© 19 Colin Melbourne, Transcribed and annotated from The Latter Rain publication of the Stone Church 1923
The Gift of Wisdom
The first of the nine gifts which has to be made manifest is the Gift of wisdom.
I am positive this morning that there isn’t anything an assembly needs so much as wisdom, the possession of which will save us from many foolish things.
When we are in a strait, where two ways meet, and don’t know which way to go concerning; buildings, or alterations, or otherwise, a word of wisdom for your Assembly would be such a manifestation of God’s love, that you would never forget it.
But you will always find that wisdom never comes on any lines: But the lines of love.
The Love of God
That is the first grace of the Spirit.
The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
And perfect fear is joined up with that divine love.
I want you to see clearly, that if you are where the love of God is the very nature of your life, you have no place to live as it were: Only in God.
Why we need Wisdom
You can trust God to give you the “word of wisdom” because it is a needed word for us through our Pentecostal order. If we were not balanced by other qualities, we should jump over the traces [13], the Spirit of the life of Christ is so mighty within us. And so we need wisdom.
The Word of Wisdom from the Lord would save us from a lot of trouble. We all have to pay a big price for our learning: I have paid some big prices.
I remember one time, I was in great difficulty and needed help.
I was walking on the road one day and met a man, who lived opposite me, who said,
“Smith, I have been thinking about selling my house. I cannot think about anyone buying it but you.”
“Strange thing,” I replied, “I have no money. But how much do you want for it?”
He mentioned the price.
“I will buy that house,” I said, “…if you will just turn it over to me for the money without having to bother with the lawyers.”
“Alright,” said he, “I will.”
I had given my word without thought. That was a mistake.
There were a thousand mistakes on this job, the thing I needed at that time was just one Word of Wisdom from God.
It didn’t come because I was so active.
You can be too active, and if you act outside of God you will always be in trouble.
If we are not well balanced, and deep down in God, we make a thousand mistakes because we are too much in a hurry.
I told my Wife what I had promised.
“How will you manage it?” she asked.
“I have always managed it so far,” I said, “but I don’t know how to get through this.”
I thought, “Can I take it out of my business?”
No, I couldn’t. So I set on a human plan: I wasn’t in the divine plan on this.
I was in God’s service, but you can be in God’s service, and can have a lot of God about you, and still get out of His plan.
That is where we make a mistake, getting outside the plan of God.
Well, I had some rich relatives, and thought I would tie them up, but none of them seemed to have anything to spare; everybody was in difficulties.
I had made a foolish go of it, so after I had tried them all, I said to my Wife, “It is strange, I have tried everybody about this business, but it doesn’t seem to come off.”
Polly’s Word of Wisdom
Then she said, “You have not been to God yet. When you go to God you will get it all.”
Continue reading:
Smith Wigglesworth on The Active Life of the Spirit-filled believer
[13] Jump over the traces: Traces are the straps by which a draught animal (Horse, Elephant, Water-Buffalo, or Ox) is connected to its carriage or plough. They run down each flank, but if straddled by an excitable beast, the load becomes unstable and precarious.
The trace attaches to neck collar and the carriage, plough or load.
© 19 Colin Melbourne, Transcribed and annotated from The Latter Rain publication of the Stone Church 1923
