Category: Wisdom

The Joy of God’s Presence

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The Psalmist talks about the joy of going to God’s house.  At this time the tabernacle was the structure of the house of God.  This was the place God met with His people.  We no longer need either the tabernacle or the temple.  God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within us when we place our trust in Jesus’ to save us from our sins. 

While our modern church buildings are not the house of God the way the tabernacle or temple were, I think the heart attitude should be the same.  When we meet with other believers, we should be joyful about the presence of God in each of us.

I am thankful for the gathering of believers I am able to attend.  I appreciate a nice church building where we can meet.  I pray this opportunity brings God glory as we celebrate Who He is.  I hope it is a special time that brings joy to all involved.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of the Psalmist’s joy in going to Your house.  Thank You for the gathering You have provided for me. Thank You for Your presence in my life. 

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Praise and Thanksgiving

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For the month of November (again), I want to simply praise and thank God for Who He is and the many wonderful things He has done.  There is great wisdom in this.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your glory.  Thank You for sharing Who You are with flawed human beings.  My mind cannot comprehend the magnitude of Your holiness.  Please help me to seek You more and more each day.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Rejoice with Truth

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Many of us know 1 Corinthians as the love chapter.  Love is the main character.  When I saw this verse, I thought of wisdom.  Verse 6 reminds us that we need to seek the truth of righteousness.  The only way we can know true righteousness is through studying the Bible.

We live in a society that does not value absolute truth.  I fear we have forgotten some of the truth even in the church.  We need to spend time reading and learning God’s Word.  Then we need to apply it with the heart of love that 1 Corinthians 13 describes.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us instruction on love and righteousness.  Please help me to seek the truth from Your Word and share it with others.  I want to share Your truth, the only truth.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Soft Wise Words

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Those of us who grew up hearing the Bible taught have heard Proverbs 15:1 numerous times.  There have been too many examples of “harsh words stirring up anger” in the last few years. 

As I have tried to apply this to my own life, my first thought is “calm down!”  While there is validity to that thought, I need to make sure that my words have wisdom.  I don’t want to take verse one alone and forget to apply verse two.  Wisdom is easier to find with calm thoughts.  However, calm unwise words are still a risk.

As Christians we need to read and study God’s Word to make sure our words are wise and helpful.  I love verse 23 – good words at the appropriate time are good.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to have calm wise words at the right time in my conversations.  I want to help others to walk the path of wisdom.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Good Friends Matter

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Friendship is a necessity of life.  No one can live well without good companionship.  Problems happen when we don’t choose friends wisely.  We need to choose friends who seek Biblical wisdom and will help us do the same.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the wisdom that comes from Your Word.  Please help me to walk with wise people and encourage wisdom in those with whom I interact.  Your way is the only way worth living.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

The Final Word

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God’s Word is so important.  This is communication directly from the hand and heart of Almighty God.  He loves us so much that He provided all we need for life (2 Peter 1:3).  Obeying God’s Word does not mean life will be easy.  However, working on obedience is like building a muscle.  The more we work, the stronger we become. 

I think we get tripped up by our feelings in this area.  We don’t feel good about obedience or things don’t turn out the way we hope.  We need to keep working on building obedience as God commands.  We will be rewarded.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to obey as You command.  Thank You for the rewards You provide.  Please help us to wait on You in our obedience.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

The Wisdom of Praise

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I have noticed how easy it is to complain. I think that has always been an issue, but it has been even more prevalent in the last two and half years. I know I should thank and praise the Lord more than I do, but sometimes it feels awkward. I want to work on changing that.

There is great wisdom in praising and thanking God. He has given so many good gifts. If you don’t know what they are, read the Bible.

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for Who You are and the many wonderful things You have done. Thank You for the gift of salvation, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and Your Word that gives so much insight for life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Where is Integrity?

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We live in a world where integrity doesn’t seem to matter.  Lies and manipulation are all too common.  But God tells us that integrity provides protection. 

I think most of us know that integrity is a good thing.  The challenge can come when we let our own desires become more important than God’s commands.  Compromise comes easily when we feel we deserve something.  I am thankful God provides instruction to direct my desires towards His.

Dear Heavenly Father, please direct my desires and behavior towards Your commands.  Please forgive me when I let my desires push past Yours.  Thank You for the protection that comes from integrity.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Nothing But the Truth

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I know I have made several posts about the truth.  We live in a time when people want to make truth relative.  Thankfully, God has defined truth according to His own character. 

Proverbs frequently talks about the righteous and their behavior.  Hating lies should be an easy one to identify.  However, even those of us who follow Christ can have blind spots.  A blind spot shows a lack of knowledge of the truth.  Thankfully God has made it possible to see through the lens of His Word and those who faithfully teach it.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to identify the blind spots in my life. Please guide me to the truth in Your Word so I can live in a way that honors You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Hard Work Big Rewards

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I often ask why work has to be so hard.  The fact that we live in a sin cursed earth with sinners makes life hard.  That being said, work is still worthwhile.  Proverbs tells us the satisfaction we can get from work.  This doesn’t mean we will feel good all the time, but the long-term benefits are clear.  We will have plenty.  The opposite might seem like an easier path but getting nothing doesn’t seem like a good alternative.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the provision of work.  Please help me to put appropriate effort into work.  I want the riches that You supply.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.