Wisdom...

'...the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God asked, "Ask what you wish Me to give to you." [1 Kings 3: 5]

A few days ago I was thinking about Solomon. Solomon had big shoes to fill, those of his father, David, and he was still young, maybe eighteen, I think. As I think now I guess Solomon had the example of his father to follow and David was described at the beginning of his life as a 'man after God's own heart.' Perhaps this influence significantly impacted him as he contemplated all that was before him, but that wasn't what this post is about.

One night Solomon had a dream in which God asked him what he wanted. All he had to do was ask. (I wonder what would any one of us say if God asked us that same question.) Solomon responded with a God-pleasing response. He asked for wisdom. God gave him wisdom in spades. (See 1 Kings 4: 29 - 30) In addition God gave Solomon honour and wealth beyond his wildest dreams.

Wisdom....

We have a God who loves us with a passion and intensity we are unable to describe or fathom. Paul, in Ephesians 3: 19, prays that we might 'know the love of Christ, its length and breadth, its depth and height, which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled up to all the fullness of Christ.' Wow! That love is absolutely displayed at Calvary, and we are reminded every time we take the Lord's Communion. When we do His love is inexhaustibly brought forward from that historical event into our lives today, right now. In His body we see healing; in His blood shed we see life and righteousness.

I want wisdom. Wisdom is a blessing and it would be easy for me to fixate on the blessing. Like Solomon with wisdom, because our God is a god of blessing, will come honour and wealth, riches according to the supply of my God who 'will supply all my need, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.' [Philippians 4: 19] Now it would be very easy for me to fixate on that!

But wisdom...the Proverbs, on more than one occasion, encourage me to 'acquire wisdom' but what is it? Listen to this. '...Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God'...'...Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption...' [1 Corinthians 1: 24, 30]

So, I am meditating on this and God speaks to me about not focusing on the blessing, but rather focusing on the Blesser.
Also, of late, as I meditate in God's presence He begins to show me the role of His Spirit.
And then my brother, Samnang, shares with me about our Partner, and how we need to focus on Him rather than the blessing our partner brings.
And, then, Psalm 27 is shown to me which speaks of David's desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, to see His beauty and to meditate in His temple. David was a man after God's own heart because this was his desire.
And then we hold a WTL Partner Appreciation Dinner where God specifically wanted us to not ask for funds but to declare the love of God for His people and that His heart is to bless. More than one person came to me after and said that they couldn't believe we weren't asking for money but, rather, wanting to tell those gathered that we are blessed as family, in the family of God and WTL.
Beloved, we are His favoured children!
And then, I have a little note book that I write stuff in and I write a little note to myself which says this, 'I cannot have lack with Christ because He is fullness. With Him disclosed there can be NO LACK. Holy Spirit disclose Him to me.'
And then another little note I write in my little book, 'Not 'look we have no money' but 'look God loves you with an everlasting love, He proved it at Calvary.'
And then I open a little devotion that comes to me on email each day and here is a scripture that I want to share...

'...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [Ephesians 1: 17 - 19]

I could write a lot on this but let me just point out one vital point. Wisdom, I want it. What is the spirit of wisdom? It is 'the revelation in the KNOWLEDGE OF HIM.' Who is the Him? The Lord Jesus Christ, of course. Please note, not just a knowledge of Him but the REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM.' We can have knowledge of Him in our mind but transformation comes from within, not without, it comes from the One who reveals Him, it comes from our Partner who discloses Christ. As we are transformed in the revelation in the knowledge of Him only then are we 'transformed by the renewing of our minds.' [Romans 12: 2]  From within, by His Spirit; not from without by our work or our knowledge.
My dear brother, Samnang, then showed me the shut door. In John 20 the disciples are gathered together and the door was shut. Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "PEACE be with you." I could talk about the true magnificence of the true meaning of peace here. It is shalom, the shalom of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Look up the Biblical meaning of shalom. If you can't find it then message me, I will delight to show you!
What is my point? For Him to be revealed the doors had to be shut! When we shut the doors of our minds, our intellect, powerful though it may be, only then can He be revealed in truth as our peace, as the hope of our calling, as our inheritance, as our surpassing greatness! Oh, can you feel the freedom? No wonder the word says, 'it was for freedom that Christ set us free.' [Galatians 5: 1]
What do I say to all this? I want HIM!!! He is wisdom from God.
With Him all things are added to me, I can rejoice in this truth. Read Romans 8: 32.
I feel led just to share another scripture here that was given to me a few weeks ago. I have been contemplating it ever since. I won't say anything about it now, just share it.

'The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.' [Romans 8: 16 - 17]

And...

'For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.' [Romans 4: 13] 

Holy Spirit, He draws me away from seeing even the blessing that my life and ministry so desire to have my eyes filled with the beauty of the Lord.

I declare this today in the hearing of you all.

'One thing I...ask from the Lord, that I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years, moment by moment, of my life, to behold His beauty, the boundless and matchless beauty of my Lord and to meditate in His temple...He will conceal me in His tabernacle, in His secret place, the place he has for me, the secret place of His tent He will hide me and He will lift me up on a rock...the Rock of Ages cleft for me...Himself, Jesus Christ, my salvation, my righteousness, my truth, my way, may faith, my sword, my life, my all in all, my everything! Amen.'

Blessings to all.

Constant...

Constant.
Dictionary.com defines constant as:

'Not changing or varying; uniform; regular; invariable; continuing without pause or let-up; unceasing; regular; recurring; continual; persistent; faithful; unswerving in love, devotion; steadfast; firm in mind or purpose; resolute.'

What is constant in your life?
What things never change, never vary, are unceasing and never let-up, are persistent and faithful?
Ummm...nothing fits that description, I hear you say.
And I agree.

I have been thinking along these lines. So many things have no constancy. Even the things that we think are constant turn out to not be so. No matter what I look at, my mood, my emotions, my faith, my bank balance, my plans, my strategy, my purpose and direction, all the things I view about myself, even my own character and personality I see no constancy. All I see is fluctuating change, variance, irregularity, nothing that can be relied upon.

I am thinking this and God spoke.
He said, "I am your constant; I am CONSTANT."

Now, when stuff like that happens I then start to chew over it.
The first thing that springs into my mind is this:

'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.' [Hebrews 13: 8]

This post could take a long time to write...how do you describe the constancy of God?
If I could ask anything of God (and I can) I would ask that I could be a writer. I love to write but do it poorly.
But right now I wish that I could describe the constancy of God.
How is He described?
You know lately I have felt a certain level of something that I could only describe as anger, of sorts.
Anger, with a side-helping of frustration.
Then my wife, Alyson, asks me 'what's the matter' and asks me if I am 'vengeful'.
Vengeful?
Do I want revenge, do I desire retribution for some wrong?
No, not really that.
I have so much in my mind and in my spirit. It's like I am looking at a jigsaw puzzle as it sits piled up on the table, all the bits higgly-piggly, on some you can see the colours of the finished picture, others just the dull backing, but I know that within that pile of disjointedness is a masterpiece.

It could be assumed that the jigsaw is mine to sort and make but I don't think it is.
This picture is too complex in its simplicity for me to build.
The finished picture is beyond me, my ability, my ideas, my revelation.
The finished picture is the magnificence of my God Himself and He has to reveal it to me.
I can't make it happen.
For along time now I have preached through written word that it's not about me, it's about Him, and it isn't revealed in my effort but rather in His Grace.
God reveals Himself, He reveals Himself in His 'declaration'...I speak of Jesus, and He is 'disclosed' by the Holy Spirit of God.
All I know here, right now, is that when the jigsaw is complete it will be stupendous! I believe it!

GOD. How is He described?
I hear a voice...

"LOOK AT JESUS."

Recently I had the privilege to baptise a young man. It was an honour. After the act of baptism I prayed and I spoke the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Hillsong Church had their annual conference recently and the theme for the conference was, "NO OTHER NAME."
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
I didn't go to the conference but I absolutely agree there truly is NO OTHER NAME.

'...God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' [Philippians 2: 9 - 11]

Constant. How to describe His constancy?
I hear a voice...

'But now faith, hope , love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.' [1 Corinthians 13: 13]

Love. He is constant in His love. His love is constant. It isn't swayed. It doesn't deviate. It is constant.

Recently I have felt sort of confused. My mind is full. I receive and receive. I love to just sit in the Lord's presence and write. The Lord showed me the jigsaw puzzle. It's pieces are turned out on the table and  some parts of the picture are made but the true masterpiece is awaiting the Great Jigsaw Maker to reveal it. A bit like this...although the jigsaw in this picture is a little too complete...

Other pieces are awaiting order and with order the picture will be revealed.
I shared these thoughts with friends and someone asked me what I felt I needed to do to bring order and reveal the picture and I felt to quickly answer that I am not the picture maker.
The Lord is my jigsaw maker, my picture revealer, my revelation.

That jumble of thoughts, the jigsaw, are very evident to me as I try to write this. 

One thing I know, however, is that when the picture is revealed it will be beyond all is others in its beauty and stupendous in its value.

I was thinking earlier this morning and into my mind came this...

'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.' [Hebrews 13: 8]

He is constant.
He is constant in His love, He is constant in His plan, He is constant in His blessing, He is constant in what He says, He is constant in His promises, He is constant in His provision, He is constant in His character, He is constant in every aspect of life for He is constant in Life.
He is constant. He is Life, and Love, and Hope, and Peace, and...
Don't know what else to say...don't have the words.
He is constant.