Come In Out of the Rain

With the year coming to an end tomorrow, many of you will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with family or friends. And at every party, there is invariably that one person who knows that Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter or who can solve Rubik’s Cube in less than thirty seconds. They seem to know every answer to all the questions in the trivia game and all the party-goers marvel at this person’s knowledge.

But those who know this person best say that he or she doesn’t have the common sense to come in out of a thunderstorm. When asked to “bring a dish to share,” they literally bring a dish, without anything in it. This person helps to cement the idea that highly intelligent people are not always good at the practicalities of daily living. It is this same person who regularly loses socks somewhere between the washing machine and the dryer, seeing no problem with wearing mismatched ones.

I sometimes wonder if humanity at large is “common senseless,” needing clear reminders to keep us safe. Earlier this year, while vacationing at the beach, I saw a sign on a rental unit that read: Caution – Please be aware that the balcony is not on ground level. Now that is valuable information to have. Witnout it, those on the balcony might be in for a real surprise when they go to leave.

Now think of that person who, while they might not know all the trivia game answers or that Pi is an irrational number, always seems to know just what to say and do in most any situations. You have probably thought to yourself, “I wish I had their wisdom.”

The difference between the first person and the second is really nothing more than the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is simply the accumulation of facts and data while wisdom is the ability to apply that knowledge in a way that useful and helpful. It is not enough just to “know” that the burner on the stove is hot, you also need to apply that knowledge of the burner being hot so as to not put your hand on it.

Now let’s turn to gaining God’s wisdom. It is not enough to know the contents of the Bible. Reading and memorizing your Bible is a good thing, but we need to know how to understand and apply God’s Word into daily life. The Bible tells us that God gave us the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to give us wisdom. The Holy Spirit has many roles, but today we are just looking at this role of counselor. Jesus promised this very thing to His disciples (and ultimately to us). In John 14:26 we read, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” Now that is real wisdom. No textbook or instruction manual can ever come close to teaching you those things!

And again, it is not enough that God gave us the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom. We must spend time in His Word, allowing it to penetrate so the Holy Spirit can teach us. John 16:13 tells us, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”

The Bible is one of the ways God self-discloses Himself to us. We find the authors of Scripture telling us that God’s Word is both inspired, useful, sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and alive and active (Hebrews 4:12).

So, as you prepare for 2023, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see and understand from God’s point of view. Ask Him to help you come in out of the rain.  

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