Searching for the adults – the wise

 

An Emoji Devotions for Wed, 9th of June 2021

Topic: Searching for the adults – the wise

By H.U. Wenger

In Jeremiah 8, 8 – 9 God asks through the prophet:  “How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?”

Highlights: Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:13 – 18)

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. (Hebrew 2:1)

Wisdom shows in adhering to the word of the Lord and in living out the character of Jesus Christ. As his followers our first task in life is to show his benevolent attitude to every human being according to his word. In our world, unfortunately even in the Christian world, we see way too much bossiness for personal power gain, which James calls demonic. In the times of Jeremiah the Jewish people took the word of God out of context and derived from the so constructed philosophy a divine privilege and right. Prophets stood up and announced good times ahead, whereas Jeremiah had to prophesy the upcoming judgement and doom based upon the word of the Lord.  

From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord. (Jeremiah 8, 10b – 12) They think to be filled with wisdom and power and look down on Jeremiah and his followers as the immature, the fearful and deplorable. In first Corinthians 1: 18 – 31, Paul put wisdom and foolishness into the right light. Adhering to the word of the Lord and living it out as best as we can was, is and remains true wisdom. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1. Corinthians 1:25)

Let us be truly wise and always return to the Lord and check whether our conduct depicts his character. Each time I am realizing that my wisdom does not match the wisdom from above according to James; I am called to repentance, to return to the Lord and to his word. Brothers and Sisters, I have to confess that it happens to me way too often. We are brain-washed by the attitude of this world who celebrates a “wisdom” that is earthly, unspiritual and demonic and therefore are in need to tune ourselves into the wisdom that comes down from heaven. 

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, I repent from foolishly being selfish, bossy and often unjust. Please fill me with your wisdom that comes from heaven and make me to a human being that depicts the character of your beloved son, Jesus Christ. Amen