"The Poor Wise Man"

 "Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man." (Ecclesiastes 9:15 KJV)

  "Jesus said, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all the garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade."" (Mark 4:30-32 NLT)

 If I could point to the direction that this might be going, I would say it has something to do with our ability to trust God with our difficult situations that can't be overcome or figured out; or maybe the way it happens that we sometimes forget how God did something with an issue that could not be dealt with, as we carry on with our daily life.

 There are some really good examples of what I mean, by looking at the children of Israel and their journey out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Each and every time they came into situation that seemed critical, they would blame Moses or God, saying, "Did you just bring us out here to kill us?" And then God would do something amazingly spectacular, like part the Red Sea, or bring forth water from a rock, and then in the next critical moment, they would complain again, "Did you just bring us out here to kill us?" 

 There is more to their question that needs to be thought about, because God did what to get Egypt out of His people. Getting them out of Egypt was easy, but getting Egypt out of His people was going to take a little while; and yes, many of them did die in the wilderness! 

 There also might be a reason Solomon does not mention how this poor wise man delivered the city, except that it was by his wisdom. Sometimes I think I might be the stupidest person I know, because I pray for God to help me in difficult situations, and then I think about and plot ways to try and do it on my own...

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. But when you ask him, be sure your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:2-8 NLT)