The Confessions of a Church: Encouragement and Wisdom

 The Psalm writer wrote:  Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.   This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  

Proverbs 8: 1-11 Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom. Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold”. For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

Any discussion of wisdom must begin with the source of said wisdom. As Christians, we know that in Christ Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), and that any real wisdom, apart from God, is a myth, as the natural man does not accept or understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

In today’s Proverb: prudence, noble things, right things, truth, and righteousness are noted as being those things which true wisdom teaches, and which are better than jewels or fine gold.
This sentiment is echoed in Philippians 4:8, where we are told “ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
So this morning, I would like to impart to you wisdom which may speak to your current circumstances, with the encouragement that where you have fallen short, repent and look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The Word of God commands us “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6). Brothers and sisters, your heavenly Father has ordained all things which come to pass according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).  Jesus asks in Luke 12:25 “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to the span of his life?” We know that nothing, NOTHING, can separate us from the love of GOD.

 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).

Scripture teaches us that ALL THINGS work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). All things. Things like where you lay your head at night, where you live, the physical location in which you reside. We can lay our heads anywhere, knowing that our Lord Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us, and that this place is temporary, passing away. All things may come in the form of family members who have turned their backs on you. Scorn from coworkers. Anxiety over how we see our faith being assaulted on every side by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Fear not brothers and sisters: it has been granted for you to not only believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but to suffer for His sake (Philippians 1:29). Students will become like their teachers, so as you experience hardship, count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (James 1:2). Does a baby on the way make you anxious? Perhaps you worry and fret about being an adequate father or mother. Remember the truth that we speak so often to abortive mothers and fathers:
 
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5).

Do you believe that your heavenly Father would bless you with a child, only to turn around and abandon you? Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Our faithful Father will equip you for every good work, and this is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, diligent study of God’s Words, and obeying His commands. Be anxious for nothing.
 
If you are able, let us kneel and confess how we have fallen short of God’s glory.
MY DEAR LORD
I depend wholly upon thee,
    wean me from all other dependences.
Thou art my all, thou dost overrule all
    and delight in me.
Thou art the foundation of goodness,
  how can I distrust thee?
  how be anxious about what happens to me?
In the light of thy preciousness
  the world and all its enjoyments are
    infinitely poor:
I value the favour of men no more than pebbles.
Amid the blessings I receive from thee
    may I never lose the heart of a stranger.
May I love thee, my Benefactor, in all my benefits,
  not forgetting that my greatest danger
    arises from my advantages.
Produce in me self-despair that will
  make Jesus precious to me,
    delightful in all his offices,
    pleasurable in all his ways,
  and may I love his commands
    as well as his promises.
Help me to discern between true and false love,
  the one consisting of supreme love to thee,
    the other not,
  the former uniting thy glory and man’s happiness
    that they may become one common interest,
  the latter disjointing and separating them both,
    seeking the latter with neglect of the former.
Teach me that genuine love is different in kind
  from that wrought by rational arguments
    or the motive of self-interest,
  that such love is a pleasing passion affording
    joy to the mind where it is.
Grant me grace to distinguish
    between the genuine and the false,
      and to rest in thee who art all love. (Valley of Vision, “Love rest in God”, P. 181)
In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
 
Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him;God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8

To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!

(From the 10/20/2019 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)