Wise Guy

Those who were about to interrogate [Paul] withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Acts 22:29 (NIV)

In this incident from Paul’s life we see how we can expect God to act in our lives: we can expect him to give us wisdom in the moment we need it. Paul’s preaching had stirred up the crowd, and the uproar brought the Roman authorities, who arrested Paul on the spot and prepared to flog him. When Paul declared his Roman citizenship, they quickly changed course and backed off from whipping him.

The commander brought Paul before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling body. They were all set to condemn him, but then he stirred up their favorite theological debate by proclaiming his belief in a physical resurrection: “This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees—for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these” (Acts 23:7-8).

At any given moment, the Lord knows all the dynamics, all the personalities, all the implications of a given situation. He can make a direct deposit of his wisdom into your mind. He can let you know exactly what to do or say. He will lead you so that his goals are accomplished.

Paul’s dilemmas did not always work out so that he was spared. Often he found himself bound, beaten, and imprisoned. When that is how the situation unfolded, it was because God had a mission for Paul, and prison was where Paul would find it. In those instances, God gave immediate wisdom to Paul for what God wanted to accomplish then and there.

We are in relationship with the same God, who promises to be the same in our lives. In whatever situations we find ourselves, God knows their details inside and out. He knows how to spark an idea or awaken a thought or give an insight. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Lord, teach me to so trust your constant presence with me and in me that I know how to lean on your wisdom for every situation.

The danger may exceed thy resistance, but not God’s assistance; the enemies’ power may surpass thy strength, their subtlety outwit thy prudence, but neither can excel the wisdom and might of God that is with thee.

Abraham Wright(1611–1690), English pastor and writer