Tag: wisdom

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Needing Direction

Have you ever had that feeling of being lost and alone?

I think GPS devices were probably invented by someone who had been lost or had a loved one who had been. As annoying as that silly voice is, there is some comfort in knowing that someone knows where I am even if I don’t.

Dave and I watched a movie a while back, “Adrift”. It is based on a true story of a couple who are lost at sea. In one particular scene the young woman is using a sextant to plot their location. In desparation she declares that they are so far off their original course that she doubts anyone with find them. Physically they were lost but they were almost emotionally or mentally lost. Alone and afraid.

I think more people experience being lost emotionally than do physically. The inner turmoil that comes from feeling lost in a big world is unnerving and creates fear. There’s a way of thinking that leaves us feeling isolated and alone even when we are in a group of people. Where’s the GPS for that?

Glad you asked.

“With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. 6 Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

We all experience uncharted territory as we go through life but there is One who has gone before and He knows the way and will direct us safely through.

Joshua was a man who had been Moses assistant. He was being groomed to lead the Israelites into the land that God had promised them. Joshua had been there once as a young man but this was new territory. Being the leader of a nomadic nation of over a million people was also new territory. He had many reasons to feel lost and alone but he also had a word from God.

“Then Moses called Joshua. All the Israelites watched while Moses said to Joshua, “Be strong and brave. You will lead these people into the land that the Lord promised to give to their ancestors. You will help the Israelites take that land and divide it among them.  8 The Lord will lead you. He himself is with you. He will not fail you or leave you. Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid!” Deuteronomy 31:7-8 ERV

Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. Let God lead!

Joshua followed that word and the Israelites were successful in conquering the new land God had given them. The first step into this uncharted territory was the step Joshua took in his heart. He put his confidence in the Lord, not in his own abilities. He trusted God to direct his steps.

What are our uncharted territories? Relationships, career, education, medical, financial, political or maybe a combination of these. We are not alone; we don’t have to have all the answers and in our finite minds we won’t. However, there is One who will guide us through. He will never leave us on our own.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLV

We can take comfort in that!

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Wisdom for Each Day

I don’t spend a lot of time in the book of Ecclesiastes, I should probably do a study of the book someday. It was written by King Solomon and he recorded his search for the meaning of life. Now Solomon was blessed with God-given wisdom. People came from all over the world to hear his teachings. Yet, this book can leave the reader perplexed and undone unless you read all the way to the end.

“Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly…13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” Ecclesiastes 12:9-13 NLT

His conclusion to the whole books was to “Fear God and obey his commands”. Fear doesn’t mean to be afraid but it does mean to reference, respect, and hold in high esteem. When we have that kind of respect for the Lord we will depend on His Word for guidance and instruction. We will trust His insights and follow His commands.

It would be foolish to seek the advise of an expert and then ignore it and attempt to handle things on our own. That is an exercise in futility. There are many “so-called experts” expounding their ideas and conclusions and yet we are without answers. God’s Word is the only place that we will find the answers we are seeking.

Two things are going through my heart this morning – many are dealing with weariness – so much has been going on in our lives recently and we are weary. Look up!

The second thing is this. In our weariness cry out to God. We need the Father’s direction and deliverance. King David knew weariness. He was running from his son, Absalom, who was trying to kill him.

“But you, Lord, protect me. You bring me honor; you give me hope. 4 I will pray to the Lord,
and he will answer me from his holy mountain. Selah 5 I can lie down to rest and know that I will wake up, because the Lord covers and protects me. 6 So I will not be afraid of my enemies, even if thousands of them surround me. 7 Lord, get up! My God, come rescue me!
If you hit my enemies on the cheek, you will break all their teeth. 8 Lord, the victory is yours!
You are so good to your people. Selah” Psalm 3:3-8 ERV

King David knew he could find help and rest in God. All his life his focus has been on honoring God and His word. At one point he said that God’s word had made him wiser than all his teachers (the experts).

If you’re weary, look up. Trust God to direct and get involved, obey His Word. He is the expert on life.

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The Crowning Touch

When I was in high school we were required to write an essay for English. In it, we were to describe what we wanted to do as a career. I thought long and hard, then it came to me, I would like to be a florist.

I worked at the local Dairy Queen after school and on weekends. Right next door was a florist. I would see the people come and go, picking up beautiful bouquets and arrangements. They all had smiling faces. When you stepped in the door, the fragrance was heavenly. I decided I would like to bring that kind of joy to people!

That career path never came to be. However, my love for fresh cut flowers and the beautiful arrangements is still close to the top of the list of things that bring a smile to my face. This morning I found these verses in Proverbs and I thought “how wonderful, God has blessed me with the beauty of flowers”.

“Be wise and learn good sense; remember my teachings and do what I say. 6 If you love Wisdom and don’t reject her, she will watch over you. 7 The best thing about Wisdom is Wisdom herself; good sense is more important than anything else. 8 If you value Wisdom and hold tightly to her, great honors will be yours. 9 It will be like wearing
a glorious crown of beautiful flowers.” Proverbs 4:5-9 CEV

Each day I can come to God’s Word and find wisdom. Did you notice that Solomon talks about Wisdom as a person, a beautiful woman? That she is. Wisdom provides direction, nurturing, common sense and loving provision. She is a wonderful asset and she adds beauty to our lives.

These are the words of the wisest man who ever lived. When the Lord asked him what he desired from the Lord his answer was Wisdom. Solomon wanted to rule wisely; he wanted His kingdom to be respected and honored. God blessed him with his request.

We can bring beauty to our kingdom by gaining wisdom. Our homes can be filled with it; we can bring respect and honor to our places of business and the schools we attend.

You may be feeling that you lack wisdom. I know that feeling well. However, God has not abandon us or left us to our own devices.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that 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. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:5-8 NLT

Let’s take some beauty to the world. Wear wisdom like a crown, a crown of beautiful flowers!

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Are You A Wise Man?

Would you have made a good wise man?

That’s the question I found I was asking myself this morning. Let’s examine their characteristics; they were studious, (they studied the skies looking for a sign), they were diligent, (they didn’t give up looking just because they didn’t see it right away), they were persistent, (they traveled a great distance and expended length of time to find the Christ child), they were consistent, (they weren’t distracted from their search) and they were dedicated (they committed to the task and didn’t stop until they reached their goal). Finally, they were reverent, they worshiped the Christ child and not the nation’s king.

It’s believed that the wise men’s journey took about 2 years. They found a child and not a babe. They traveled at their own expense and they brought gifts, lavish gifts, to the child. It cost them something – if they had been wrong in their search it would have cost them more than their finances, it would have cost them their reputation.

So I asked myself, what am I seeking? Oh, I have many things that I’m doing – preparing for the holidays, getting ready for company, baking and knitting but what am I seeking?

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” Psalm 27:4-5 KJV

Jesus told Martha that only “one thing” was needed to her priority – hearing His word.

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 KJV

Lord, my desire is to be wise – to seek only one thing, You!

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Like Father Like Son

I’ve heard people say from time to time that there’s really no instruction manual for parenthood. It’s one of the hardest jobs there is, next to marriage, and there seems to be no training manual or skills course. But really that’s not true.

We simply need to open the pages of our Bible and there we have the instruction we need. This morning I was reading King David’s final words to his son, Solomon. Here’s what David had to say.

“The time came for David to die, so he gave these commands to Solomon, 2 “I am about to die, like all men must. But you are growing stronger and becoming a man. 3 Now, carefully obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Carefully obey all his laws, commands, decisions, and agreements. Obey everything that is written in the Law of Moses. If you do this, you will be successful at whatever you do and wherever you go.” I Kings 2:1-4 ERV

Sound familiar? This was almost the exact same words that Moses told Joshua when he was about to die and Joshua was to take over as leader of the nation of Israel. This is the same advice that we need as parents.

Obey the Lord’s commands and we will be successful in whatever we do and wherever we go. This is great advice for us as parents. Here is one of my favorite group of verses from the Psalms.

“Thinking about your teachings gives me better understanding than my teachers, 100 and obeying your laws makes me wiser than those who have lived a long time. 101 I obey your word instead of following a way that leads to trouble. 102 You have been my teacher,  and I won’t reject your instructions. 103 Your teachings are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:99-103 CEV

This is God’s promise to us. If we respect His word and follow His teachings we will be wise and stay out of trouble. King David lived these words, he knew the strength and wisdom to be drawn from the Lord. His final instruction to his son was to keep God’s word. It would be a source of strength to Solomon as well.

Solomon took his father’s words to heart. Here is the request he made to the Lord when his father died.

“Solomon answered, “You were very kind and loyal to your servant, my father David. He was faithful to you and lived a good, honest life. And you showed him the greatest kindness when you let his son take his place as king. 7 Lord my God, you have made me the king in my father’s place, but I am like a small child. I don’t have the wisdom I need to do what I must do. 8 I am your servant here among your chosen people. There are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So I ask you to give me the wisdom to rule and judge them well and to help me know the difference between right and wrong. Without such great wisdom, it would be impossible to rule this great nation.”

10 The Lord was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. ” I Kings 3:6-10 ERV

Solomon wanted wisdom more than anything else. He wanted direction – to know right from wrong. He wanted the ability to lead well. Isn’t that what we all want as parents and grandparents, the ability to lead well?

I found myself praying that this morning. “Lord, I want to lead well. I want to continue in my knowledge of You so that my children and grandchildren know Your word and the importance of making it first place in their lives.” This has been a prayer of dedication that I have prayed for many years, however, it all came back to me this morning as I was reflecting on our oldest granddaughter’s birthday.

Solomon, who wrote the book of Proverbs, made this statement in the first few verses of that book.

“These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.

7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn. 8 My son, listen to your father when he corrects you, and don’t ignore what your mother teaches you. 9 What you learn from your parents will bring you honor and respect, like a crown or a gold medal.” Proverbs 1:1-9 ERV

Neither David or Solomon were perfect parents. Matter of fact, there has only been one perfect parent, God, the Father. If we follow His instruction we will do a much better job than if we try to make it on our own.

“Father, it’s my desire to be like you. I want to love like You, teach like You, give counsel like You and have my words be Yours. It is my desire to reflect Your character in all I do.”

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Common Sense & Truth

Remember yesterday when I said we should  read our Bibles until we read something that will stay with us the entire day?

Well, I have three short verses to share this morning. These verses are filled with a life time of common sense.

“I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will happen on the day of judgment. 37 Your words will be used to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right or whether you are guilty.” Matthew 12:26-27 ERV

Jesus said those words above.

He knew the power and importance of words. After all, the world and all that is in it was created when God spoke. When Jesus spoke blind eyes opened, the lame began to walk and sinners were forgiven.

Jesus wants us to be aware of our words and to use them carefully. That’s just good common sense.

Now we have all spoken things we wished we hadn’t and most of us have probably talked just to hear our own voice. If we take time to confess those idle and careless words they will be forgiven and we won’t be judged for them.

“Wise people always think before they speak, so what they say is worth listening to. 24 Kind words are like honey; they are easy to accept and good for your health.” Proverbs 16:23-24 ERV

We need to stop and think before we speak. If we do, we won’t be  saying something unkind, rude, or embarrassing. Our words will be sweet as honey.

“My children, if you show good sense, I will be happy, 16 and if you are truthful, I will really be glad. 17 Don’t be jealous of sinners, but always honor the Lord.” Proverbs 23:15-17 CEV

I can hear the Lord’s instruction in this. Use good sense, be truthful and don’t envy those who do evil. ALWAYS honor the Lord!

Good advice – ’nuff said.

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Discovering Hidden Treasure

Dave and I have always enjoyed finding “hidden treasure”! While we lived in Northern Idaho we spent nearly every weekend at farm and ranch auctions seeking lost treasure buried in barns or some old box. It was a wonderful time.

It also required an effort of time and finances. Sometimes we would travel into neighboring states, rarely was there anything within a couple hours drive. That was the fun of it; the drive, taking a picnic, setting a budget, going over the budget and then coming home with the truck laden down like a pirate’s ship. All of this was the image that came to mind this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2.

“My son, pay attention to what I say. Remember my commands. 2 Listen to wisdom, and do your best to understand. 3 Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding. 4 Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. 5 If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God.” Proverbs 2:1-5 ERV

Search for wisdom like hidden treasure.

Wisdom that comes from God is invaluable. Solomon is the one who wrote Proverbs and he is reported to have been the wealthiest and wisest man to have ever lived. He placed a greater value on wisdom than on riches. In fact, when God asked him what he wanted most this was his answer.

“While Solomon was at Gibeon, the Lord came to him at night in a dream. God said, “Solomon, ask me what you want me to give you.”

6 Solomon answered, “You were very kind and loyal to your servant, my father David. He was faithful to you and lived a good, honest life. And you showed him the greatest kindness when you let his son take his place as king. 7 Lord my God, you have made me the king in my father’s place, but I am like a small child. I don’t have the wisdom I need to do what I must do. 8 I am your servant here among your chosen people. There are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So I ask you to give me the wisdom to rule and judge them well and to help me know the difference between right and wrong. Without such great wisdom, it would be impossible to rule this great nation.”

10 The Lord was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. 11 So God said to him, “You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom to listen and make the right decisions. 12 So I will give you what you asked for. I will make you wise and intelligent. I will make you wiser than anyone who ever lived or ever will live. 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for. You will have riches and honor all your life. There will be no other king in the world as great as you. 14 And I will give you a long life if you follow me and obey my laws and commands as your father David did.” I Kings 3:5-14 ERV

Time and again in the book of Proverbs Solomon refers to wisdom as a treasure.

“Good homes are built on wisdom and understanding. 4 Knowledge fills the rooms with rare and beautiful treasures.” Proverbs 24:3 ERV

“Profit that comes from wisdom is better than silver and even the finest gold. 15 Wisdom is worth more than fine jewels. Nothing you desire has more value. 16 With her right hand, Wisdom offers long life—with the other hand, riches and honor.” Proverbs 3:14-16 ERV

I’m sure you have noticed that there are 30 chapters in the book of Proverbs, one for each day of most months. What if we were to go on a daily treasure hunt? I know it would require time, just like it required a commitment of our time to travel to those auctions. Do you think if would be profitable for us to search out the treasure in each chapter? There is so much that we can glean from the practical teachings of this book.

One thing that Solomon teaches us is to trust God’s wisdom and not our own. We’re not to “lean on our own understanding”. This is probably one of the most difficult things for me to consistently follow. I’m constantly coming up with one “bright idea” after another and I have certainly had my fair share of failures. But those things that I have truly sought the Lord on and followed His wise plan have succeeded.

This is one of the gold nuggets that I found hidden in the book of Proverbs.

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMP

In the natural way of thinking it wasn’t good military strategy to have a nation of people march around a city for 7 days and then shout and blow on trumpets but that was God’s plan for taking the city of Jericho. Joshua followed it and defeated his enemy. Going after a giant with a sling shot and 5 smooth stones wasn’t King Saul’s plan but it was God’s, so when David was obedient success followed.

A widow woman had the plan to take her last bit of meal and oil, make a cake for her and her son and then they were going to starve. There was no other food and her countrymen had been dying all around her. It wasn’t her plan to make the cake and give to God’s prophet first but that’s what she did and with God’s plan in place the woman and her son never ran out of meal and oil during the famine.

We need to trust and follow His instruction. God will give us creative ideas if we ask Him.

“Learning respect for the Lord is good. It will last forever. The Lord’s judgments are right. They are completely fair. 10 His teachings are worth more than pure gold. They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb. 11 His teachings warn his servants, and good things come to those who obey them.” Psalm 19:9-11 ERV

So get out your metal detectors, your gold panning equipment and your treasure map. Dig into God’s word. Happy prospecting!

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An Extra-Ordinary Morning Routine

Dave and I were talking yesterday about our morning routine. Some would see it as too structured, no room for spontaneity, but I see it as foundational for what will come. Sitting in the morning quiet is one of my favorite places. It doesn’t matter the location – what matters is that God chooses to meet with me. I love this time before life demands my attention.

When the kids were little it was imperative that I have these quiet moments to talk with my Father. I would draw my strength from Him and pray over my little ones and those things that would try to harm and distract in their lives. I prayed for Dave, that he would be a man of wisdom and that his integrity would shine through in all he did. As the children grew and the years past my prayers were the same. And as life’s challenges seemed to grow bigger it was even more important for me to have these mornings to sit with the Lord and read His word.

Now that I’m retired and life has slowed down some but my routine has not changed. I still pray for my children, grandchildren, husband and friends. I don’t know what faces them each day but my heavenly Father does. I don’t know what phone calls I’ll receive or emails will come from a friend who’s hurting but I want to be ready to share a word of encouragement and a prayer for strength.

It’s what I do every morning but it’s far from routine. Each day there is something new; a new insight into a Scripture verse, a new circumstance to pray over, a new thought or direction that the Lord is leading. Yes my morning routine is far from being a normal, mundane, regular routine!

“Lord, your rules are wonderful. That is why I follow them. 130 As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise. 131 My desire to hear your commands is so strong that I wait with open mouth, gasping for breath. 132 Look at me, and be kind to me, just as you always are to those who love your name. 133 Guide me, as you promised. Don’t let evil rule over me. 134 Save me from those who want to hurt me, and I will obey your instructions. 135 Accept your servant, and teach me your laws. 136 I have cried a river of tears because people don’t obey your teachings.” Psalm 119:129-136

How many times has David said in this Psalm that the word makes us wise or gives us understanding? I haven’t counted but it seems to be the reoccurring theme in each segment. The Word was such a strong influence in David’s life that it also made an impact on his son Solomon. When the Lord asked him what he desired most, Solomon asked for wisdom.

“One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”

6 Solomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 Lord God, I’m your servant, and you’ve made me king in my father’s place. But I’m very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.

9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don’t, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.

10-11 God said: Solomon, I’m pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 12 So I’ll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live. 13 I’ll also give you what you didn’t ask for. You’ll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you’ll be greater than any other king. 14 If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I’ll let you live a long time.” I Kings 3:5-14

Solomon saw that his father’s ability to lead and to rule successfully came from his dependence on the Lord and it was his desire to be like his father. The Lord answered Solomon’s request and more. This segment in Psalms tells us that the Word will bring light to our situation and that it makes the simple wise.

The Apostle Paul had lots to say about the Word too. He told us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the Word. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” If we are to grow in faith then we need to be committed to hearing (and applying) God’s word to our lives.

Hebrews 11:6 told us that it is impossible to please God without faith. So if we don’t hear the Word we have no faith and if we have no faith then it is impossible for us to please God. If we want to please God we must make His word the foundation of our lives.

Make it your goal today to love the Word of God and to give it the priority that David and Solomon did. It will give you wisdom and as you follow it you will find that God is pleased.

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Stability in the Storm

Recently Dave & I were watching television and it really jumped out at us how the commercials are depicting parents as out of touch, uninformed and down-right stupid. I know this will sound old fashioned and it is but I had a great respect for my parents and whether I agreed with them or not, I was obedient because they were my authority. TV shows like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Bonanza, and then later, when my kids were growing up, The Walton’s, Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Bunch, etc. taught kids responsibility, right from wrong and showed parents who loved their children.

Let’s look to see how this is reflected in today’s verses.

“I hate those who are double-minded, but I love Your instruction. You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word. Depart from me, you evil ones, so that I may obey my God’s commands. Sustain me as You promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Sustain me so that I can be safe and always be concerned about Your statutes. You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is a lie. You remove all the wicked on earth as if they were dross; therefore, I love Your decrees. I tremble in awe of You; I fear Your judgments.” Psalm 119:113-120

This first verse is the one I was referring too in my opening comments. In another version it says “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.” Vain thoughts have no real value : idle, worthless – according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. King David was drawing a line of distinction between man’s thoughts and God’s. Man’s are idle and worthless and have no eternal value if they aren’t established on God’s word. So much of what we see on television and read in the paper falls into this classification.

In the book of James, we are instructed not to be double-minded, or vain in our thinking because a double-minded man is unstable. Jesus said that a man who stands on the word is like a man who builds his house on a solid rock. In a storm when the rain and the winds come, that man will be stable, firm and his house won’t be destroyed but the man who doesn’t build on the word will have a foundation of sand and in times of storm he will come crashing down. We can’t afford to fill our thinking with vain or worthless thoughts. We need to stand firm.

“ Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom. But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind. People like that are thinking two different things at the same time. They can never decide what to do. So they should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:5-8 ERV

Verse 114 was the theme verse of a woman named Corrie ten Boom. She survived the German concentration camps of World War II, this is the verse that she based her survival on. In the King James version it says, “thou art my hiding place and my shield”. Her testimony is one to draw from; she lived through the hell of the German concentration camp and came out with a love for her abusers and a solid, unshakable faith in the Lord.

In a sense we need to be “brain washed” – no, I’m not talking about the kind of mind control that manipulates but I am talking about being single-minded, our thoughts washed free of anything that would go contrary to God’s word. The Apostle Paul says we are to have our minds renewed or we are to be single-minded. When we’re singled minded we are grounded and unshakable.

“We tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 3:5 ERV

The Apostle Paul said that we were to “cast down” every vain imagination and take captive every thought that sets itself above the knowledge of God. These vain thoughts will destroy godly thinking if they are allowed to go unchecked. In turn, they will rob our hope. King David knew that his hope could only be in God and His word. Relying in anything or anyone else could bring you to shame.

There are so many in life who are hopeless. They are without God and without hope and it leaves them grasping at straws. We need to be a light and a show them that they can put their hope in God and He will not fail them! Wrong thinking is as deadly as a physical enemy with swords and arrows.

God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. David had walked with God and had seen God’s heart – he trembled or was in awe of just how amazing God was and is. This type of relationship with the Lord isn’t just available to King David, it is available to us as well. The Apostle Paul instructs us to renew our minds so we can know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. That’s available to us as we focus and apply God’s word in our lives.

“Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:2 ERV

I desire to “tremble in awe” of the Lord as I focus on His thoughts today!

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Common Sense Isn’t so Common Anymore

We’ve discussed this before but there seems to be a lack of common sense and wisdom. Common sense isn’t so common anymore.

I used to read a chapter a day in Proverbs but the older I get I find that I need to break it down in smaller segments than that so I can really try to absorb what Solomon is saying. And after all these years, I am still finding new truths that I overlooked or didn’t see in the past.

I guess that’s wisdom!

“Good people think before they answer,
but the wicked speak evil without ever thinking.
29 The Lord never even hears the prayers of the wicked,
but he answers the prayers of all who obey him.
30 A friendly smile makes you happy,
and good news makes you feel strong.
31 Healthy correction is good, and if you accept it,
you will be wise.
32 You hurt only yourself by rejecting instruction,
but it makes good sense to accept it.
33 Showing respect to the Lord will make you wise,
and being humble will bring honor to you.”
Proverbs 15:28-33 CEV

1) It’s important that we give thought to the words we speak. Jesus said that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Words can have a mighty impact and so we should choose them well. A wise person will do that.

2) Take time to smile and bring good news. I make a conscious effort to keep a smile on my face. It improves my own outlook. A smile shared is a smile multiplied. (If you smile at someone they generally smile back and that’s multiplication).

3) Accept correction and good advice. It’s beneficial! We can learn from others. We don’t have all the answers or know everything about anything so accepting advice and correction is a step toward wisdom.

4) Giving the Lord his rightful place, a place of reverence, is wise. When we give the Father and His Word first place we are truly wise.

So smile today and be willing to accept instruction or correction and keep the Lord first…you’ll have a near perfect day!

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