is wisdom of this world and the wisdom of this world will produce envying, strife and confusion.

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace" (James 3:17-18).

Well then, there's fleshly satanic wisdom, then there's godly wisdom. Each produces certain things in our lives.

Before I get into that, I want to make this statement and I encourage you to remember it: "Unbelief disguises itself as wisdom." A lot of times people won't step out and obey God because they say, "Well, you know, it's just not wisdom to do that." It really is not wisdom; what it is, is unbelief, just doubt.

You want to be sure that what you call wisdom is not just plain old-fashioned unbelief. Wisdom will produce certain things in your life. The wisdom of God is available for every believer. You don't have to operate in your own wisdom. Godly wisdom has been provided just for you because God loves you.

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth 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 thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her" (Prov. 3:13-15).

If you desire a husband, wisdom is better. If you desire a wife, wisdom is better. If you desire a new car, or new house, or to make $1 million - wisdom is better. Whatever you desire cannot be compared to the value of what we're talking about, the wisdom of God, she is more precious: "Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her" (Prov. 3:16-18).

The Wisdom Connection
We read just a moment ago in Ecclesiastes 7:12 where it said that wisdom is a defense, and it said money is a defense. There is a connection in the word of God between wisdom and prosperity. I like to call it the wisdom connection. Wisdom is a defense; it will defend you against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Whatever kind of enemy is coming your way, wisdom will defend you against it.

There is something else wisdom will do for you, why you ought to desire this wisdom, and why you should do everything you can to walk in the wisdom of God that's available.

"If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct" (Eccl. 10:10).

Let's say that for Thanksgiving, you took out that big Butterball turkey, and you took out a knife to cut the turkey. If the knife is dull, you can cut the turkey, but it's gonna be a wrestling match. You need more force to cut the turkey.

Notice what he says here - wisdom makes things easy. Walking in the wisdom of God makes things easy. It causes you not to have to put forth all that effort. When you do it with your wisdom, it's like having a dull knife - it's a fight. You might be able to get it done, but you might throw the thing on the floor trying. When you operate in the wisdom of God, it's a sharp knife that cuts. Wisdom is sharp.

You can have a financial life that has your wisdom and it's hard to get it done, or you can walk in the wisdom of God and it will be easy. You can try and have relationships with people your way, or you can do it wisdom's way and it becomes easy. Wisdom makes it easy for you. If there is no other reason that you ought to walk in wisdom, that's a good one right there.


Keith Butler Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Author Biography

Keith Butler
Web site: Keith Butler
 
Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center. He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).
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