Wise words ...

Matt. 12:42 (NLT) " The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here-- but you refuse to listen.”


The greatest challenge that we have these days is determining whose words are wise words that we can trust. Every day, new people emerge on the scene with new advice, new ideas, new solutions to age old problems. We live in the age of “new and improved” where everything can be voted “outdated” in light of something newer. Take technology, for example. The latest inventions today will be next year’s clearance items as they are replaced by something better, faster, with more memory or capabilities, and with a sleeker, more modern design.

Solomon once said, “There is nothing new under the sun,” and the older I get, the wiser Solomon seems to become. People of his day thought that he was greater than sliced bread and wiser than even his father, David. Solomon’s kingdom was vast and stretched beyond the borders of many of the surrounding countries, and people would come from all over to seek his wise counsel. The Bible tells of a famous queen who came to ask Solomon’s advice and brought many treasures to offer him as gifts, just because he was king. The counsel she received was well worth the gifts that she had brought, and she went home exclaiming the wisdom of this great man.

In the Matthew account of Jesus’ life, Jesus speaks words of “judgment” on the religious leaders around him who refused to listen to his teachings which were based on Scriptures of old. Jesus came to proclaim God’s love and grace for all of humanity, including those who “deserved” it least. The religious leaders wanted to exclude others from God’s grace based on outward works, life professions, and being “sinners.” Jesus came to declare God’s love for the whole world, so that everyone would have the same opportunity for experiencing God’s grace. As wise as Solomon was, Jesus’ declarations of the heart of God were much more important than Solomon’s earthly wisdom.

Where do you go for wise advice? Will you consider God’s Word as your “go-to” resource for wise advice?

How will you hear and accept God’s love for you today? How will you share God’s love with others today?