Masterfully Executed

O LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions. - Psalm 104:24

Wisdom - as a concept - has fascinated our societies for a long time. What IS wisdom? Does it make you a good ruler, or just a good philosopher? Is it tied to knowledge or intuition? Can we obtain it only at a great age or length of study, or are some of us born with it? Most importantly we wonder: where did it come from? What is it trying to accomplish?

As Christians we affirm and believe that wisdom comes from God - the Wisest. Many people can spit out the well-known saying that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). But these basic affirmations answer so few of the questions above and trace only the faintest picture.

The Hebrew word for wisdom used above - hokmah - gives us a much stronger picture of wisdom. Hokmah refers to the capacity to design an object and the technical skill to execute the design. Let's break this down: I love art and images and often design remarkable pictures expressing my feelings or ideas in my head. Sometimes I'm so moved by the mental image that I decide to draw (luckily this part is happening less and less frequently). Regrettably, I have no skill or patience in the field of actually producing artwork, so the result is catastrophic and far below the quality I had conceived in my mind. Although it seems odd to say in this example, the implication is that I have no wisdom to accomplish my own designs in this area.

This verse, on the other hand, reveals that the very opposite is true for God. God has many works, according to the first phrase, and then the second phrase tells us that He made all of these works with hokmah, wisdom. God had and has a design for the universe, a purpose for all of this stunning stuff - and so far He has perfectly executed His design. Think about Genesis 1: God never deletes a finished work or thinks anything needs editing, but always remarks "It is Good" (I'd love to say that about just one of my drawings someday!). God has never faltered or worried, and the Bible is rife with moments where God declares future events and then, against all odds from our perspective, brings about His purposed design and His declarations come true.

Take encouragement today from the fact that God has perfect wisdom in regards to guiding and directing not only the vastness of the universe but also the details of your life. God knows what you need, when you need, and the best way to get it to you or you to it. God's wisdom will not fail, and when you feel a little bewildered by life, take your cue from James: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).

Lord, may you grant us your astounding, skillful wisdom, as we have need. Show us how to live life in your wisdom and the success and victory it will provide. May we not be swayed by the hollow philosophies of this world but instead be awed by the elegant beauty of your divine wisdom. Amen.