written by Bruce Talbert

I remember as a child hearing fiery preachers talk about the end times, saying there would be an “information explosion” that would occur as part of ushering in the last days. Sometimes stories were given about new findings in science or technology that bolstered their point about the nearness of the end times. It is funny, looking back now over 30 years later, that this all happened before the internet! Now I wonder this: If we don’t know the sum total of all the knowledge there is in the universe, how will we be able to identify such an explosion? Any perceived explosion could simply be a relative blip in the grand scheme of things! Regardless, suffice it to say it is certainly easier to obtain data, facts, figures, pictures, and interpretations these days.

So if that’s the case, why do we still have people who seem to enjoy doing what they want, against what God wants? Or more specifically, as noted in verses 16-19, why are marriages crumbling around us so frequently? During the Age of Enlightenment it was believed that reason and knowledge would lead to superiority; however, today we have a significant amount of these things, yet in some very basic ways our society is still a threat to God’s kingdom. What then is the knowledge and wisdom that is referred to in this passage? I think the key is in verse 1, where we are advised to “accept” God’s words. The ills of society can be traced to a lack of acceptance of God and His word. That is all well and good, but what is this passage saying to those of us who are already Christ-followers? I see something deeper, something that God wants to provide to us on a weekly, daily, and even hourly basis. It is the notion that His wisdom will protect us from making poor choices that end in hard times, and will provide us a clear insight so that we can make the best choices in our lives. Many of our choices are not about making a selection of right or wrong, but between better and best, with best being defined as exactly what God wants for us at a given time. They are decisions such as “Should I buy a new car?”, or “Should I allow a particular sort of entertainment into my home?” “At what age should I let my kids begin dating?” The list could go on and on, questions that don’t seem to have a black and white answer. I think it is at this level that God wants to be a part of our lives, because it is at this level where we are in perfect communion with Him, experiencing the relationship with Him that He intends for us to have. How many of us, when faced with a decision to make, run to our friends, or relatives, or even counselors for advice without going to God? Certainly God uses others in our lives to help us—that is what the Christian community is about. But the real question is this: “Am I comfortable enough in my relationship with God to make a decision based upon what I believe He wants me to do without validation from anyone else?” That is a tough question that, to be answered correctly, implies a complex alignment of many things in our lives, but ultimately the answer that God wants us to realize is “Yes.” Of course God is at work in political or social leaders today, but he wants to be involved in the details of our lives. Are you that comfortable in your relationship with God to invite him into your life at this level today?

Your fellow traveler,
Bruce