Means
of Attaining Wisdom
By
Seeley D. Kinne
(The
Prophetic State, Chapter XXXVIII.)
A clear conception of the
way of approach and seeking wisdom from God, should lead us to a view of both the man-side and the God-side, God is interested
quite as well as are we, and the angle of vision Divine and human are quite different.
God the Giver is Infinite, while man the recipient, is frail and imperfect. His
motives are exalted and perfect, while ours are often crude and sometimes selfish.
There is God given way and
order of approach to Him in any seeking and matter, which if followed is sure of results and gracious answer. But His appointed method neglected makes us liable to the wrath rather than the favor of God. God is very willing to meet us and grant our petitions if we come in a right manner. But the wrong kind of prayer gains nothing but His displeasure.
“Jehovah Our God made
a breech upon us, for that we sought Him not after the due order.” “He
that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” 1 Chron. 15:13; Heb. 11:6.
Considering the exalted, holy
and Christ-like nature of wisdom as already pointed out, it should be easy to see that a first and important step in seeking
wisdom is to seek a liberal impartation of that Christ like and Divine nature. When
we begin to pray for the changing of our natures by such Divine effusion of the nature of wisdom necessary to make us wisdom
hearted, then it is that Christ the great Refiner casts us into His crucible and heats His furnace that human dross may be
refined away.
“The preparations of
the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord.” “I
sanctioned thee and ordained thee, a prophet unto the nations.” “Ye
have not chosen me but I have chosen you.” “Behold, I have put My
words in thy mouth.” Prov. 16:1; Jer. 1:5, 9; Jno. 15:16.
From the God-side He chooses
such vessels as are suited for the exercise of those gifts and powers which He bestows.
His all wise eyes know just what we are best suited for He knows our ability and the part we best may do. He chooses according to His wise will knowing our ability “Dividing to every man severally as He
will.” “To every man according to his several ability.” 1 Cor. 12:11; Mat. 25:15.
Above all our prayers and
choices is this Sovereign Will of the Infinite One, absolute yet not arbitrary but full of benevolence, acting always for
the highest good of all His creatures. Of His absolute sovereignty and all powerful
will we have abundant Scripture proof, in such passages as...
“I will be gracious
to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” “So
then it is not of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” “That
the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him that calleth.” Ex. 33:19; Rom. 9:10-28.
On the other hand God’s
great universal promises are extended to all. Hear what they say.
“And the Spirit and
the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst say, Come. And whosoever will,
let him take of the water of life freely.” “Come unto Me all ye that
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “The Lord is
longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” Rev.
22:17; Mat. 11:28; 2 Peter 3:9; Jno. 6:37.
Looking at the two views in
their extremes, one class say, you might as well sit down and be unconcerned, for if God wants to save you, He will come to
you, and if He does not, all your efforts are of no avail. The other view is,
that anybody, anywhere, anytime, may call on God for anything they see occasion to ask, and easily obtain the same. The one class forget that God said, “No man can come unto Me except the Father draw him.” The other class forget that God has said, “Whosoever will may come.” We should keep the balance of truth, and not get one-sided.
In coming to God we should
remember then, that we are to “come boldly to a throne of grace,” and that diligent seeking God will be rewarded. Some have even climbed over all of God’s dispensational lines, and in deep humility
cried to Him, receiving answer, their desires being granted and special recommendation of their faith. The Syrophoenician woman is an example. Mk. 7:29.
Others there are, who stepped
into the breach, offering to Jehovah, the sacrifice of their eternal hopes for the sake of others, rolled back the cloud of
wrath, and obtained the answer of remittance for a whole nation. Ps. 106:23;
Ex. 32:32.
To sum up the, of the value,
importance and necessity of wisdom we are well assured. Of God’s willingness
to bestow we have abundant scripture witness. And while there is a Divine sovereignty
over all, dividing to every man severally as He will, there is also a great wide opening made for those who will diligently
seek for that impartation of wisdom, necessary for personal needs, and also for the accomplishment of what one may be called
to in His Kingdom. If they be called to special accomplishment of work of the
Master, they have double ground for faith to expect liberal impartation from God.
To take up more particularly
and directly the steps by which one should approach God for wisdom, the first step is faith.
To approach even our friends in distrust and doubt is to make them unwilling to grant our desired favor. And so the Word reads...
“He that cometh to God
must believe.” “But let him ask in faith.” “Without wrath and doubting.” “When ye pray,
believe that ye receive, and ye shall have.” Heb. 11:6; Jas. 1:6; Mark
11:24.
The boldness of faith that
God will hear and not turn aside our request is a mighty asset. It is very pleasing
to God. By it the elders obtained a good report and wrought the great works recorded. And there is plenty of room for those who will rise up in God and work those works
of faith. God is looking for those whom He can thus use.
We cannot offer a short and
easy way of obtaining spiritual gifts and blessings from God. We know of no short
method or easy way. The nature of man is so far away from the nature of God,
that really it is such a mighty task that only an Infinite one like God would attempt it.
Then it is such a mighty miracle for one to be so changed, transformed into the image and nature of Christ that His
own words come through our lips, pregnant with His life, glory, power, emotions, desires, - in fact these words are the very
expression of Christ Himself. Such a miracle is possible with God, and with such
privileges we are very highly favored.
Quite as necessary as boldness
of faith is earnestness, whole-heartedness, a crying out of soul after that for which we seek.
If there must be a depth to our nature, if we must drink deep of the fountain of Divine nature to be prepared for the
reception and exercising of gifts, powers and grace from God, certainly we must have an earnest heart to obtain them. Half-hearted luke-warm seeking will get us nowhere and nothing.
“Because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot. I will spew thee out of My mouth.” “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” “Nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.” “This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him.” “As panteth the hart after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee,
O God.” “Pour out your heart before Him.” “My soul thirsteth for Thee.” “My flesh longeth
for Thee.” “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of
Jehovah: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.” Rev. 3:16;
Jer. 29:13; Ps. 31:22; 34:6; 42:1, 2; 62:8; 63:1; 84:2.
It is true this earnestness
must be promoted in us by Jehovah, and He has said, “I will pour out o Spirit of supplications.” But there is a part for us, and if we do not diligently seek Him, He will not grant us that Spirit of supplication. It is a condition of our fallen nature that we are more earnest about all earthly
things than we are about heavenly things.
Jesus taught this earnestness
of heart both by example and precept. He taught us to ask, seek, and knock. Indeed the full meaning in these commands does not appear in the common translation. Like so many verbs in the Greek New Testament there is the thought of continued seeking,
asking, knocking. Jesus emphasizes this by putting in the context the parable
of the man in importunity for three loaves of bread from his neighbor. The reading
in Rotherham brings this out:
“And I to you say, Be
asking, and is shall be given you: be seeking, and ye shall find, be knocking and to him that knocks shall it be opened.” Luke 11:5-10.
The very thought in this and
similar passages is that of earnestness, persistence, pressing our case – “Be seeking, be asking, be knocking.” It was the intense earnestness, coupled with her deep humility, that brought deliverance
to the Syrophoenician woman. It was the loud cry of the blind man, “Jesus,
Thou Son of David, have mercy on me,” that brought him his sight. And this
same earnestness, fervor, and depth of desire is seen in the actins and nature of Jesus Christ and of Jehovah. Notice the profound depth of nature and intensity of emotion and feeling in these passages:
Intense Desire. “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Luke 22:15.
His passion
– infinite in depth. “Who in the days of His flesh, having offered
up both supplications and entreaties unto Him that was able to save Him from death, with mighty out-cries and tears.” “My soul hath anguish unto death.”
“Jesus cried with a loud voice and said: . . . My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted
in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue
cleaveth to my jaws, and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death.” Heb.
5:7; Mark 14:34; Ps. 22:14, 15.
Nature of Jehovah. “But Thou O Jehovah, art a God full of compassion and gracious, longsuffering,
and plenteous in mercy and truth.” “Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy loving kindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.” “I
will mention the lovingkindness of Jehovah, and the praises of Jehovah, according to all that Jehovah hath bestowed on us,
and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He hath bestowed upon them according to His mercies, and according
to the multitude of His lovingkindness” “In all their affliction
He was afflicted.” Ps. 86:15; 51:1; Isa. 63:7.
Riches. “O depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Rom. 11:33.
Love. “And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.” Eph. 3:19.
Many more passages set forth
the infinite greatness of the Divine nature. Just in measure we partake of this
wealth of the Divine nature, are we able to receive of the gifts and powers of the Christ. – “Having then gifts
differing according to the grace given unto us.”
The way then, of seeking wisdom
or other gifts is not to seek primarily the gift, but seek God. Seek the impartation
of the Divine nature. And that we may receive of His nature we must accept the
cross, the chastening, the buffetings, the tribulations, and all that He may permit to come with humble and joyful praise
and glory to Him who doeth all these things for our good. So we are taught in
these scriptures:
“As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten.” “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth and scourgeth
every son whom He receiveth.” “We glory in tribulations.” “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ’s sake.” “I am crucified with Christ
nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me.” Rev. 3:19; Heb.
12:5-11; Prov. 3:11; Ps. 94:12; Rom. 5:3; 2 Cor. 12:10; Gal. 2:20.
Seek for the enthronement
of Christ within. This is the mystery of the gospel. This is the mystery of the fullness of all that God would have wrought in us. This is the superabounding way. If He lives in us, there can
be no lack of anything essential to our personal growth and development, and our equipment for whatever activities He calls
us to.
This is the superabounding
way, the way of the indwelling Christ. Yet we are told, “covet earnestly
the best gifts,” and “Follow after love; and be zealous of spiritual gifts.”
Or “Be earnestly ambitious for spiritual gifts.” 1 Cor. 12:31;
14:1. Seeking thus by faith, by steadfast fervent prayer by diligence in keeping
the commandments of Jesus, and abiding in Him, we may hope for liberal reward in impartation of gifts, for our seeking. The commandments of Jesus that particulary bear on this are persistence in prayer. See Acts 6:4; Rom. 12:12; 1 Thes. 5:17; Jas. 5:16.
Faith and Love. 1 Jno. 3:22-24.
Abiding in Him. Jno. 15:4, 7, 10, 16.
There should be moreover a
constant exercise of caution lest ther come in a mixture of the activity of ones’ own nature, mixing with the movements
of the Spirit of God. Of this there is always a possibility, as long as there
remains a human nature that has not been entirely crucified.
But in the original New Testament
church, all the gifts and powers of the Spirit were given and present in great variety and profusion. It should be so now. It will have to be before the church
shall be as she should be. God is seeking for some people in whom He can reign
to the bringing forth of these things that belong in His Kingdom and church.
He who watches over Israel,
Slumbers not nor sleeps;
But a faithful watch is keeping,
O’er each struggling sheep.
Calling to them Come up higher,
For the pasture here is fresh;
Neither marred nor trodden is it,
By the feet of man or beast.
Come ye sheep of My rearing,
Come amid green pastures fresh;
Drink and eat, and grow stronger,
Nothing here can e’er molest.
For within My holy mountain,
There is peace and rest for you;
I have set a watch upon it,
Naught unclean can e’er pass thru.
Unto thee ‘tis even open,
Go ye in and out at will
For to thee the Shepherd speaketh,
For His voice ye heareth still.
For without are wolves and hirelings,
Care they not for sheep or fold;
But fatten up their inwards,
Ever looking for more gold.
Come to Me, My little children,
Never fear, thy help is near;
Speak I words of comfort to thee,
For thy Lord and God does hear.
Come, oh come, My little children,
For the end is drawing near;
Come up higher on the mountain,
There the vision is more clear.
(This poem by Mrs. Helena
Torrey appears at the end of this chapter in the Prophetic State, as it appears above.)
