Tag Archives: wisdom

God’s wisdom makes you sure and fearless (James 3:13-18; Psalms 46), July 19, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – James 3:13-18; Psalms 46

Set – 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3

Go! – 2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3

James 3:13-18; Psalms 46
13 Who in your community is understanding and wise? Let his example, which is marked by wisdom and gentleness, blaze a trail for others. 14 If your heart is one that bleeds dark streams of jealousy and selfishness, do not be so proud that you ignore your depraved state. 15 The wisdom of this world should never be mistaken for heavenly wisdom; it originates below in the earthly realms, with the demons. 16 Any place where you find jealousy and selfish ambition, you will discover chaos and evil thriving under its rule. 17 Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. 18 The seed that flowers into righteousness will always be planted in peace by those who embrace peace.

1 God is our shelter and our strength.
When troubles seem near, God is nearer, and He’s ready to help.
So why run and hide?
2 No fear, no pacing, no biting fingernails.
When the earth spins out of control, we are sure and fearless.
When mountains crumble and the waters run wild, we are sure and fearless.
3 Even in heavy winds and huge waves,
or as mountains shake, we are sure and fearless.
[pause]
4 A pure stream flows—never to be cut off—
bringing joy to the city where God makes His home,
the sacred site where the Most High chooses to live.
5 The True God never sleeps and always resides in the city of joy;
He makes it unstoppable, unshakable.
When it awakes at dawn, the True God has already been at work.
6 Trouble is on the horizon for the outside nations, not long until kingdoms will fall;
God’s voice thunders and the earth shakes.
7 You know the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies, surrounds us and protects us;
the True God of Jacob is our shelter, close to His heart.
[pause]
8 Come, gaze, fix your eyes on what the Eternal can do.
Amazing, He has worked desolation here on this battlefield, earth.
9 God can stop wars anywhere in the world.
He can make scrap of all weapons: snap bows, shatter spears,
and burn shields.
10 “Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God.
I am honored among all the nations.
I am honored over all the earth.”
11 You know the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies, surrounds us and protects us;
the True God of Jacob is our shelter, close to His heart.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

James talks about wisdom, the psalmist talks about being sure and fearless when others see trouble and inescapable danger. Both speak of the same thing. Jesus said you would face trouble in the world. But He didn’t stop there. He said, “Don’t worry, I have already overcome the world.” Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.

When you put your trust in Me and understand who I am, you find fear slips away in every circumstance. You can laugh in the face of danger because you know I am greater than your greatest enemy. I am better than your biggest obstacle. I’m in the business of doing the impossible. I am ready to show you My care and My wisdom. Listen to Me instead of the world and you will find joy in your life. You’ll find the baubles the world offers meaningless in the greater scheme of life. You’ll find My path full of the real treasures you seek, treasures that last a life time and beyond.

When you face enemies, you will stand sure and fearless as the psalmist says because you know the battles do not belong to you, but to Me. And I cannot be defeated. In fact, I have already been victorious and just await time to catch. You must understand, time is meaningless to Me. I exist yesterday, today, and forever. I created time for your benefit, not Mine. So, I know the end and in the end, I’m victorious. I win. I cannot lose because I’m God.

James understood that and could declare that if you need wisdom to make it through this world, just ask Me and I can tell you what you need to know. I can help you make the right turns through what looks like a maze from your perspective. When you see it from My perspective, I see every turn, every bend, every obstacle, everything that needs to be done to get you to the end.

My wisdom lets you face each day sure and fearless. All you need to do is trust Me. Put your faith in Me. Listen to Me and do what I ask you to do. It’s really that simple. I won’t tell you it’s always easy to follow Me because sometimes I’ll tell you to do some things that are hard. They will test your faith. But the tasks I give you will never be things beyond your ability with Me at your side. I will always see you through them. Just trust Me. You’ll be glad you did.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Tidbits of wisdom to live by (Proverbs 29), June 4, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Proverbs 29
Set – Proverbs 29; Romans 16
Go! – Proverbs 28-29; Psalms 60; Romans 16

Proverbs 29
1 The one who remains defiant after repeated reprimands
will suddenly be shattered, and there will be no remedy for him.
2 When just leaders are in power, the citizens celebrate;
but when evil people gain control, their joys become moans.
3 An adult who loves wisdom and follows its ways gives his parents joy,
but one who hangs out with women of the street will lose everything.
4 A king brings stability to a land with his justice,
but one who makes unjust demands brings it to ruin.
5 The one who flatters his friend
is laying a trap that will catch his friend’s feet.
6 An evil person is sure to be trapped by his sin,
but a man who lives right is free to sing and be glad.
7 The just get involved with the poor and know their issues,
but the wicked cannot comprehend such concerns.
8 Mockers stir up a city and inflame passions,
but the wise know how to put out the fire and ease tensions.
9 When the wise go to court against a fool,
there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.
10 Bloodthirsty men despise those who are honest,
but the just find a way to help them.
11 A fool does not think before he unleashes his temper,
but a wise man holds back and remains quiet.
12 When it is known that a ruler listens to the words of liars,
soon he will have only scoundrels for advisors.
13 A poor man and his oppressor have this in common:
the Eternal created them and provides both with light and life.
14 The king who is fair in his treatment of the poor
will see his dynasty continue forever.
15 Corporal punishment and correction produce wisdom,
but a child left to follow his own willful way shames his mother.
16 When evil people are free to flourish, sin is on the rise,
but the just will surely see their destruction.
17 If you discipline your children, they will make your life easier
and refresh your soul.
18 Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild,
but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.
19 Words are not enough to correct a servant;
even if he understands, he will not respond.
20 Have you ever met someone who is overly eager to talk?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 If you indulge your servant from early in life,
in the end it won’t go well for either of you.
22 A hot-head provokes quarrels,
and one mastered by anger commits all kinds of sins.
23 A person’s pride brings him down,
but one of humble spirit has a firm hold on honor and respect.
24 Anyone who teams up with a thief must despise his own life,
for he is bound by an oath to tell the truth and yet refuses.
25 If you fear other people, you are walking into a dangerous trap;
but if you trust in the Eternal, you will be safe.
26 Many people vie for special treatment from a ruler,
yet genuine justice proceeds from the Eternal.
27 The right-living are disgusted by the actions of the unjust;
likewise, the wicked are disgusted by the ways of the righteous.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I’ve given you in these words, more tidbits of wisdom to live by. They are so simple, yet so profound. These are worth teaching to your children early in life and helping them live them daily by living them yourself as an example.

Take for instance the proverb, “A fool does not think before he unleashes his temper, but a wise man holds back and remains quiet.” If you can hold back you temper and teach your children to do the same, they will be much more likely to succeed in the world. Those who rant and let their rage rule their voice will not get ahead in life. Their attempts to intimidate by their volume will not go far.

Or how about, “If you discipline your children, they will make your life easier and refresh your soul.” Have you ever watched the parents who failed to discipline their children from an early age? By the time they’re toddlers it’s almost too late. If children haven’t learned self-discipline before their teenage years, trying to start then is almost impossible for you. It can only happen with My intervention and few teenagers want My intervention at that point.

And here’s one you see lived out every day. “The right-living are disgusted by the actions of the unjust; likewise, the wicked are disgusted by the ways of the righteous.” That explains the growing divide you see between the righteous and the religious today. It explains the riff that grows between those who abide by My commandments and those who try to dismiss them to suit their own pleasures.

This last proverb explains the chasm only the cross can bridge as people finally see their sinful life against the purity of My spotless sacrifice. But when you see it and reach out to Me, I bridge the gap and forgive. I bring you into a renewed relationship with Me so you can live a righteous life as I created you to live.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Two sisters you need to know (Proverbs 7), May 28, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Proverbs 7
Set – Proverbs 7; Romans 9
Go! – Proverbs 7-9; Romans 9

Proverbs 7
1 My son, live according to what I am telling you;
guard my instructions as you would a treasure deep within you.
2 Stay true to my directives, and they will serve you well;
make my teachings the lens through which you see life.
3 Bind cords around your fingers to remind you of them;
meditate on them, and you’ll engrave them upon your heart.
4 Say to Lady Wisdom, “My sister”;
recognize that understanding is your best friend,
5 And they will keep you from the arms of another woman—
protect you from the enchantress who entices men into her bed.
6 One day I was at the window of my house,
looking out through my lattice shutters,
7 And there among the usual crowd of the gullible people
I spotted a naive young man.
8 He was going down the street near the corner where she lived—that mysterious and evil woman—
taking the road that led directly to her house.
9 At the end of the day, as night approached
and darkness crept in,
10 I saw her! A woman came out to meet him.
She was dressed for temptation and devious with her affections.
11 Here’s what I know about her: she is loud and obnoxious, a rebel against what is proper and decent.
She’s always on the move—anxious to get out of the house and
12 Down the street; at times in the open,
at others lurking around every corner.
13 As I am watching them, she grabs him and kisses him,
then shamelessly tells him:
14 The Immoral Woman: It was my turn to offer a peace offering,
and today I paid my vows,
15 So now I come to see you.
I really want to be with you, and what luck! I have found you!
16 You’ll be impressed. I have decorated my couch,
laid colorful Egyptian linens over where we will be together,
17 And perfumed the bed with exotic oils and herbs:
myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come in, and we will feast on love until sunrise;
we will delight ourselves in our affections.
19 You don’t need to worry; my husband is long gone by now,
away from home on a distant journey.
20 He took a bag of money with him,
so I don’t expect him home until next month.
21 It worked! She enticed him with seductive words,
seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 Right away he followed her home.
He followed her like a bull being led to the slaughter,
Like a fool caught in a trap
23 (that is, until an arrow punctures his liver),
Like a bird flying straight into a net.
He had no clue his life was at stake; everything was about to change.
24 This is why it is so important that you listen to me, my sons,
and pay attention to all I am telling you.
25 Do not let your mind wonder about her ways;
do not lose yourself and drift down her path,
26 For she’s claimed one life after another,
victim after victim, too many to count.
27 Her house is the gateway to the grave;
every step toward her is a step toward death’s dark chamber.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Wisdom and understanding. Sisters you should get to know. Let them become your confidants. They will serve you well if you let them. But if you ignore them, you will suffer immeasurable pain in every area of life.

Solomon wrote about these sisters in the opening chapters of Proverbs. He used illicit sexual relations as an analogy to going through life without them. You know about the sexual drives that can bend you toward evil so easily if not kept under control.

The young man in Solomon’s story let smooth words and enticing sounds lure him into a trap from which he could not escape. Once down that slippery slope that ignorance and rash decisions takes you, you’ll find it difficult to recover from the consequences of those illicit acts.

The sisters, wisdom and understanding, aren’t just about sex, though. They carry you through every situation in life. Relationships. Marriage. Finances. Parenthood. Retirement. Illness. Even death. Wisdom and understanding help you see clearly through every aspect of life because they were with Me from the beginning and saw every situation in which people find themselves throughout time.

So, how do you make friends with them? How can you get to know these wonderful sisters so they can help you through those pitfalls that so many fall into in life? It’s really not so hard. Just read My instruction book and follow its rules. It’s been the number one best seller for decades. In fact, it’s been the number one best seller so long it isn’t included on the best seller list. That doesn’t mean it isn’t the best seller, though.

So pay attention to Wisdom and listen to her sister, Understanding. You’ll find life works a lot smoother if you do.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Wisdom comes from God or experience (Proverbs 2), May 26, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Proverbs 2
Set – Proverbs 2; Romans 7
Go! – Proverbs 1-3; Romans 7

Proverbs 2
1My son, if you accept what I am telling you
and store my counsel and directives deep within you,
2 If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her,
and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you,
3 If you cry out to her for insight
and beg for understanding,
4 If you sift through the clamor of everything around you
to seek her like some precious prize,
to search for her like buried treasure;
5 Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal,
and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God.
6 The Eternal is ready to share His wisdom with us,
for His words bring true knowledge and insight;
7 He has stored up the essentials of sound wisdom for those who do right;
He acts as a shield for those who value integrity.
8 God protects the paths of those who pursue justice,
watching over the lives of those who keep faith with Him.
9 With this wisdom you will be able to choose the right road,
seek justice, and decide what is good and fair
10 Because wisdom will penetrate deep within
and knowledge will become a good friend to your soul.
11 Sound judgment will stand guard over you,
and understanding will watch over you as the Lord promised.
12 Wisdom will keep you from following the way of evildoers,
of those who twist words to pervert the truth,
13 Of those who reject the right road
for a darker, more sinister way of life,
14 Of those who enjoy evil
and pursue perverse pleasures,
15 Of those who journey down a crooked path,
constantly figuring out new ways to trick and deceive others.
16 Wisdom will pluck you from the trap of a seductive woman,
from the enticing propositions of the adulteress
17 Who chose to leave the husband of her youth,
to forget her sacred promises to her God;
18 For her house is on the road that leads to death,
and her path goes down to the shadowy pit.
19 Those who go to her will never return;
they will never again find their way back to true life.
20 As for you, you should walk like those who are good
and keep to the paths of those who love justice,
21 For those who live right will remain in the land
and those with integrity will endure here.
22 But not the wicked; they will be forced out and banned from this promised land,
and those who deal in deceit will be plucked up like weeds.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Wisdom is such an important quality to obtain but so few possess it. Those who declare they have wisdom usually don’t and those who thirst for it and seek it with their whole being usually have more than they think they do. Wisdom eludes many because they fail to work hard enough to obtain it. They just sit back and let life roll over them without a care in the world and take whatever life brings. No plans. No provision for the future. No expectation of anything other than come what may.

Wisdom operates in a different mode. Wisdom hopes for the best, but plans for the worst. She expects adversity and prepares for it, but makes an effort to avoid adversity through her diligence and shaping the future in ways to change the “inevitable”. Wisdom works with Me because she knows that with Me all things are possible.

But wisdom mostly concerns herself with right and wrong, justice for the downtrodden. Wisdom takes you down the right paths of life making right decisions with eternal consequences. The foolish, choose for the moment without regard for the future. Momentary pleasure drives the thoughts of the foolish instead of eternal reward. Wisdom asks you to store up treasures in heaven where rust and moths don’t corrupt it, whether monetary, relationship, character building or whatever.

It isn’t easy to gain wisdom, but it isn’t that hard either. This issue comes down to who controls your life. Do you control it or do you let Me control it. When you let loose of the throne of your life and turn over control to Me, I give you wisdom. I help you make right choices. I put you on the right road. I help you select the right treasures. I help you steer away from the momentary pleasures that trap you into Satan’s schemes and help you make choices for eternal investments. I give you real wisdom.

Two things give you wisdom, understanding from Me and the school of experience. From which would you prefer to learn? If you’ll listen to Me, you can avoid the pain and suffering that accompanies the experiences of poor, selfish choices. Choosing Me will result in experiences far less painful than the hard knocks of life and guarantee eternal rewards in heaven. It’s an easy choice to make. The world will tell you it’s not such an easy choice to follow, but then the world doesn’t have Me on its side. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Prayer from the heart (1 Kings 3:1-15), May 18, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Kings 3:1-15
Set – 1 Kings 3; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2
Go! – 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2

1 Kings 3:1-15
1 Solomon then arranged a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, Egypt’s king. He married Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David. He kept her there while he constructed his own house and the Eternal One’s temple and completed the wall surrounding Jerusalem. 2 However the people were still offering sacrifices at the high places because a temple had not been constructed for the Eternal until then.

3 Solomon’s heart belonged to the Eternal. Solomon abided by the same laws as his father, David. The only difference was that Solomon offered sacrifices and incense at the high places. 4 Solomon went to Gibeon—the great high place—and presented 1,000 burnt offerings at the altar.

5 The Eternal revealed Himself to Solomon in a dream while he was still in Gibeon.

Eternal One: Tell me, what is your request of Me?

Solomon: 6 You have already revealed Your loyal love to my father, David, for he lived by Your truth and righteousness and honor during the days of his life. You have continued to show this loyal love to him by giving him a son who now reigns upon his throne. 7 Eternal One, my God, You have allowed me to serve as my father David served, but I am still young and inexperienced. I don’t know much about anything, 8 yet I am supposed to lead Your chosen people who are innumerable and even uncountable. 9 Please give Your servant a listening heart for judging Your people and for knowing the difference between what is good and what is evil. Who is capable of judging Your chosen ones, a great people?

10 The Lord was delighted by Solomon’s request.

Eternal One: 11 Since you have asked for wisdom and not for an extended lifetime or for personal wealth or for the annihilation of your enemies, since you have instead asked for the ability to understand justice, 12 I will honor your request. I have planted the deepest human wisdom into your heart. There has never been nor will there ever be a man like you.

13 I have also given you the things for which you have not asked—wealth and an honorable reputation. There will be no other kings like you for as long as you live. 14 If you live a life devoted to Me, if you remain loyal to My laws and commands just as your father David did, then I will add days to your life.

15 Solomon woke up from his dream. He then returned to Jerusalem and visited the Eternal’s covenant chest and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he prepared a great feast for all those who were in his service.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Asking from your heart for what is truly important makes a difference with Me. Solomon came to Me with a petition I didn’t refuse when he became king of Israel. He could have asked for anything. Israel still found itself surrounded by enemies. David defeated all of them and they all paid taxes to Israel, but now Solomon sat on the throne and all were eager to test this new young king and see if he would be the same kind of king they saw in his father. He could have asked for the defeat of all his enemies. But he didn’t.

Solomon could have asked for great wealth. His father spent great sums on the materials for the Temple he told Solomon to build and he gave to his friends lavishly. He brought Mephibosheth to his table and several others that didn’t deserve his benevolence, yet he still fed them and cared for them because of the grace and mercy I showed him an do he showed others. Consequently, David didn’t have great sums of personal wealth to give to Solomon, so he could have asked for wealth. But he didn’t.

Solomon could have asked for power or fame or glory or knowledge. There are many things the world held in esteem that Solomon could have asked for in his prayer to Me that day. Instead, he understood the task ahead of him as king of My people and he humbly came to Me and asked for the wisdom to rule My people. He grew up in the palace and saw some of the mess his father had made, and some of the good decisions his father had made as well.

Solomon knew he wasn’t smart enough or wise enough to take on the burden of ruling this kingdom alone and came to Me with a humble heart. I knew his prayer was genuine at the time, because I can see inside your heart and mind. I know genuine when you cannot. His prayer was genuine then. And I granted Solomon’s request. And I gave him everything else he didn’t request. I defeated his enemies, gave him great wealth, fame, power, and knowledge like no one before or since. I knew his heart and at the time it was genuine.

I’ll answer your prayers, too. But you must also know that when your mouth says, “Give me wisdom.” But your heart says, “So I can gain wealth.” I know your heart. It’s your heart, not your mouth, I listen to most. I cannot be deceived. I know what is best for you, too. Often, wealth is not what you need. Remember My words when I walked with you? “It’s harder for a rich man to make it into the kingdom than a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” You might not want to be rich after all. This world’s riches aren’t so great when you think about it in those terms.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Wisdom doesn’t come from books (Matthew 22:34-46), May 5, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 22:34-46
Set – 2 Samuel 10; Matthew 22
Go! – 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19-20; Psalms 20; Matthew 22

Matthew 22:34-46
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, a group of Pharisees met to consider new questions that might trip up Jesus. 35 A legal expert thought of one that would certainly stump Him.

Pharisees: 36 Teacher, of all the laws, which commandment is the greatest?

Jesus (quoting Scripture): 37 “Love the Eternal One your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is nearly as important, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 The rest of the law, and all the teachings of the prophets, are but variations on these themes.

41 Since the Pharisees were gathered together there, Jesus took the opportunity to pose a question of His own.

Jesus: 42 What do you think about the Anointed One? Whose Son is He?

Pharisees: But, of course, He is the Son of David.

Jesus: 43 Then how is it that David—whose words were surely shaped by the Spirit—calls Him “Lord”? For in his psalms David writes,

44 The Master said to my master
“Sit here at My right hand,
in the place of honor and power,
And I will gather Your enemies together,
lead them in on hands and knees,
and You will rest Your feet on their backs.”
45 How can David call his own Son “Lord”?

46 No one had an answer to Jesus’ question. And from that day forward, no one asked Him anything.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Why do people always want to question Me? Why can’t they just believe I am who I say I am? There are some in every crowd who think they are smart enough to outsmart me. It doesn’t work. How can mere humans outsmart God? I created you. Why do you feel the need to question Me instead of just exercising a little faith and letting Me work in your life.

The Pharisees and Sadducees kept themselves in trouble with Me and with the common people of Israel because they continued to question Me. I answered all of their questions, but they could never answer Mine. They tried to trip Me up with their intellect, not realizing how foolish they were. That’s the way with those who think they are wise.

Wisdom doesn’t come from books. You can’t get wisdom from memorizing facts and figures. No one can discern the makings of the universe. I created it; it’s beyond human understanding. I know you have scientists that put formulas together to try to explain it. All of them lead back to faith in some unknown, though. You always have to start with something that has no explanation. But I can explain it because I made it.

I know how to make everything from nothing. I know how to create breathe life into lifeless dust. I know how to form the stars and the planets. Your scientists have some ideas, but I know; I did it. Who designed the process to make sure every creature on the planet has the right kind of food to eat? I did.

In fact, if the world were not marred by selfishness and sin, there is more than enough food to feed everyone today. Tons of food goes uneaten every day. Tons of produce and meat spoil in ports around the world because of the corruption, selfishness, and greed of those who would keep it from those who need it most.

Who has wisdom? Not those who think they do and try to flout their intellect as a badge trying to prove I don’t exist. Their circular arguments will always get them in trouble. Oh, they might match wits with other people and cloud their minds with their fancy words and high sounding education, but they will never have real wisdom until they learn to fear Me. Remember, real wisdom begins with the fear of Me. I have the answers you need, not some college professor or some self-proclaimed wiseman.

Be careful who you put your trust in. Too many during the time I walked with you in the flesh put their faith in the intellect of the Sadducees and Pharisees. At each encounter, though, I showed them how foolish they really were. They thought themselves wiser than the God of the universe. But they could not answer the simplest questions about life, love, and faith. Trust Me and you’ll be on the right track. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Society doesn’t think much of God’s wisdom (Psalm 19), Feb 4, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Psalms 19
Set – Psalms 19; Acts 11
Go! – Exodus 37-38; Psalms 19; Acts 11

Psalms 19
1 The celestial realms announce God’s glory;
the skies testify of His hands’ great work.
2 Each day pours out more of their sayings;
each night, more to hear and more to learn.
3 Inaudible words are their manner of speech,
and silence, their means to convey.
4 Yet from here to the ends of the earth, their voices have gone out;
the whole world can hear what they say.
God stretched out in these heavens a tent for the sun,
5 And the sun is like a groom
who, after leaving his room, arrives at the wedding in splendor;
He is the strong runner
who, favored to win in his race, is eager to face his challenge.
6 He rises at one end of the skies
and runs in an arc overhead;
nothing can hide from his heat, from the swelter of his daily tread.
7 The Eternal’s law is perfect,
turning lives around.
His words are reliable and true,
instilling wisdom to open minds.
8 The Eternal’s directions are correct,
giving satisfaction to the heart.
God’s commandments are clear,
lending clarity to the eyes.
9 The awe of the Eternal is clean,
sustaining for all of eternity.
The Eternal’s decisions are sound;
they are right through and through.
10 They are worth more than gold—
even more than abundant, pure gold.
They are sweeter to the tongue than honey
or the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 In addition to all that has been said,
Your servant will find, hidden in Your commandments, both a strong warning
and a great reward for keeping them.
12 Who could possibly know all that he has done wrong?
Forgive my hidden and unknown faults.
13 As I am Your servant, protect me from my bent toward pride,
and keep sin from ruling my life.
If You do this, I will be without blame,
innocent of the great breach.
14 May the words that come out of my mouth and the musings of my heart
meet with Your gracious approval,
O Eternal, my Rock,
O Eternal, my Redeemer.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

David really knew how to write songs, didn’t he? I love to listen to his poems and prayers and songs. They come from his heart. He’s never afraid to tell Me what he thinks. Whether he wants to praise Me or doubts Me, it comes out in the words he pens. He’s honest and open with Me. He lets himself be vulnerable as he expresses his inmost thoughts to work through the darkest days and the brightest days of his life.

I especially like the middle part of this song. A lot of people don’t realize the truth of these words, but David did. My law turns people around and instills wisdom in open minds. If you’ve asked Me to forgive your sins and let Me take charge of your life, you know how true that first part really is. I do turn lives around. I break the shackles of the guilt sin brings into life. I give your life new meaning and purpose. I change things for you. And My word is full of wisdom. Not many people live by My rules consistently, but those that do, know wisdom pours from the pages of My Book like water flows over Niagara Falls.

Society doesn’t think much of My wisdom, but then society never made a star or a planet or a person or even a rock…from nothing. Society can’t keep their own from arguing, cheating and fighting and killing each other. Society doesn’t know what peace looks like or sounds like or feels like. Society claims it knows what love is about, but if it did, divorce rates wouldn’t hit 50% where there are marriages and living together to “see” if couples love each other wouldn’t happen.

You see, I don’t care much what society thinks of My wisdom. One day every man, woman, boy, and girl will bow to Me whether they say they believe in Me or not. They will when I come back. All will bow before Me. Until that day comes, David had it right with the closing words of his song, though. I hope his words are your words, too. More people should live by them. It would keep them out of trouble. Remember them?

“May the words that come out of my mouth and the musings of my heart meet with Your gracious approval, O Eternal, my rock, O Eternal, my Redeemer.”

Now there is a bit of wisdom for you today.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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