Seeking Wisdom

Prov 2:10

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

I recommend that everyone read the second chapter of Proverbs. The instructions there are easy to understand. The only problem is that you have to actually do what it says.

When you want to receive wisdom, go back to the first four verses of that chapter. The instructions are for us to listen to wisdom and accept wise commands. We’re supposed to search for understanding as if it were hidden treasure, and then apply it to your heart.

Some people don’t know how to search for wisdom and understanding, but verse six of that chapter clearly tells us to look at the wisdom in the Bible. “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

His words are wisdom and will protect us from men of wicked ways and men of perverse words.

Self-Importance

Nehemiah 6:15-16

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

Self-importance is a victory-stealer. I think we spend too much time thinking about ourselves and not enough time thinking about how God feels about things. The wrong kind of introspection is a weary walk down the road to misery. Don’t throw away your victory by trusting in yourself instead of trusting God.

Reading Nehemiah’s story can build courage in us for our tasks. He was focused on the job. If Nehemiah had spent a lot of time thinking about things he’d rather be doing, the wall wouldn’t have been completed. He didn’t worry about whether he was comfortable or if the task seemed too difficult. He just persevered.

What would happen if we kept an eye on ourselves this year in order to remove habits of self-pity, self-centeredness, self-doubt, self-righteousness, and self-aggravating selfishness? If I were to stop discouraging myself, stop being my own joy-robber or hope-thief, stop making myself miserable with pressure to avoid sin on my own (without God’s help), stop disquieting myself with guilt if I found sin in my life, and stop undermining my own successes by telling myself it’s just too hard, then I would find victory.

I can rely on God to help me remove sin when I recognize the opportunity. My job is to have a sin-free mindset and ask God to help me keep the sin out of my life. He doesn’t mind helping us if we’re not lazy.

I like the story of Nehemiah’s stubbornness in getting the wall rebuilt. He had many opportunities to give up, but he kept at it. His enemies tried to discourage him, intimidate him, and trick him into quitting. Nehemiah knew God was with him, so he didn’t give up.

Do you have any God-given goals you are tempted to give up on?

If you’ll read the first six chapters of the book of Nehemiah and learn from Nehemiah’s example, you can trust God to deal with your enemies. Fight against self-importance. Fight for your right to obey God. Fight for your victory. Keep working until you’ve completed the task.

Who is Worthy?

Psalm 24:7-8

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

I’ve been thinking about how to honor the Lord this year. There are things you can do to honor Him, and there are things you can refrain from doing to honor Him.

Honoring the Lord is not something you have to work at. It isn’t so difficult that you frequently break a sweat over it. It is something that comes naturally to those who love Him with all their heart.

When you love someone, you want to speak their name in a loving way. You want to tell people the things you like about the one you want to honor. It’s easy to think of ways to honor someone you cherish in your heart.

But when you think of God as a Mighty Judge who waits to catch us in some minor sin, you don’t give Him credit for being the God who is Love. It’s hard to honor someone you’re scared of.

In order to honor God this year, we can think about how we treat Him in our one-on-one relationship. Can He see us as the child who loves Him? Is that how we treat Him?

Are we treating Him as if He is worthy to be honored?

No doubt, he is the Lord strong and mighty. And I honor Him because this strong and mighty King of glory has my back. He is love, and He’s watching out for me.

Deceiving Yourself

Numbers 25: 17-18

“Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, because they treated you as enemies when they deceived you…”

I think many people will agree that sin is an enemy. If you catch yourself committing a sin, you should put that sin to death. Don't think that if you ignore the sin, it will also ignore you.

When you deceive yourself by rationalizing your situation until the new spin on your own sin is more pleasing to your conscience, wake up and stop it.

Stopping a habitual thief or a murderer makes sense. We don’t want murder and stealing to become commonplace. But catching ourselves before we sin seems to be difficult. We don’t want to think of ourselves as sinners. We want to rationalize until we find a decent excuse for our sin.

We want to hide from the thought that we could commit sin. We’re good people. Right?

If we’re such good people, we should be on the lookout for that ugly sin that wants to make itself right at home in us. We can protect ourselves by confronting our sin.

A good way to confront sin in our own lives is to find an example of sin in the Bible and look for our version of that sin hiding in our attitudes and actions. How can we confront sin in anyone else’s life when we have that much or more in our own lives?

We can put to death the sinful attitudes in our own lives when we catch ourselves thinking about slipping into the comfortable sin we’re so used to. If you and I are going to honor the Lord this year, we have to get rid of our sin. We have to adjust our comfort level so we don’t become complacent and apathetic toward our own sin.

Be on the alert. Keep an eye on yourself this year as you try to protect yourself from self-deceit.

Honor the Lord

Numbers 25:13

“He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

The verse was speaking of Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest. When sin was again rampant in the camp, Moses heard from God about how to stop the sin epidemic. Moses told Israel’s judges what to do, but they didn’t stop all of the men from dishonoring God. Phinehas went to a man’s tent and stopped the man from ever sinning again. It was a drastic remedy for a problem that got out of hand. But finally, after some of the men of Israel died, the epidemic of sin stopped and the people turned back to their God.

Who will live a life that honors the Lord this year? And for how long? Will we give up and go back to our sinful ways after one failure or two?

Will we call ourselves the people of God and turn away from Him to worship fleshly pleasures? Will we put our hope and trust in ourselves instead of in Almighty God?

Can a people who only worship God in times of disaster come together to worship God in a time of peace?

I put out a challenge to myself and my own family as well as to anyone who reads this and accepts the challenge. I challenge us to make whatever change is necessary to bring honor to God this year.

Have we allowed God to be dishonored in our homes? Have we made Him less important than temporary pleasures?

I would hope that we take into consideration that God is always among us and will hear our every thought. He rewards those who acknowledge Him. Those who have faith in Him will speak accordingly.

My goal this year is to put to death the godless thoughts of self-pity and give life to thoughts of encouraging others. I plan to do away with self-focused speech and promote the honor of God.

My guess is that when I stubbornly hang onto these goals, I will accomplish more than I’d ever imagined.

JOY

Luke 2:17-18

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Can you keep a secret? Sure, if it’s important. But who can keep JOY hidden?

The shepherds had seen an enormous miracle. God born of human flesh. Who’s going to go back to the sheep after that? Eventually they did, but for a moment, they had to scream it out. They had to shout to the neighbors, “Wake up! You’ll never guess what happened just down the street!”

The generosity in their communication revealed their concern for their fellow man. “If I was in their place, would I want to be told to come out in the cold to look at this miracle? Sure I would.”

The message of the shepherds was enough to make them put their shoes on and come look. Even if they stayed in their homes that night, they were touched by the news and by the reaction of those telling it. If they’ve been waiting for God to show up in their lives, don’t you know they were praising God and thanking Him for what He’s done.

The fact that they saw a child who affected them so much was cause for them to spend a lot of time that night simply thanking God.

Think of a sports reporter’s face just before he announces the team’s seventh loss in a row and compare that to his face just before he announces the team’s seventh victory in a row. Oh, yeah. If you’ve seen JESUS, people will know just by the look on your face.

Finding God

Luke 2:16

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger.”

Can you find your way around a strange place with ease? Some people are great at finding a museum in a city they’ve never been to. Other people get lost in their own city.

I’m sure God sent the angel choir to a group of shepherds who knew their way around Bethlehem. At that time, Bethlehem was full of people. Remember, the inn was too crowded for Joseph and Mary to get a room. But the shepherds knew where to find a manger with a newborn baby in it.

If I had been one of those shepherds, I would’ve thanked God that I could find that one manger where Jesus lay. God gave them a bright night with unusual starlight to help them see Jesus better. Could we find God any easier today if He sent us unusual starlight?

He sent us more than a star.

He expects us to acknowledge Jesus every season, but especially at Christmas time. I say that because if you look around, you’ll find pictures of Baby Jesus all over town. Nativity pictures and three-piece mantel sets are in many homes. There are the inflatable Nativity sets in some front yards or the simple painted board Nativity scene yard set. Whether inside, outside, one piece, or many, Nativity sets are everywhere and the main focus of the scene is Jesus.

This is a great time of year to give thanks to God for helping us find Jesus in this busy season.

Christmas Gifts

Luke 2:14

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

A large angel choir sang to the shepherds in the fields. This is something that doesn’t occur every day. It got their attention. It was enough to make them leave the fields to see for themselves what they’d been told about.

The choir didn’t sing a song about how to get to the baby. It wasn’t about the woman who had just given birth to the Savior. The angels’ song was about God. The angels were giving God the praise, honor, and glory. They mentioned God’s message of peace. They sang about God’s favor resting on all humans. The angels were nudging the shepherds with this song that could be interpreted as, “God is so great! He’s doing you a favor, not only you, but all men all over the earth.”

When someone does you a huge favor, what’s your automatic reaction?

We accept the favor and thank the one who gave it.

After a song like that, the shepherds had to go check it out. They knew God was doing something He’d never done before. But they also knew that they were picked out of all men to be the ones to go and see it. How could they back down from that offer?

The shepherds ran with a thankful heart because they knew they were going to see something good. My own kids would run like that if I sang to them on Christmas morning, “Your daddy has given you something which is now out on the driveway.”

They know from the song that there’s something good out there and they’ll thank their daddy as they run to see it.

This Christmas season, I hope we all acknowledge God’s gift with a grateful heart. I hope we all remember to listen to the Christmas carols that speak of the birth of our Savior. I hope we all sing along with the angels and give glory to God.

Know Why You're Here, part four

John 17:22-23

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

One of the reasons God put you on this planet is so the world could see His presence in your life. When you submit to God’s plan, your life is filled with purpose and the power to achieve that purpose. When you submit to God’s plan, you begin to learn how powerful agreement with God is. When you submit to God’s plan, the world can see proof of God’s love as He shines through you.

I think it’s funny that some people think they have to work as a missionary in a far away land if they accept Jesus. That’s not true. Think of the thief on the cross who humbled himself before God and announced that he wanted a relationship with him. Jesus didn’t give out a list of ministry jobs he’d have to do to be accepted into Heaven.

Jesus simply accepted him.

The feeling of elation that comes with acceptance into God’s family causes worship to come from your spirit. The joy you feel is what others see – and they want it.

When you’ve been living in an intimate relationship with God, worshiping Him and getting to know Him better every day, people see that love and are attracted to it. The best evangelism is a life lived in love and truth.

Know Why You're Here, part three

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

In part one of this series, I mentioned that God created each of us with unique abilities that are required for us to accomplish our purpose during our stay on Earth. I suggested that we all find out our purpose so we can know our goals, itinerary, and focus.

In part two, I mentioned that we can’t really accomplish all we were created to do unless we submit to God’s plan and rely on His power.

I want to add that God’s planning was pretty thorough. He not only designed us with special gifts and made His power available to us, but He also picked out our specific “good works” in advance.

Some people accept Jesus as their Savior and sit back, thinking they’ve finished their responsibilities. Those are the people who miss out on part of what they were made to do.

Churches enlist volunteers to work on different kinds of projects which range from neighborhood evangelism to youth ministry, to delivering meals to those in mourning. But what if your gifts don’t fit any of your church’s ministry offerings?

The only way you’ll fulfill your calling is to find out from God where and how He planned for you to participate in ministry. You can fill an open slot on the volunteer list at your church, but you won’t feel satisfied in your ministry if you’re not accomplishing what God has pre-planned for you to do.

Simply stated, your ministry success depends on your obedience to God.

But you knew that, right?

Many people know that, but they still sign up for whatever seems easy at the moment, not taking into account how their participation will affect others who were designed to do that job. Are you impairing someone else’s ministry success by not being where God wanted you?

Find those “good works” God has already picked out for you. Listen for His guidance, and you’ll be in the perfect place to succeed.

Know How To Maintain What You Started

John 14:12

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

If you’ve submitted your life to God and accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for your sins, you should know that you are only beginning your new life.

A seed is planted and the growing begins, but rain and sunshine are necessary to maintain the growth of that seed. The plant is living and active, but take it out of the soil, moisture and light and it will die.

Just like that seed, your life in Christ needs specific things to maintain growth. How do we maintain our new life?

You need to stay planted in the good soil of God’s word, which is the Bible. You need the living water of God’s presence through prayer. And you need to follow Jesus daily just as flowers turn to face the sun.

In John 14:15, Jesus says if we love him, we'll obey him. Three verses earlier, we find out that Jesus judges our faith by what we're doing. Obedience is one of the ways we stay connected to God and maintain our growth. Without obedience to God, our growth is stunted.

If you feel like a weak Christian, you must realize that our obedience keeps us strong. Find out what God wants you to do and do it.

Remember to keep feeding yourself on the rich soil of the word of God. It has all the right nutrients for our spiritual growth. The refreshing, life-giving hydration our spirit receives from His presence as we pray will keep us from becoming a dried-up, half-alive Christian. But the obedience we give God with our words and actions keeps us standing tall and straight and beautiful in His sight.

Know Your Power Source

John 5:19

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

John 8:28

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

John 12:49-50

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.

John 14:10

Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Jesus only said what his Father said and did what his Father did. How many of us can say that?

I think our problems are based on our inability to focus on our relationship with God. We can focus on games or TV shows or work, but focusing on God seems to be a problem for many people.

My husband has a laptop computer that he uses while it’s plugged into the wall socket. He also can unplug it and use the computer while it’s running on battery power. However, the batteries run down and don’t last very long. The computer must be hooked up to an energy source for it to work.

What’s our power source?

God is our life, our breath, our source. An intimate relationship with God fills us with Him, His presence, His power. Our intimacy with God is where we begin finding answers.

If we unplug from Him, we will drain our battery and stop working. Nothing runs smoothly with an energy drain.

Our successes will come when we plug into God to see what He’s doing and saying.