by Shannon Caughey

We admire coaches who always seem to know what to do and when to do it—whether in competition, team practices, or individual instruction—to enable those they coach to reach their highest potential. This takes more than attending coaching clinics, reading books on coaching, and listening to podcasts about coaching. While all of these are good ways to acquire information, you still have to figure out how to apply that information to your setting and the unique individuals who make up your team. Coaches who are able to do so have more than knowledge. We look to these coaches because of their wisdom.

More significantly, we look to God because of his wisdom. In this series of devotions, we’re highlighting attributes of the Lord that give us abundant reasons for trusting him—and for continuing to deepen our trust in him. We’ve seen from the Bible that God is loving, powerful, sovereign, holy, good, just, merciful and gracious. The Scriptures also emphasize that he is wise. Job 12:13 says, “Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are his.”Daniel echoes this truth: “May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him”(Daniel 2:20). In Romans 16:27, he is referred to as “the only wise God.”

God’s wisdom refers to how he utilizes his perfect knowledge and understanding to accomplish his purposes by the best means possible. God always knows what to do, as well as how and when to do it, for the achievement of his holy and good goals. With every decision and action, God brings about the best results that align with his wonderful redemptive purposes.

God puts his wisdom on display in multiple ways, but especially through his Son. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul says that “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (v. 24), the one “who became wisdom from God for us” (v. 30). After spending eleven chapters in Romans laying out in detail how God through Jesus Christ accomplishes for us what we could never do for ourselves—rescuing us from what we deserve for our sin and reconciling us to himself—Paul declares (11:33), “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!”

Recognizing God’s matchless wisdom deepens our trust in him. In every situation we face in every area—coaching, relationships, family, job, finances—we don’t need to try to figure it out on our own. Instead, we can confidently look to God for insight and guidance. As James 1:5 promises, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”

In addition, because we know God is perfectly wise, we can rest in how he’s working in the present. There will still be situations in which we desire change. The realities of living in a sin-damaged world mean we’ll face difficulties, whether in coaching or other areas. We rightly cry out to the Lord about these things, praying for him to act. We do so, however, not with anxiety but with the peace that he gives since we’re confident in him. We can rest in God because he knows what to do, as well as how and when to do it, in order to bring about his holy and good goals.

Why trust God? Because he is loving, he is all-powerful, he is sovereign, he is holy, he is good, he is just, he is merciful and gracious, and he is wise. Look to the Lord because wisdom and power belong to him.

For reflection: Take some time to praise God for his wisdom. Renew your trust in him because he is perfectly wise and he generously gives us his wisdom when we ask.