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But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17
What does it mean to be wise? How can you tell a person who is full of wisdom? The answer is found in the person of Jesus.
Wisdom is shown by our reactions in the time of storm. When the storm blew and the boat was being torn apart, the disciples feared for their lives. Jesus slept peacefully in the bow of the ship. When the woman caught in adultery was brought before him, even though she was guilty of death, he gently restored her faith in God, and in herself by telling her that she was not condemned and encouraging her to live a new life. When the soldiers came to the garden to arrest him on trumped up charges he could, Peter was prepared for war. Jesus healed the very person who was sent to destroy him. When he was disgraced and beaten and humiliated on the cross, even though he could have called legions of angels to deliver him, he endured to the point of death so that I can live.
Jesus’ example is a lesson each of us should strive for in our daily lives. The wisdom of the world says to stand for your rights; to hate those who oppose you; to grab for everything you can on earth because it’s the number of toys you have that really matters. It’s what you can get from relationships that fulfills. Feeling good now is what is important.
But worldly wisdom leads to despair and heartache. Following your heart is fine until it’s broken. Going after all the toys you can is fun until the money runs out. Building your life on relationships lasts as long as the relationship is good, but human relationships are almost certain to fail. Living to party is fun until the party ends and you are left looking in the mirror and realize the best years of your life are gone and you have nothing to show for it.
That’s when the wisdom of Jesus reaches out to you. He’s gentle. His word is always true, his motive always in your best interest. His ways lead to peace and mercy. His heart is full of mercy and forgiveness. Your past mistakes don’t matter. He’s not interested in excuses. He’s not into the blame game. He simply wants to reach out and hold you, to tell you that you aren’t condemned, to bring peace to the storm in your life. Godly wisdom destroys man’s wisdom and brings peace in the midst of adversity.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I’ve tried following my own wisdom and it hasn’t worked. In the process I’ve made a mess of my life. I’ve hurt others with my words and actions. I’m tired of living in constant despair and frustration. Forgive me for the mistakes I’ve made. Empower me with your Spirit to live a life of wisdom based on your example. In your name I pray, Amen.
Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well. Proverbs 23:23
When you want something of value you save every penny to get it. Let’s say, for example, you are a collector of fine art and you find a rare painting by your favorite artist, You decide you MUST have this painting so you plan on how to get it.
You give up other things of less importance; cut back on other expenses; perhaps get a second job. You study up on this particular painting and find out all you can about it. You become an ‘expert’ on this cherished of all possessions and the artist who created it.
After all your labors, on that day of all days, if you’ve worked hard and scrimped and saved, the time arrives. You go to the seller to make the purchase. You examine it one more time making sure there are no flaws and that everything is just as it should be. Once assured of this you lay down all that you have to make that cherished possession yours. Success has come. The fruit of all your labor and sacrifice has come. Let the celebration begin.
Now that the picture is hanging securely on the wall, how much would you sell it for? You would no doubt look at me incredulously. “Sell it? I just bought it!” you say. “Do you realize how much I’ve given up for it? The ball games I’ve missed. The fishing trips I’ve passed up? The party invitations I’ve passed on? It’s NOT for sale. No amount of money in the world would be enough. It’s mine.”
Solomon, in all of his wisdom, had enough money to buy anything and everything he wanted. Yet he tells us in Proverbs 23:23 what is really important: Truth. In our world of relativity Truth with a capital ‘T’ is hard to come by. We’ve bought into the idea that Truth is what you make it. What’s true for me isn’t true for you. Honesty is dependent on the situation. Wisdom changes with every new philosophy and whim of mindless, science based religion.
As Christ-followers, each of us is given Truth by the God of the universe, through His Word (the Bible) and His Son Jesus Christ. He has given us His Holy Spirit so that we can gain wisdom in understanding His ways and insight into how to walk this journey we call life. Seek after the Truth He has to offer us by drawing close to Him in relationship. Read His Word. It is still the only source of real truth available. Pray daily and often. What a marvelous opportunity prayer is. To think that we as mere mortals can talk personally with the Creator of the Universe! Don’t let past mistakes and your inability to understand God completely keep you from spending time getting to know Him. As God’s cherished possession, He has given all He has to acquire you and He’ll never let you go.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many voices that are calling out to me to be tolerant of this or accepting of that. There are so ideas out there that confuse me as to what is right and wrong. I confess to you that I’ve not always followed you as I should. I ask for Your Holy Spirit to empower me to grow in relationship and understanding of Your ways so that they become a part of my daily existence. Thank you for giving so much so that I can live in Truth. In Jesus name, Amen.
I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. Nehemiah 7:2
When crunch time comes you want to call on someone you know you can count on. Someone who performs well under pressure; someone who is confident enough in his/her abilities that a challenge is looked forward to; someone who is willing to risk, but open to asking for help when needed; someone who won’t let their bad day affect the task at hand.
That was the kind of person the Prophet Nehemiah was looking for when he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. The success of the project involved far more than the protection of the people. Nehemiah was an envoy for the King. Failure wasn’t an option because failure not only meant Nehemiah would be considered a failure, his God, Jehovah God would be discredited.
So where did Nehemiah go for his go-to guy? He went to his brother, Hanani, but this wasn’t a case of Nepotism. It was wise discernment. While Nehemiah was a servant in the palace of the Persian King Jerusalem lay in ruins. The once proud and glorious city was now the laughing stock of marauding bands of thieves. God’s people and His city, the city of David, was a disgrace.
With conditions as deplorable as they were, there was no doubt much discussion at the local Fig Juice Shop about the glory days, about how God had failed and how destitute they all were. When times are tough there is always plenty of blame and complaining to go around.
That’s where Hanani comes in. He wasn’t the type of guy to sit around sipping on Fig Juice and vent. He was a doer, a go getter, a ‘if God gave us a promise then we’d best pursue it’ kind of guy. In the midst of the blame game, Hanani took off for Persia. It was a dangerous journey laced with enemy kings and thieves. That didn’t stop Hanani.
When he arrived in at the Persian palace, Hanani told Nehemiah all about the terrible conditions in Jerusalem. Eventually the walls were rebuilt and Jerusalem rose from the rubble due to the leadership of Nehemiah and the determination of Hanani.
We can each learn a lesson from the story of Hanani. We come across issues and struggles every day of our lives. Every time we come across an obstacle we have a choice to take action. Will it be a negative action such as complaining or blaming? Or will it be the positive action of looking for and working on solutions.
Hanani’s integrity was based on confidence in himself and in His God. Each of us has the same opportunities. As Christ-followers we should be the kind of people that others look to in crisis because we don’t discuss the problem, we plan the solution.
PRAYER: Holy God. I praise you for the wisdom and intellect you have given me. I ask that you would empower me by your Holy Spirit to be a take positive action sort of person. Protect me from the tendency to complain and blame so that Your name will be glorified because of me. In Jesus name, Amen.
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. John 12:35
Jesus was coming to the end of His earthly ministry and many were questioning Him concerning His teachings about the Messiah, or the ‘Son of Man’. The people were sure that they had the whole picture of God’s deliverance figured out. Their religion had built a comfortable box around their concept of how God would work and how they would, in turn, benefit.
Unfortunately, the people of Jesus day had the same problem many of us have today. We think we know exactly how God will work in a given situation. We expect that He will work the same way one time as He does in other times and circumstances. But God works in His own way and on His own timing and wisdom. Even while Jesus was on earth He didn’t heal people in the same way every time. God works in different ways at different times according to His wisdom and glory and not ours.
In John 12:35 Jesus teaches us an important lesson about the journey we call life and there is a sense of urgency in His voice. Jesus says, “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.” There is a nugget of wisdom in this little phrase hidden in verse 35. Life won’t always be as we see it now. Those of us who have lived a few years on earth are amazed at how life has changed socially, politically, economically and even spiritually.
Jesus tells us to walk. Walking is not standing. As a Christ-follower we cannot ‘stand’ for we are either progressing in our relationship with Jesus and others or we become stagnant. Stagnancy in the spiritual realm is the same as going backwards. It doesn’t do you any good, in fact it harms you. To avoid being stagnant in your spiritual walk it’s important to discipline yourself to read God’s word regularly, pray often and plan to fellowship with those who love Jesus as you do.
Jesus not only tells us to walk but He warns us to not ‘let the darkness overtake you’. When you walk in the evening it’s always a good idea to plan your walk wisely. Be aware of the surrounding changes in light, weather and topography. If you walk too far from home you could get lost in the darkness and not make it back safely.
The same is true somewhat in our spiritual lives. If we are not careful we can walk right into danger without realizing it. Wise walking means that you are careful not to allow yourself to be trapped by the enemy. As Christ-followers Satan will do whatever he can to sidetrack you from your mission to live for Jesus by bringing darkness unexpectedly into our lives.
The darkness he brings upon can be like shadows of our past which haunt us continually with guilt for poor decisions, the pain of broken relationships and doubts about our abilities to recover. His darkness can bring the worry and anxiety of the future, infecting us with fear for our own well-being and the safety of our children.
But Jesus tells us to avoid the darkness. Light destroys shadows and Jesus is the light! The closer we walk to Him the less effect the darkness will have on us. As we walk with in wisdom, aware of our surroundings, His light shines the way to show us safe passage through obstacles the enemy lays before us to trap us.
Walk. Don’t run. Don’t stand. Don’t waiver. Move on in life through the light that only Jesus can offer you. In Him is all you need to travel this journey called life.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I thank you for being the light of my world. I praise you that you alone will show me the way. I trust in Your promise to keep me from being trapped by the shadows of darkness that Satan throws across my path. Empower me with wisdom to walk in your way and strength to keep on when the way grows weary. Amen.
He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’ Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (NLT)
Everything is easier when you can do it with someone. When we are very young and afraid of the dark we feel safer walking hand in hand with our father, or better yet being carried. Visits to the courtroom or the doctor’s office are easier to take when we know that there is someone waiting for us outside the door. Someone that will comfort, support and encourage us along the way regardless of the outcome.
Not only are we comforted when we have someone beside us. We are strengthened in spirit when that person is stronger than us, or our enemies, and wise enough to know what lay ahead and how to guide us to victory.
As Israel was making its way towards the Promised Land God gave them many instructions concerning the road ahead. A constant theme to the Israelites and to us is that He, the God of Heaven, would fight our battles for us. He didn’t require large numbers of troops. He didn’t require strength. The only thing the Father really sought obedience and trust. He promised to fight our battles for us.
As you go into battle today, don’t let the battles of life surprise you. God has never told us we’d be without conflict. It’s the conflicts in life that strengthen who we are and allow us to see God work in us. Those conflicts could be physical battles of health or people with real names and faces. The battles could be emotional/spiritual battles within us that cause us to doubt or worry. Whatever attacks you today, remember that it’s not a surprise attack. Your Father knew exactly what would happen and how it will be resolved.
Not only does God ‘assure us’ there will be adversity along the way, He promises to go along with us. He never ‘sends us’ into battle. He GOES WITH US. He’s by our side. He’s ON our side. He will fight the enemies in our lives whether they are visible ones or hidden, spiritual and emotional ones.
Also, rest on the promise that your Father in Heaven wants you to be victorious. He’s not an old, uninformed and feeble man with a white beard, squinty eyes and hard of hearing. He’s a mighty warrior, trained in battle and armed beyond any enemy you may face. He will not let you down although at times the battle may seem to great.
You will endure hardship. You will NEVER be alone. You will be victorious as you trust in God for victory. Three great promises to see us through our day!
PRAYER: Father God. I look ahead at the things that lie before me and have to confess to you that I’m scared. I’ve tried to trust you completely and at times feel totally alone in the battle. I’ve failed you, myself and others so many times. I see no way out. I ask that you would give me wisdom to make wise choices, strength to carry through and trust so that I can know You are walking beside me and will see me through. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 