November 4

“But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom.” 1 Corinthians 1:30

TO survey the effects of this manifold wisdom on individual character will exalt our views of Christ as the wisdom of God. To see a man “becoming a fool that he may be wise”—his reason bowing to revelation—his knowledge and attainments laid beneath the cross—his own righteousness surrendered—“counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord”—and as a little child receiving the kingdom of God; oh, how glorious does appear in this the wisdom of God, the light of which shines in Jesus’ face! Behold how determined is the Father, in every step of His grace, to humble the creature, and to exalt, magnify, and crown his co-equal Son, Lord of all!

We see Jesus the mediatorial Head of all wisdom and counsel to the Church. “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.” “In whom,” says the same apostle, “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” He is the “Wonderful Counselor,” of whom it was thus prophesied, “the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” O divine and precious truth! unutterably precious to a soul having no resources adequate to the great purposes of knowing self, Christ, and God; of salvation, sanctification, and guidance.

Reader, are you wanting the “wisdom that is profitable to direct” you at this moment? Acquaint now yourself with Jesus, in whom all the treasures of this wisdom are hid. What is His language to you? The same which Moses, the great legislator, spoke to the people of Israel: “The cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.” What a cheering invitation is this! A greater than Moses speaks it, and speaks it to you. You find your case baffling to human wisdom, too difficult for the acutest skill of man—take it, then, to Jesus. How sweetly He speaks—“bring it unto me.” One simple exercise of faith upon His word will remove all that is difficult, make simple make simple all that is complex, and lucid all that is dark in your case. With Him nothing is impossible.

To Him all is transparent. Knowing the end from the beginning, there can be nothing unforeseen in it to His mind; by His prescience all is known, and by His wisdom all is provided for. His precious promise is, “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not: I will lead them in a path that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” Thus is Jesus “made of God unto us wisdom,” that all our perplexities may be guided, and all our doubts may be solved, and all our steps may be directed, by one on whom the anointing of the “spirit of wisdom and understanding” rests “without measure;” and who, from experience, is able to lead, having trod every step before us. “And when he puts forth His own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow Him.” “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally:” let him repair to Christ, whom God has set up from everlasting, “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God.”