Power Without Wisdom

Okay ladies, is there anything more romantic than a moon lit boat ride on the river? Just you and your husband, hand in hand, talking, floating, just enjoying spending time together? John and I were enjoying such an evening, floating down river with the engine shut off. We suddenly realized that it was 1 a.m. and we both had to get up for work the next morning. John fired up the Evenrude and started back toward the main channel. All at once we heard a loud thud and the boat took a swift turn left. It only took moments to realize that the thud was the sound a steering cable makes as it breaks. We were a few miles from the boat ramp with all the power we needed to get there, but no way to steer the boat. In the current of the Mighty Missouri River we were spinning in circles and drifting further down-river.

We cut the engine so that John could think and I began to pray. My mind was taken to our walk with the Lord. So often we want to use God’s power in our lives, but we don’t want Him to be in charge of the steering. Then we wonder how we end up spinning in circles or on the rocks. Direction from God is in the Wisdom he gives when we are willing to listen. That Wisdom is like our rudder that keeps us going in the right direction. 

One of the reasons I am wildly in love with my husband is his creative mind and the wisdom he exhibits in a crisis. He went into the water and straightened the rudder, then handed me one of the oars. Then he started the engine and took the other oar to the bow. With some teamwork and constant communication about our direction, we were able to steer to boat back to the dock and use a rope to pull it onto the trailer. From a broken state, we were saved from peril; oh how that spoke to my heart. I will never forget that power, without wisdom, is never a good thing. 

But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile). Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24. (AMP)

Knowledge Without Wisdom

In my late teens I found out that I had been gifted with all knowledge. It was amazing to me how much I had figured out at such a young age, things that my parents and most of their friends had yet to discover.  The problem was that with all of that knowledge it became increasingly difficult to deal with the inadequacy of those around me; specifically my parents. So, I decided to make my own decisions. After all, I was practically an adult anyway.

Unfortunately what I did not understand was that knowledge without wisdom is an extremely dangerous thing. As I did “my own thing” it broke my parent’s hearts as their plans for me melted into the sea of rebellion I had decided to sail. “My own thing” led me down a path of self destruction that became self hatred and eventually left me feeling like I didn’t know anything. Yet, even after I had hurt my parents so much there they were with open arms of forgiveness and a ton of Godly wisdom. They forgave me, and they were still willing to share their wisdom with me.

That was the perfect example to me of the way our Heavenly Father waits for us to come back from our rebellion. His arms are open and His forgiveness is free.  He is waiting for you to come home to Him. The world will lie to us and tell us we can do it on our own. They’re wrong…In my self I can do nothing, but in Christ Jesus, Nothing is too difficult.