“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Real faith is dependent upon God in a trusting relationship with Him. There have been several times in scripture when God required people of faith to trust Him by acting in obedience by taking one step at a time. They didn’t always know the full picture or the next step in God’s plan, but they acted in faith, trusting God with what they did know. The same has been true in my life and possibly yours, when God has required us to trust Him to take a step of obedience, not always understanding why.
Following God’s leading doesn’t always make sense; however, some have formed the idea that faith isn’t faith unless you are doing something outside of wisdom. I have witnessed people making major life changes without considering their finances, not considering their children, not considering their own safety; calling themselves in faith and later trying to understand why they failed. Real faith embraces the whole Word of God, and the Word of God is filled with scriptures on knowledge and wisdom. Real faith is not ignorant. Real faith is not foolishness. Real faith does not ignore the natural world we live in.
I think people miss it when they think that faith is only a spiritual thing. They forget that God also created the natural realm. God also gave us emotions and a mind to use as tools to live successfully in the world He placed us in. These are good gifts that God has given us. God wants us to develop and use our intellect, reason with wisdom, and feel with our emotions. God wants us to work together with Him and be successful in the world we live in.
Faith without wisdom can derail God’s plan for our lives. Faith without wisdom can also cause tremendous heartache, not only for us, but also for anyone connected to us. Proverbs 8:36 says, “Those who miss me (wisdom) injure themselves (NLT). God doesn’t want us to fail; God wants us to know how to succeed in life! He has made it possible for us to know His will in the spirit and know how to carry it out through faith and wisdom working together!
Application: I cannot stress enough how vital it is for a believer to know the whole counsel of God, not just bits and pieces. If this is not a regular practice for you, I challenge you to commit to reading the entire Bible through in one year. Your faith and wisdom will lead you to success.