Isaiah 28:9 - Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?
A new semester here at Towson University! And with the new year comes new friends, new roommates, and of course…new teachers and classes. I think we can all agree that we'll certainly learn plenty of knowledge over this next year. This'll come from studying and teachers, and Hey! We might even enjoy some it!...But is that all there is for us? Simply extra information loaded into our brains?
The Apostle Paul writes of these desires in 2 Timothy 4:3 when he says that people will gather to themselves teachers because of their itching ears. Again, there is nothing wrong with gaining knowledge but the beginning of that verse declares the too oft precursor to these desires, which is not enduring sound doctrine and turning away from the truth. Are we sacrificing the sweet deepness of God's well of life for physics equations and philosophical inadequacies? Is there something more than the knowledge the world and the university would have us to know?
Psalm 51:6 states what God desires for us: Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. God wants us to know truth and possess wisdom in more than our minds; He wants to fill our hearts. And this is the knowledge that God would have us base our lives upon: To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins (Luke 1:77). Christ is our salvation and our liberty from sins and the bondage therewith!
What do we do? How do we attain unto more than what we see and more than what we are taught? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). We look to God for who He is, the One who loves us, who cares for us, who is always waiting to be gracious unto us. And knowledge and learning about Him and His Word is what gives us true understanding of life and reality…something deeper and more central to our beings than simply reasoning and philosophy.
This semester, in addition to learning your class material, in all of that getting, get wisdom (Proverbs 4:7).
James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. We simply ask God for an outpouring of His wisdom and understanding, seeking Him, and we will find wisdom, we will find Him. Find God this semester and I promise (and so does He!) you will not regret it!
Bryan Ackerman
