The Wise Person

[Psalm 119:97-104]

Today, I’d like to share an interesting article from the Gospel News of America. A survey was conducted among the 3,338 senior pastors of over 3,000 Korean churches across the U.S. The survey received responses from 333 pastors, and when analyzing the results, the most significant challenge they identified in immigrant ministry was "conflict between pastors and congregants" (21.35%). I ask myself, why is conflict between pastors and congregants the biggest challenge for pastors like me? One possible reason is that many of us pastors lack the interpersonal skills or conflict resolution abilities. Reflecting on this in light of today’s scripture, I believe that these conflicts arise because we pastors lack wisdom, which makes these conflicts a significant challenge in ministry.

The term "wisdom" (or "understanding") is defined in biblical dictionaries as relating to "intelligent knowledge of reason" or "the use of good practical common sense in wise dealings." However, the real problem is that we have forsaken the knowledge of God, and as a result, the prophecy that we will perish because of it is coming to fruition (Hosea 4:6). More specifically, the prophecy is being fulfilled because, like the priests of old—who in modern terms are pastors like myself—have forsaken the knowledge of God. Instead of following God's word and principles in ministry, we have mixed worldly principles and methods into our practices. The root cause is the lack of the knowledge of God, or more precisely, the lack of wisdom. Our inability to use good practical common sense results in conflicts between pastors and congregants.

In the Bible, Jeremiah 9:24 says: "Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness on earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." This verse shows that the wisdom God delights in can be understood in two ways: (1) knowing God and (2) realizing that God is the one who practices love, justice, and righteousness on earth. It is with this knowledge and understanding that I hope both pastors and congregants can possess the wisdom that pleases God. Based on today’s scripture, I would like to reflect on three aspects of who a wise person is or what qualities they possess:

First, the wise person is one who meditates on the Lord's word.

Let’s look at Psalm 119:99: "I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation." The psalmist says that by meditating on the Lord's word, he became wiser than all of his teachers. This speaks to the intellectual aspect. Through God's word, the psalmist came to know the Lord and also came to understand His actions. Having tasted the fruit of these two meditations, the psalmist became wiser than all his teachers. Furthermore, he became wiser than his enemies because of God's word (verse 98).

Every day, we face the temptations of the enemy, Satan. Satan is far wiser than we are. Of course, his wisdom is twisted, but it is clear that he knows the Bible more and better than we do. The difference is that he distorts the truth of God's word and uses it to deceive us. Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to fall into Satan's schemes and let him twist our hearts. To win in this intellectual battle, or battle of the mind, we must meditate diligently on God’s word. Through His word, we should sharpen our minds as if the Sword of the Spirit were cutting through them. We must also allow that word to rule our thoughts and hearts. Only then can we become wiser than the enemy and fight and win against him.

Second, the wise person is one who loves the Lord's word.

Let’s look at Psalm 119:97: "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day." The psalmist, who meditated on the Lord's word all day, was someone who loved God’s word. He was not merely someone who knew God’s word intellectually. He deeply loved God’s word ("Oh, how I love it!"). This speaks to the emotional aspect. To love God's word is to love God Himself, and thus, it is clear that the psalmist delighted in hearing the Lord's voice.

The wise psalmist longed to know the Lord more and wanted to experience more of how God was working in his life through His word. Even though we have the same word of God that the psalmist had, there are often many times when, despite all the sermons and Bible studies, we fail to realize how God is working in us and in our lives through His word. We may know God’s word with our heads, and we may even speak as if we know Him, but often we fail to experience the living, active God in our lives. Therefore, we must reflect on whether we truly love God's word, and if not, we should examine ourselves.

Third, the wise person is the one who keeps the Lord’s word.

Let us look at Psalm 119:100: "I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts." This speaks to the volitional aspect. The psalmist was not merely intellectually or emotionally engaged with the Lord’s word, but he also made a commitment to keep it with his will. More specifically, we can think of three ways the psalmist dedicated himself to keeping God’s word:

(1) He refrained from walking in all evil ways.

Let’s look at Psalm 119:101: "I have restrained my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word." Every day we make decisions. Some decisions are led by our faith, while often, we make choices under the influence of disbelief and the temptations of Satan. It feels like every day we are standing at a crossroads, with one path of truth and ninety-nine paths of Satan's temptations or false ways. These paths of temptation and deceit are so visible to our physical eyes—they appear good, desirable, and even wise. Statistically, we are much more likely to choose the ninety-nine false paths rather than the one true way. As a result, we often find ourselves stepping onto these false paths of Satan and stumbling in guilt and confusion. However, the psalmist did not act this way. He did not step onto any "evil way." He made a conscious decision to restrain his feet. How powerful is the word of God that enables such wisdom? This is certainly the life of one whom God delights in.

(2) He did not depart from the Lord’s word.

Now look at Psalm 119:102: "I have not turned aside from your rules, for you have taught me." How often do we engage in actions and words that are completely unrelated to God’s word? How many times do we express emotions that are inappropriate for God's people? While we know that a fish cannot live outside of water, we often ignore the eternal truth that God’s children cannot live apart from the word of our Heavenly Father. We live our lives disconnected from the word, yet still breathe and exist. But we must seriously reflect: are we living spiritually dead lives even though we are physically alive? The psalmist confesses that he has not turned aside from God’s word (verse 102). When we reach the end of our lives, we should be able to make the same confession.

(3) He hated all false ways.

Finally, let’s look at Psalm 119:104: "Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." The psalmist, who meditated on the Lord’s word and loved the truth of that word, was filled with the word of God in his mind and heart, which caused him to "hate every false way." Because he knew God’s word in its fullness—intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally—he was fully immersed in the truth, and this led to a holy anger against falsehood. In other words, those who love the truth must inevitably hate every false way. The psalmist was a person whose faith was so deeply rooted in truth that no falsehood could penetrate it. He was a believer who loved the truth and hated all forms of deceit.

How, then, did the psalmist dedicate himself so fully to God's Word? As I reflected on this, I found the answer in today’s passage, verse 103: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth." The psalmist, who knew the sweetness of God's Word, could not help but dedicate himself even more to it. By meditating on God’s Word, loving it, and committing himself to keeping it, the psalmist was a believer who devoted his entire being to God’s Word. That’s why the Bible calls him a "wise man."

I pray that all of us may become wise like the psalmist and always experience the happiness of living a life that keeps God’s Word.

With a heart of prayer before the Lord, asking Him to transform the foolish into the wise,

The foolish Pastor James Kim shares,
(Wishing that all may be soaked in God's Word).