Wisdom Revealed

Are you looking for wisdom? Do you long to gain insights to greater things? Would you like to prove yourself smarter than the appointed leaders? Have you asked God to grant you His wisdom?

I believe most of us, if not all of us, would love to be smarter. There are many times we would love to prove to our bosses we are smarter than they give us credit. We want to be able to say, “I told you so.” Sometimes, that is warranted. At other times, we still have a lot to learn.

Perhaps the first thing we should do is define wisdom. Wisdom, or to be wise, is to have knowledge of what is right and couple it with judgment. In plain language, it means we must use knowledge with good judgment to do what is right, make good decisions, give good advice.

Where does true wisdom come from? God! Of course, God doesn’t go around speaking wisdom with a megaphone for all of us to hear. He speaks through His Word. He speaks through the writings of the Apostles. He speaks through other Christians. He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit. God speaks to us in many ways without speaking from a burning bush.

In today’s passage, Paul is telling the church in Corinth that he was speaking God’s wisdom to those who were mature and would understand what he was saying. He tells them the rulers of their present age don’t understand God’s wisdom nor is he speaking about the knowledge or wisdom of those rulers. Paul was speaking of something much higher, much more precious.

God’s wisdom, His plan for humanity, was hidden until Christ came. He provided prophecy of what was come. He provided hints to the prophets concerning His plan. But it was not fully revealed until Christ walked the earth and taught His wisdom to those who were willing to listen and absorb it.

God planned it long before we were born. In fact, He planned it before time began. That’s hard for us to wrap our mind around, isn’t it? Before God created Adam and Eve, He knew they were going to fall, and He planned the redemption of all mankind beforehand. Why? To glorify us. Imagine that! God desires to glorify us, and He does so in His wisdom.

I pray we all listen for God’s wisdom. I pray we all ask God to grant us His wisdom. I pray each one of us seeks to understand God’s wisdom. Gain knowledge. Apply knowledge with judgment. Seek God’s wisdom. Ask God to grant you wisdom. Be wise.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

Balance In Faith

Are you a person who likes to be busy working or doing something? Or are you someone who prefers to let someone else do the work? Have you truthfully looked in the mirror to determine which camp you fall into?

It is rare that we find someone who never sits down or someone who absolutely refuses to leave their bed. Yet, most of us lean more toward one of those than the other. As we evaluate our preference, we also must evaluate the work we do.

We have all used the terms lazy, couch potato, or moocher. We have also used workaholic, never sits down, or good work ethic to describe people. Most of us do not want to be identified as being in the first category. Yet, we don’t really want to be so absorbed in our work that we are considered in the second category. We strive for balance.

We also need a balance in our faith life. Our faith cannot be one that does nothing. Yet, our faith cannot cause us to be so busy we don’t pause to spend quiet time with God. We need balance. The balance comes when we are in continual conversation with God and following His guidance.

Faith does require us to work. In fact, there is a hybrid word I have heard, and perhaps you have, too, that I really like—faithworks. It means we work by and in faith. We do the works faith calls us to do. We also work with a faith that tells us God will provide. Finally, the word means faith is always at work in us. The multiple meanings of that hybrid word is both comforting and inspiring.

James tells us in today’s passage that we cannot have a faith that does not cause us to do good works. He says that faith is dead. In other words, it is merely belief and not faith. At that point, we are no better off than the demons James mentions in 2:19.

Lest we become anxious or worried about our faith, working does not mean we must feed and clothe the world, attend every event, nor be someone we are not. It does mean we are to take on doing what God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

God is not asking us to be so busy working for Him that we fail to spend quiet time with Him. In fact, just the opposite. God has prepared good works for us to do while leaving time for us to be quiet before Him. Unfortunately, we too often fill the quiet time with worldly noise.

I pray we all put our faith to work. I pray we go about doing the good works God has prepared for us. I pray each one of us finds balance between works and quiet time. Faithworks. Put your faith into action. Be quiet before God. Find the balance God desires for you.

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Right Time, Right Place

Do you ever wonder if you were born at the right time? Are there times you feel out of place? Perhaps you feel you would have been more suited for the 1800’s? Is it because you already know the history? Have you spent time really thinking through it or just fantasizing?

There are people who feel out of place in today’s world. They don’t understand the new technology. They don’t care for the fast pace of life. They become anxious, afraid of failure, fearful of looking stupid.

When we question if we were born in the right time period, we question God. It demonstrates our doubt that God is in control. We are doubting He has a plan for our lives. Trusting God includes trusting He has put us where we are at the time we are put there.

Esther was not thinking in this way until her uncle, Mordecai, brought it to her attention. She was fearful when Mordecai suggested she go to the king, even though she was the queen. It was not until Mordecai questioned whether she was put there for that specific purpose and time that she agreed to take the chance to see the king.

Each of us are placed where we are at a specific time for a purpose. True, we live in a fast-paced world filled with new technology. Yes, it means there are many things we can learn and perhaps need to learn. Yet, God has confidence in us to do so or He wouldn’t have put us here and now.

How will we answer the question Mordecai put to Esther? Will we take up the challenge, face our fear, and proceed to carry out God’s plan? We can take courage in knowing God has confidence in us to carry out His plan. He can overcome our fear, knowing He is always with us. We can conquer our anxiety by spending time in prayer with God, relying on Him to quell our nerves.

When we realize God has put us here for this time and place, and we rely on Him, we start to see the opportunities He has put before us. We execute His plan for our lives. We have a positive impact on others and the world around us. Perhaps we, too, will save others from destruction.

I pray we all trust that God has put us here for a reason. I pray we rely on God to guide us. I pray each one of us goes about executing the plan God has laid out for us. You are here for a reason. Rely on God to remove your anxiety. Trust God is with you always. Execute His plan.

Esther 4:12-14 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Faith Trumps Law

Are you a legalist? Do you follow the letter of the law? Do you split hairs to nth degree? Or do you attempt to understand the spirit of the law? Are you a person who applies principles to your life rather than hard and fast rules?

A legalist doesn’t always follow the law. Yet, they are unwilling to bend from the letter of the law. They will expect everyone to follow the law, but only as they interpret it. If someone doesn’t follow the legalist’s interpretation, they are wrong.

The legalist not only has this approach to law but also their entire outlook on life. It is applied to their way of doing things. Once they learn how to perform a task, their way is the only way. They are very hard to please and rarely are satisfied.

On the other hand, a person who follows principles sees possibilities other than their own. They apply guidelines but allow room for different approaches and means of accomplishing the same task. Don’t misunderstand, they won’t compromise their principles nor quality. However, they don’t abide by the “my way or the highway” motto.

What does this have to do with our Christian walk? We may see some who are legalists in our churches. Unfortunately, legalists are doomed to fail. There is no one who can follow God’s law perfectly. Jesus is the only who has or ever will. Perhaps that is why Jesus only gave a handful of commands while He walked this earth. He wrapped up all the law and the prophets in two commands—love God and love your neighbor. These are principles. When they are used to filter every action, every spoken word, every behavior, we are following Jesus’ direction.

Notice today’s passage. Righteousness cannot be obtained through the law for the reasons stated above. It is through our faith that we obtain righteousness. Our faith in Jesus, His perfection, His love for us, His sacrifice on our behalf is how we become righteous. It is not our doing that brings it about, but what Christ has done for us and our faith in Him. As we accept His gift, we become righteous because He covers us in His righteousness.

We could sum up Paul’s message to the Romans in three simple words—faith trumps law. Our faith in Him entices us to follow His example, to pursue being more like Him. Faith accommodates other viewpoints without sacrificing principles.

I pray we all accept the gift of righteousness Jesus provides. I pray we put our trust in God. I pray each one of us follows Jesus in faith. Be like Jesus. Follow His example. Adhere to Jesus’ principles. Stop splitting hairs of the law. Accept other viewpoints. Be righteous through faith.

Romans 9:30-32 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

Faith Gains Grace

Are you a person who looks to justify yourself to others? Do you worry about what others think of you? Do you hope people will cut you some slack when you make a mistake? Do you know your faith in God brings you into His grace?

We all want to look good in the presence of others. Some of us worry about it more than others. We desire to be accepted. When we make mistakes, we hope others don’t notice or they are willing to let them slide.

There is One we can rely on to forgive our mistakes through His grace because of our faith. Our faith in God, and His Son, Jesus Christ, gains us access to His all-encompassing grace. We are covered in it from head to toe, all day long, every day. Knowing that should bring peace and comfort into our lives.

What are we to do with this grace? We are to follow Paul’s example in faith and boast about our hope in God. Our boasting isn’t in ourselves. We can confidently say God is willing to forgive our mistakes because of His wonderful grace. We can tell others that God is full of grace and they, too, can gain access to His grace by having faith in Him.

Does this mean we continue a sinful life on purpose? No. Yet, we can live confidently in our hope in God, knowing He accepts us for who we are, even as He continues to mold us into who He wants us to be. Our confidence is not to become cockiness. It is to feed our strength and courage to continue pursue becoming more like Jesus each day, regardless of the mistakes we make along the way.

The lessons we learn and the confidence we have in God’s grace is a wonderful message to tell others. Telling others about God’s grace is a message a hurting world needs to hear. A person who feels doomed to failure, needs to know about God’s grace. A person who is battered with worry, anxiety, and fear needs to hear of God’s grace. The person who appears to have it all together but is being eaten up inside with doubt needs to hear the message of God’s grace.

Our faith in God gains us access to God’s grace and confidence in the message. Our faith provides us the strength we need to face life. Our faith encourages us to tell others of God’s wonderous grace. A grace that continually covers us, regardless of our mistakes.

I pray we all realize God’s grace covers us. I pray our faith removes our doubts. I pray each of us tells others of God’s wondrous grace, relieving them of their worries. Access God’s grace. Put your faith in God. Trust Him to forgive you. Continue to grow your faith. Tell others of God’s grace.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

The Faith Equation

What is faith? What are we to do with our faith? How is our faith to be put into action? What does God expect from us? Is our faith merely for our benefit?

Faith is more than mere belief. We believe what we choose to believe, but it doesn’t always cause us to act. We can believe something is true and refuse to do what is right based on the truth. We can believe and take action based on our belief. There is a choice involved that turns belief into faith.

Do not misunderstand, faith doesn’t come without belief. Yet belief can occur without faith. For example, we can believe the posted speed limit is based on calculations that determine a safe speed for the road we are driving on. But we can ignore that truth and belief. Putting faith in the belief it is a safe speed would cause us to drive the speed limit. Imagine this—if everyone drove exactly the speed limit, there would be no rear ending of vehicles since they would all be traveling at the same speed. Now, I know that doesn’t account for all accidents, but it would significantly reduce the odds. This is also a very simple example.

How does this translate to our faith in Jesus, in God? If we believe He spoke the truth when He taught during His ministry and we put His teaching into action in our lives, that becomes faith. Belief, trust, and action add up to faith. Belief alone is not faith as James tells us in the second chapter of his book.

So, what are we to do to demonstrate our faith? We are to go about doing what God has planned ahead of time for us to do. Some of those tasks are general tasks for every follower of Jesus. They include spreading the gospel, bringing people into the kingdom of God, and joining with other Christians to encourage, strengthen, comfort, care for, and love one another.

Yet God’s plan for each of us is unique. He has a variety of tasks for us to do. We must listen for God to speak to us to know what His plan is for us. There will be times when we must step out in faith, doing something we cannot do without God stepping in. It can be a little scary. But once we experience God stepping in to accomplish what needs to happen, our faith increases.

I pray we all go beyond simple belief. I pray we put our trust in God. I pray each one of us takes action based on our belief and trust that demonstrates our faith. Listen for God. Trust God. Put your faith into action. Join your faith with others. Execute God’s plan.

Matthew 24:45-47 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

Faith of a Mustard Seed

Are there times you feel unprepared? Do you sometimes feel weak? Have you experienced feeling as though you lack knowledge or wisdom? Does it seem as though your faith is being tested and is woefully lacking?

We all go through times when we feel as though we are drowning or being overwhelmed by circumstances. Our minds race to figure out how to survive. Our anxiety reaches high levels. We strive harder and harder to catch up. We forget who we belong to.

Trials and tests come along. It often seems when they hit, several hit at the same time. We are blindsided by an unexpected failure. A manager tells us a deadline has been moved up. Our spouse walks out the door. There is a death in the family. The car breaks down and needs repairs. The anxiety, fear, and stress can land us in the hospital.

If we remember we belong to God, it is only to cry out to Him for help. We may admit He is in control, but we wonder if that is true in the back of our minds. We make statements like, “I know You are in control, but…” Our faith is being tested.

I remember a time when I was in a very trying situation. I had sold my house and was due to sign the closing documents the next day. The moving truck had picked up nearly all my belongings. However, there were some things I was not going to move, or I was moving myself. It was getting late in the day, and I still had too much left to do. I cried out. The answer I got? “Do the next task, then do the next.” You know what? It all got done and I got some sleep that night. I can’t tell you how. As far as I know, God slowed down time to allow me to get done.

As we see in today’s passage, we are not alone. The apostles cried out. They were faced with new instruction from Jesus that appeared to be unachievable from a human perspective. They believed Jesus would not tell them to do something they couldn’t achieve but saw no way to obey successfully.

Jesus’ response was simply have faith. Even a small amount of faith can accomplish big tasks. Not because we suddenly become superhuman, but because God steps into the equation. Rather than relying on ourselves, we rely on God. I believe Jesus was also telling them, “You have enough faith, put it to work.”

I pray we all put our faith to work. I pray we remember who we belong to. I pray each one of us exercises our faith and calls God to step into the situation. Trust God. Exercise your faith. Rely on God. Call Him into your situation. Cry out for His help.

Luke 17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

The Ultimate Plan

Have you made long range plans? How far out have you planned? Five years? Ten years? Have you been part of a planning team to make plans for a business? The larger the team or corporation, the more complicated those plans become, don’t they?

If a company is going to last, they must plan ahead. Most companies have multiple plans—short range, mid-range, and long range. The plans support the goals of the company. Large companies will have high level goals for the overall company, while the plans supporting those goals become more detailed at the smaller business unit levels of the company.

Would you be surprised to hear God had a plan? He did and does. His plan has been in effect since before time began and is still effective. Can you imagine a plan that has been implemented for thousands of years? God’s plan is the most important plan of all. His plan is to save as many people as possible, granting them eternal life with Him.

Unlike our human plans, God’s plan doesn’t depend on our being good at our jobs. It depends on God’s grace. God’s grace existed before time. Our salvation existed before time. It came to fruition when Jesus came to reveal God’s ultimate purpose. The only requirement on our part is to put our faith and trust in God.

Upon our acceptance of God’s grace, we cross over from death into life. This may be a hard concept for us to understand, but it is describing an eternal state of being. You see, without God we are doomed to an eternal death. With His grace, we are granted eternal life.

What is the definition of death and life? Death is being separated from God. Life is being with God. Simple. Perhaps that is why God’s plan has lasted for thousands of years. It is a simple plan that anyone can understand. On the other hand, perhaps its simplicity is what makes some believe it can’t be true. We make things far more complicated than they need to be.

I pray we all accept the simplicity of God’s plan. I pray we put our trust in God’s simple plan. I pray each one of us chooses to accept God’s grace by putting our faith in Him. Accept God’s plan. Accept God’s grace. Put your faith in Him. Trust Him. Cross over from death to life.

2 Timothy 1:9-10 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Be Still

Are you longing to know God better? Do you wish you understood His plan for your life? Would you like to know what He is thinking? What are you willing to do to gain the insight you seek? Are you willing to sit still and be quiet?

God makes Himself available for us to get to know Him. He isn’t hiding from us. He isn’t running from us. God is patiently waiting for us to come to Him. Therein lies the problem. We aren’t longing to know Him.

There are some who will rail against God. They accuse Him of abandoning them. They blame Him for bad things happening in their lives. They strike out against his followers. Unfortunately, they have been caught in one of Satan’s traps.

To get to know God, we must desire to know Him and be willing to spend time with Him. We can’t see Him, which makes it challenging for us. We are also challenged by a demand on our time from all sides. Our boss demands more productivity and perhaps overtime. Our family wants us to go to events with them. Our church asks us to participate in activities or take on responsibilities. And the pastor tells us to spend quiet time with God.

Spending quiet time with God must become a priority and a discipline if we are to get to know Him. Yes, we are being pulled in multiple directions. True, many of those are important. However, for our own peace and health we need to spend the quiet time with God.

There are some who will argue they cannot afford the time. They are caregivers. They need to take care of their families. Those may be true, and we can set aside spending quiet time with God for a short period of time. Yet, if we don’t take time to take care of ourselves, spend the quiet time our soul needs with God, we won’t be able to take care of others well.

We know something about God. We will readily admit He created the earth and all that is in it. We will state God is far greater than we can imagine. We may even believe He has a plan for our lives. But will we decide to go beyond simply knowing about Him and pursue getting to truly know Him.

I pray we all decide to know God. I pray we make spending time with Him a priority. I pray each on us will discipline ourselves to spend quiet time with God regularly. Seek knowing God. Spend time with Him. Make God a priority. Discipline yourself. Go beyond knowing about Him.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Quiet Life

What is your desire in life? What is the one thing you want more than any other? Have you spent time listing all your wants and prioritizing them? Which of your wants are true desires and which are merely nice to haves?

We all have wants, things we would like to have or do. In my observances of people, we chase those wants far more often than we build a plan to have our hearts desire. We spend time buying or doing little things for momentary satisfaction rather than taking steps toward our true longing.

For example, I’ve seen people who spend a few dollars on little plastic toys for their children rather than saving their money and putting it toward a new bicycle. Now, I know, this is a very simple example, but I ask you to use it as a measuring stick against your other wants and desires.

We have heard the saying; you get what you pay for. This not only applies to purchasing quality products versus cheap products, but it also applies to life itself. When we choose the easy way out rather than doing what we know is right or best, we have lost.

How do we gain the strength and courage we need to stand for what is right? How do we know what is right? Our first step is to know God. We get to know Him by being quiet and spending time with Him. God has been and continues to patiently wait for each of us to spend time with Him.

As we get to know Him better, we start prioritizing His desires above our own. We start seeing the truth of the matter. We come to realize that living a quiet life is what’s best for us. What does a quiet life look life? It’s rather simple. It is refusing to chase after the world. It is refusing to allow the world to set our priorities. It is being satisfied with what God has blessed us with.

Now, it is not wrong to have worldly possessions. However, it is wrong if having worldly possessions is more important to us than God. Those worldly possessions become idols, whether we are willing to call them that or not. Living a quiet life becomes an abundant life in Christ.

I pray we all take time to review our wants and desires. I pray we set priorities, putting God at the top. I pray each one of us will choose to live a quiet life. Review your wants. Set priorities. Make God your top priority. Be satisfied with God’s blessings. Live the quiet life. Live an abundant life.

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.