Lesson Seven
THE WISDOM OF GOD
(Chapter 8)
CENTRAL IDEA
God is infinite in wisdom. He always knows what is best for us, and He knows the best way to bring it about.
Examining Trust
Wisdom is commonly defined as good judgment, or the ability to develop the best course of action, or the best response to a given situation. God’s wisdom is intuitive, infinite, and infallible: “His understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5).
Nineteenth-century theologian J. L. Dagg said, “God is infinitely wise, because he selects the best possible end of action . . . [and] because he adopts the best possible means for the accomplishment of the end which he has in view.”[1] All that God does or allows in all of His creation will ultimately serve His glory.
God’s infinite wisdom is displayed in bringing good out of evil, beauty out of ashes. It is displayed in turning all the forces of evil that rage against His children into good for them. But the good that He brings about is often different from the good we envision.
The good that God works for in our lives is conformity to the likeness of His Son. It is not necessarily comfort or happiness but conformity to Christ in ever-increasing measure in this life and in its fullness in eternity. If you stop and think about it, you will realize that most godly character traits can only be developed through adversity.
God in His infinite wisdom knows exactly what adversity we need to grow more and more into the likeness of His Son. He not only knows what we need but when we need it and how best to bring it to pass in our lives.
God never explains to us what He is doing or why. There is no indication that God ever explained to Job the reasons for all of his terrible sufferings. As readers, we are taken behind the scenes to observe the spiritual warfare between God and Satan, but as far as we can tell from Scripture, God never told Job about that.
We should never ask why in the sense of demanding that God explain or justify His actions or what He permits in our lives. I am not talking about the reactive and spontaneous cry of anguish when calamity first befalls us or one we love. Rather, I am speaking of the persistent and demanding why that has an accusatory tone toward God in it. The former is a natural human reaction; the latter is a sinful human reaction.
Sometimes we come to the place where we do not demand of God that He explain Himself, but we try to determine or comprehend for ourselves what God is doing. We are unwilling to live without rational reasons for what is happening to us or those we love. We are almost insatiable in our quest for the why of the adversity that has come upon us. But this is a futile as well as an untrusting task. God’s ways, being the ways of infinite wisdom, simply cannot be comprehended by our finite minds. If we are to find peace for ourselves, we must come to the place where we can honestly say, “God, I do not have to understand. I will just trust You.”
It is not only an irreverent act to question God’s wisdom; it is also spiritually debilitating. We not only besmirch God’s glory; we also deprive ourselves of the comfort and peace that comes by simply trusting Him without requiring an explanation. An unreserved trust of God, when we don’t understand what is happening or why, is the only road to peace and comfort and joy. God wants us to honor Him by trusting Him, but He also desires that we experience the peace and joy that come as a result.
Developing Trust
1. How do these verses describe God’s wisdom?
Psalm 147:5
Jeremiah 10:12
Romans 11:33-34
2. Are there any past or present events in your life that tempt you to doubt God’s wisdom? If so, what are they?
3. a. What is the ultimate purpose of all things according to Romans 11:36 and 1 Corinthians 10:31?
b. What does it mean to glorify God?
c. In what ways do you think your present circumstances bring glory to God?
4. Our prayers often seem to go unanswered, yet God is still handling us with wisdom. He knows that the very adversity we long to have removed is His means to help us grow. Read Psalm 119:71.
a. Describe a time when adversity was not removed even though you or others prayed that it would be.
b. Did you experience any personal growth through that adversity? If so, what?
5. What is the logical connection between Romans 8:28 and 8:29? (Notice the word for at the beginning of 8:29.)
6. a. Do you think we can fully understand God’s reason for any particular event? Why or why not?
b. What attitude is expressed in Job 42:1-3 and Psalm 131:1?
c. What happens when we let go of our questions and trust God?
d. Is it hard for you to let go of your unanswered questions? Why or why not?
7. We should focus not on the reasons for our difficulties but on the lessons we can learn from them.
a. Read Deuteronomy 8:2-5. What lesson did the Israelites learn from their experience of getting only one day’s food at a time?
b. Why do you think this lesson would be important for them later when they were prosperous in Canaan? (Read Deuteronomy 8:10-18.)
8. As we read in 2 Samuel 24:10-14, David was more afraid of suffering adversity at the hands of men than from God directly.
a. Why do you think David felt this way?
b. When we are facing adversity from other people, what comfort do Proverbs 21:30 and Romans 8:31 offer us?
9. a. What would you say to a friend who is struggling with the question why in the face of difficult circumstances?
b. What kinds of things would you be careful not to say?
Trust in Action