Wisdom belongs to the aged

Wisdom belongs to the aged

"Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old" Job 12:12

What do we learn as we travel through life?

When we reflect on the past what really counts, what really matters?

What is this wisdom and understanding we finally come to possess?

As I am but a child I can only guess. No doubt but some of you would be better qualified to speak to this point than me.

So, in the absence of age and in order to at least have some credibility, I call on the bible as my authority. It reports on 4000 years of God's interaction with man. It describes 4000 years worth of man's hard lessons. This should adequately substitute for my lack of age-related wisdom and understanding; don't you think?

The bible would instruct us on attitudes and behaviors that are built on the wisdom of the aged. It recommends the right path and it warns us of the pitfalls.

The bible gives us a vision of what a life lived according to God's values might look like and how such a life will produce a rich harvest for God's glory.

There is hope

But the bible does more than this. It actually declares the bankable promises of God which produces in us hope which in turn sustains us through the life's trials and tribulation which are our lot in this fallen and broken world.

You see, we long for a time to come, as it say's in Isaiah, when there will be no more suffering:

Isaiah 25:6-9 (read whole passage) "… he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces…Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

We see this promise also in Revelations as it speaks of what it to come:

Revelations 21: 4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

It is this hope which sustains us and is backed by the promises of God who has proved himself true through each of our histories. We can rely on God to deliver on that he has promised.

God says he has a better place prepared for those who choose to trust him and his walk in this ways. Are you one who has done this, truly? Are you trusting him now?

There is cost

Many won't trust him you know; at least this is what the bible says. There are many who will gain the wisdom and knowledge that comes with age but will still choose not to trust him. It is our prerogative to choose him or not. He does not compel us to choose. He calls us, he reveals himself to us, he makes a way for us to enter into the future he has for us but it is our choice to take up the offer. Have you, will you take up the offer?

Mathew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

It is possible to stare a lesson in the face and stubbornly refuse to benefit by it. In fact, I think that's what we do more than not. It's easy to get stuck in the groove and repeat our own errors eventually becoming blind to the damage they cause to ourselves and others.

The bible teaches us to have the courage to reinvent ourselves, to be reborn, to repent, to give it all up and follow him. It says it in many ways and it is always difficult to do.

Remember the rich young man who declared his desire to enter through the narrow gate. Jesus immediately asked him to give his possessions to the poor and then to follow him:

Mark 10:17 "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" 20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth."

This was too much of an ask for the wealthy young man. He was prepared to surrender his will up to a certain point short of his purse!

Quite independent of age God frequently asks us to follow him and we frequently agree in principle but can't quite come at the price.

Truly following Jesus is always a costly exercise as we are asked to surrender not just all of our worldly wealth but our precious self as well.

Mathew 16:24-27 24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

This denial of self is asked of us for the sake of our hope in a promise recorded in the bible and in our uncertain hearts. Many will not take the risk and choose to trust in the promise. Many will be like the rich young man who will find the price too high.

Are you ready to pay the price? Has the wisdom and knowledge of experience taught you to realise the true value of salvation such that there is nothing you are not prepared to give up in order to inherit it?

God is patient

Imagine for a moment that you were in God's place. You have revealed yourself to your creation, a people that you love deeply, and provided a means by which they can live a full and complete life which will end with them sharing a new perfect world you have created. You have communicated the means by which they can live this life and inherit this salvation but most them, though intrigued, are far from persuaded.

So you work with each of them over many years prompting them, guiding them but with little success. The sticking point is that they have to choose your way in faith and to do this they have to trust you. You've always been consistent and true to your word but they are jaded by a fallen world that has often let them down and they are blinkered by their own choices from seeing the way clearly.

What would you do if you were in God's place? Would you eventually grow impatient with your creation or would you persevere?

I am glad that that our immortal God is not mortal like me. I am glad the perfect is not imperfect. I am glad the supernatural is not natural so that I might have hope of walking the good walk and eventually coming into my eternal inheritance through faith in Jesus. Because if left to me I would have lost patience with creation long ago.

But God is the God of the second chance. In the same way that we can dare to hope, he holds hope for us.

God we are told in 1 John 4:8 is love. Love we are taught in 1 Corinthians 13 is patient, keeps no record of wrongs and always trusts:

1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

He will continue to present you with the choice and this side of the grave it never to late to choose to change.

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Now that's what you call cutting it fine! If God can offer redemption to a crucified robber is the last hours of his life then there is hope for all of us yet.

Choose hope

But it takes a deliberate choice and we are right to consider the serious consequences of postponing the choice:

C.S. Lewis: "God is the only comfort, he is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves his enemies. Some talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger - according the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way."

So if you haven't already, speak to God and offer up that which he is asking of you.

There is promise of a better place waiting were there will be no more suffering; where we will become one with our creator God.

Be prepared to pay the cost because there is always a cost we bear in the surrender of self.

Know that God is patient and will forgive and redeem you right up to line should you place your faith in him. But consider all of this seriously because the cost of making the wrong choice is grave indeed.

"Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old" Job 12:12

The challenge is not to obtain wisdom and understanding, this we are told is an artifact of age, but to live wisely and know God as a saviour and friend.