Wonderful Wisdom
The Bible
says: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of
your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For
let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the
grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is
the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to
them that love him.” James 1:2-12 (KJV)
There’s a story about a proud
young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, “O great Socrates,
I come to you for knowledge.”
Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He
led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?”
“Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile.
Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let
him up. “What do you want?” he asked again.
“Wisdom,”
the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.”
Socrates
crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What
do you want, young man?”
Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge,
O wise and wonderful...”
Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty.
“What do you want?”
“Air!” the young man screeched. “I need air!”
“When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”
Daily Chronological Bible Reading: 1 Kings 3-4; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalm 72
