February 19. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2010.
SERVICE
DEFINITION:
An act of serving; duty performed or needs supplied; a religious service.
SCRIPTURE:
“Be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart.” I Samuel 12:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
God chose Moses to be his instrument to establish God’s law and commandments with the nation of Israel. The Israelites were all descended from Abraham through the family of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham.
For some 400 years the Israelites had lived in Egypt where they worshipped many gods. Moses became God’s instrument to teach the Israelites how to serve the one and only true God. God began by giving Moses the Ten Commandments. For the first time as a nation they had a leader who could help them know God and understand what God expected of them.
In his first message of instruction, Moses said to the people. “O Israel, what does the Lord God ask of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12.
To put it simply, what God wants from us is reverence for Him, obedience to Him, love for Him and to serve him with all of our heart and soul.
After the Israelites had conquered the Promised Land, Joshua repeated to them the same message that Moses gave them as it is written in Joshua 22:5. Nothing has changed since Moses’ and Joshua’s time. God expects the same from us today.
All those that love the Lord and are obedient to Him will want to serve Him. God has not given us all the same gifts or the same means of service but whatever God has given us to do, we should do it joyfully and wholeheartedly, as it reads in Colossians 3:23, “and whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not for men.” No matter how menial the job, if you do it with the attitude that you are doing it for the Lord and for His glory, you will find blessing and satisfaction in doing it.
There are many other references in the scriptures concerning our responsibility to serve God. Psalm 100:2 tells us to serve the Lord with gladness. In II Timothy 2:1-2 Paul tells Timothy to be strong in the Lord and to teach the faithful men the things that he has heard and learned so they will be able to teach others as they serve the Lord. Paul also warns Timothy that when one serves the Lord he must endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Our parents encouraged us at an early age to serve the Lord in all that we did. To us serving the Lord meant two things. First we served the Lord by our daily actions. Our words and deeds needed at all times to honor our Lord so others could see Christ through us. This is really a challenge to most people to do today but this is what God wants from us.
Secondly, serving the Lord meant that we were to give some of our time to the Lord. We were taught to volunteer for serving when available and needed. Possibly you need to evaluate areas where you could serve the Lord by volunteering. Some can deliver meals to those that are sick; some can visit hospitals to encourage those going through health problems. Possibly you could go as a team to a senior citizens home and visit and sing to them.
We know of professionals today, like doctors and dentists that give two weeks of their time and pay their own expenses and go to a third world country to work in a clinic that desperately needs help. Serving the Lord is a privilege for those that love the Lord. It is also a responsibility that we have as believers.
If you are not spending time serving the Lord, we encourage you to begin now. You can begin by teaching a Sunday school class or be a helper in a church youth group. Serving God will strengthen your faith and you will be blessed.
Often our place of service is right in our home or among our family members who need help.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.”
PRAYER:
Give me a heart of service today. Help me to serve You with all my heart and soul. No matter what I have to do, help me to remember to do it gladly without complaining so that I may bring glory to You.
February 21, 2010
Stress: February 18, 2010
February 18.TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2010.
STRESS
DEFINITION:
A strain, mental pressure, anxiety.
SCRIPTURE:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We live in a stressful world and it is fair to say that we all have stress in our lives. Stress is a serious problem to many individuals and families today. Stress can come from so many sources like our jobs, our family relationships, our health, our friends, our enemies, just to name a few.
The opposite of stress is peace and a sense of well being. How can we find peace when we seem to be overwhelmed with stress? God knows all about us, so He knows all about the stresses in our life and He wants us to turn to Him when the going gets tough.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites us to come to Him saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” He is saying to us that He will give us rest from our stress if we will trust Him and not try to rely on our own strength and abilities.
The promise is given to us in Psalm 29:11 that “The Lord gives strength to His people (those who have their faith in Him) and blesses them with His peace.” There can be no more powerful source of strength available to handle our stress than God almighty who is all powerful and the creator of all things.
Isaiah describes the peace that comes from God as perfect. Isaiah 26:3. “God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in God.”
Paul experienced stress in his life like very few others have. In Philippians 4:4-7 he tells us how he coped with stress and anguish in his life. He said to “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, REJOICE. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In times of stress Paul recommends that we rejoice. No matter how much stress we are suffering, if we know the Lord we have reason to rejoice. Then he tells us to stop worrying and turn our worries into prayers and ask God to help us with the situations that are causing our stress.
When we are really willing to turn our problems over to God, we will receive a peace that only God can give and that is beyond our own understanding.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
PRAYER:
Help me to rejoice because I have You in my life. It is my prayer today that You would eliminate stress from my life and give me your peace. Help me to always put my trust in You to help me with the stress and frustrations in my life.
STRESS
DEFINITION:
A strain, mental pressure, anxiety.
SCRIPTURE:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We live in a stressful world and it is fair to say that we all have stress in our lives. Stress is a serious problem to many individuals and families today. Stress can come from so many sources like our jobs, our family relationships, our health, our friends, our enemies, just to name a few.
The opposite of stress is peace and a sense of well being. How can we find peace when we seem to be overwhelmed with stress? God knows all about us, so He knows all about the stresses in our life and He wants us to turn to Him when the going gets tough.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites us to come to Him saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” He is saying to us that He will give us rest from our stress if we will trust Him and not try to rely on our own strength and abilities.
The promise is given to us in Psalm 29:11 that “The Lord gives strength to His people (those who have their faith in Him) and blesses them with His peace.” There can be no more powerful source of strength available to handle our stress than God almighty who is all powerful and the creator of all things.
Isaiah describes the peace that comes from God as perfect. Isaiah 26:3. “God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in God.”
Paul experienced stress in his life like very few others have. In Philippians 4:4-7 he tells us how he coped with stress and anguish in his life. He said to “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, REJOICE. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In times of stress Paul recommends that we rejoice. No matter how much stress we are suffering, if we know the Lord we have reason to rejoice. Then he tells us to stop worrying and turn our worries into prayers and ask God to help us with the situations that are causing our stress.
When we are really willing to turn our problems over to God, we will receive a peace that only God can give and that is beyond our own understanding.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
PRAYER:
Help me to rejoice because I have You in my life. It is my prayer today that You would eliminate stress from my life and give me your peace. Help me to always put my trust in You to help me with the stress and frustrations in my life.
Doubt: Febuary 17, 2010
February 17. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2010.
DOUBT
DEFINITION:
An unsettled state of opinion; indecision; a matter of uncertainty; an objection.
SCRIPTURE:
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” He said. Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord save me.” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why do you doubt?” Matthew 14:27.
Later Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We all have our times of doubt. Even the disciples had their times of doubt. We usually think of Thomas as “doubting Thomas.” Peter, we know had great faith but in Matthew 14: 27-31 (above) we find that his faith wavered and he experienced doubt. After Jesus had fed the 5000 men, plus the women and children, He told His disciples to get in the boat and go before Him to the other side of the lake, while He was sending the multitudes on their way. Jesus then wanted some solitude so He went up to the mountain to pray.
When the disciples got to the middle of the sea, the wind came up and they were being tossed around by the waves. Jesus knew they were in trouble so He began to walk toward them on the waves. The disciples saw Jesus coming and they thought it was a ghost and they cried out with fear. Jesus then spoke to them saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” But all of them doubted that it was Jesus. Peter was the first to respond by saying, “Lord if it is You: command me to come to You on the water.”
Jesus answered Peter by saying, “COME.” Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water but the storm winds were boisterous and he was afraid and cried out to the Lord to save him. Peter stepped out in faith but when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on his circumstance, being surrounded by pounding waves, he began to sink. He realized he needed help and cried out “Lord save me.”
At once Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him and said to him, “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” When our faith wavers because we are going through a storm in life and we are sinking in the waves, we need to take our eyes off of our circumstances and focus them on Jesus and ask for His help.
It is when our faith is weak that doubt creeps in. Satan loves to see believers doubt because it makes us more vulnerable to his temptations.
Sometimes we doubt God due to our own unfulfilled expectations. The disciples had watched Jesus die on the cross. They had seen His body placed in the tomb. Now all their hopes were dashed. They did not understand why He had to die. We read in Luke 24:21 that at least some of the disciples had hoped that Jesus was going to rescue the nation of Israel from their enemies and the oppressive rule of the Romans.
Some even thought that God would intervene and that Jesus would not really die. These followers of Jesus doubted because their expectations were not met. All eleven of the disciples had doubts that Jesus had really risen from the dead. It was only when Jesus actually appeared to them that they would truly believe. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and for doubting those who told them that they had seen Jesus after He was risen.
It is not uncommon for people to pray for something and then doubt God because He did not answer their prayers to meet their expectations. Have you ever doubted the Lord? Do you have a “doubt” problem in your everyday living?
Possibly your doubt comes because of frustration. In Exodus 5:22-23, we read about Moses doubt that came out of frustration. Moses told God of his doubt asking, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”
Moses doubted why God had called on him to go to Pharaoh because not only could he not see any results in getting Pharaoh to free the Hebrews but Pharaoh was making their lives harder. Like Moses we are impatient and when we do not see fast results we doubt if God is even hearing our prayers. God in His perfect time will respond if we keep our faith strong and do not doubt.
God responded to Moses by saying to him, “I am the Lord.” God told Moses to wait and see what I will do to Pharaoh. He will let them go and will drive the people out of the land. God had to remind Moses of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the covenant He had with the Children of Israel. Moses showed his doubt at a time of frustration because he wasn’t seeing any results for his efforts.
We need to daily, “Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55: 22.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for today is found in Ephesians 2: 8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”
PRAYER:
Help me not to doubt who You are and that You are my God and my Savior. Help me not to doubt that You are with me every moment of every day. I pray that You would help me to strengthen my faith in You and let me walk close to You.
DOUBT
DEFINITION:
An unsettled state of opinion; indecision; a matter of uncertainty; an objection.
SCRIPTURE:
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” He said. Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord save me.” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why do you doubt?” Matthew 14:27.
Later Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We all have our times of doubt. Even the disciples had their times of doubt. We usually think of Thomas as “doubting Thomas.” Peter, we know had great faith but in Matthew 14: 27-31 (above) we find that his faith wavered and he experienced doubt. After Jesus had fed the 5000 men, plus the women and children, He told His disciples to get in the boat and go before Him to the other side of the lake, while He was sending the multitudes on their way. Jesus then wanted some solitude so He went up to the mountain to pray.
When the disciples got to the middle of the sea, the wind came up and they were being tossed around by the waves. Jesus knew they were in trouble so He began to walk toward them on the waves. The disciples saw Jesus coming and they thought it was a ghost and they cried out with fear. Jesus then spoke to them saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” But all of them doubted that it was Jesus. Peter was the first to respond by saying, “Lord if it is You: command me to come to You on the water.”
Jesus answered Peter by saying, “COME.” Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water but the storm winds were boisterous and he was afraid and cried out to the Lord to save him. Peter stepped out in faith but when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on his circumstance, being surrounded by pounding waves, he began to sink. He realized he needed help and cried out “Lord save me.”
At once Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him and said to him, “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” When our faith wavers because we are going through a storm in life and we are sinking in the waves, we need to take our eyes off of our circumstances and focus them on Jesus and ask for His help.
It is when our faith is weak that doubt creeps in. Satan loves to see believers doubt because it makes us more vulnerable to his temptations.
Sometimes we doubt God due to our own unfulfilled expectations. The disciples had watched Jesus die on the cross. They had seen His body placed in the tomb. Now all their hopes were dashed. They did not understand why He had to die. We read in Luke 24:21 that at least some of the disciples had hoped that Jesus was going to rescue the nation of Israel from their enemies and the oppressive rule of the Romans.
Some even thought that God would intervene and that Jesus would not really die. These followers of Jesus doubted because their expectations were not met. All eleven of the disciples had doubts that Jesus had really risen from the dead. It was only when Jesus actually appeared to them that they would truly believe. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and for doubting those who told them that they had seen Jesus after He was risen.
It is not uncommon for people to pray for something and then doubt God because He did not answer their prayers to meet their expectations. Have you ever doubted the Lord? Do you have a “doubt” problem in your everyday living?
Possibly your doubt comes because of frustration. In Exodus 5:22-23, we read about Moses doubt that came out of frustration. Moses told God of his doubt asking, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”
Moses doubted why God had called on him to go to Pharaoh because not only could he not see any results in getting Pharaoh to free the Hebrews but Pharaoh was making their lives harder. Like Moses we are impatient and when we do not see fast results we doubt if God is even hearing our prayers. God in His perfect time will respond if we keep our faith strong and do not doubt.
God responded to Moses by saying to him, “I am the Lord.” God told Moses to wait and see what I will do to Pharaoh. He will let them go and will drive the people out of the land. God had to remind Moses of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the covenant He had with the Children of Israel. Moses showed his doubt at a time of frustration because he wasn’t seeing any results for his efforts.
We need to daily, “Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55: 22.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for today is found in Ephesians 2: 8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”
PRAYER:
Help me not to doubt who You are and that You are my God and my Savior. Help me not to doubt that You are with me every moment of every day. I pray that You would help me to strengthen my faith in You and let me walk close to You.
Trouble: February 16, 2010
February 16. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2010.
TROUBLE
DEFINITION:
Annoy; disturb in the mind; worry; put to inconvenience; discomfort; distress; a cause or source of trouble.
SCRIPTURE:
“The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.” Proverbs 11:8
“Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.” Psalm 22:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In life we have the choice of two paths. We can choose the path of righteousness or the path of wickedness. Neither path is trouble-free. Even the righteous will have suffering and troubles in their life. We are told this in Proverbs 34:18-19 where it reads: “The Lord is close to the broken hearted. A righteous man may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
The believer who has chosen the path of righteousness has the promise of God that He will be close to him in the time of trouble and will deliver him from it. The wicked by their own sinful ways bring more and more trouble upon themselves.
David was no stranger to trouble and suffering. In Psalms 22:11 he recognized that God was the one who could deliver him from trouble and the only one he could call on for help. He called on God to be near to him because there was no one else to help him.
There are so many troubles that we face in life where God is our only source of help. This promise is stated so clearly for us in Psalms 60:11-12 “Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. With God we will gain victory, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”
In the third chapter of Daniel you can read about the trouble that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had because they refused to bow to the golden image that their King Nebuchadnezzar required all to bow to. The scripture tells us that the King was furious and in a rage and gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego before him. The King asked them if it was true that they would not serve his gods or worship the gold image that he had set up.
The King told them to bow now or they would be thrown into a burning fiery furnace. Now it would seem that these men were in more trouble than they could handle. They had to choose the path of righteousness or the path of wickedness. They knew that as believers in God that they would not bow down to false images or gods.
They had to make a choice. They must either bow down or face death in the fiery furnace. They did not hesitate in giving Nebuchadnezzar their answer. They would not bow down to the image. They believed God could save them but even if God chose not to save them they were not willing to worship false gods.
The King was now really full of fury and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. He had the men bound and thrown into the furnace. These men knew that they had their trust in God and that God was with them in this time of their real trouble.
Then the King was astonished at what he saw. He asked his counselors if they put only three men in the furnace because he could now see four. Then the King said that the fourth man is like the Son of God. He ordered the men taken out of the furnace and said to the men who came out to come to him. Then the King said; “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” and he decreed that no man should speak against the God of these men or they would be sliced to pieces.
Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that their God was the true God with these words: “for no other god can save in this way.”
What a wonderful illustration God has given us. If God could help these men in their time of trouble, surely He can be with us in our times of trouble. Though it is very difficult for us to understand at the time, it is the troubles of life that help shape us into what God wants us to be. The next time trouble comes along in your life, and it is never far away from us, ask the Lord, “What would You have me learn from this?”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”
PRAYER:
My prayer today is that You would stay close to me and keep me away from trouble. Increase my faith so I truly understand that You are with me in my times of trouble. Bless and care for my family just as You care for me.
TROUBLE
DEFINITION:
Annoy; disturb in the mind; worry; put to inconvenience; discomfort; distress; a cause or source of trouble.
SCRIPTURE:
“The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.” Proverbs 11:8
“Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.” Psalm 22:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In life we have the choice of two paths. We can choose the path of righteousness or the path of wickedness. Neither path is trouble-free. Even the righteous will have suffering and troubles in their life. We are told this in Proverbs 34:18-19 where it reads: “The Lord is close to the broken hearted. A righteous man may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
The believer who has chosen the path of righteousness has the promise of God that He will be close to him in the time of trouble and will deliver him from it. The wicked by their own sinful ways bring more and more trouble upon themselves.
David was no stranger to trouble and suffering. In Psalms 22:11 he recognized that God was the one who could deliver him from trouble and the only one he could call on for help. He called on God to be near to him because there was no one else to help him.
There are so many troubles that we face in life where God is our only source of help. This promise is stated so clearly for us in Psalms 60:11-12 “Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. With God we will gain victory, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”
In the third chapter of Daniel you can read about the trouble that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had because they refused to bow to the golden image that their King Nebuchadnezzar required all to bow to. The scripture tells us that the King was furious and in a rage and gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego before him. The King asked them if it was true that they would not serve his gods or worship the gold image that he had set up.
The King told them to bow now or they would be thrown into a burning fiery furnace. Now it would seem that these men were in more trouble than they could handle. They had to choose the path of righteousness or the path of wickedness. They knew that as believers in God that they would not bow down to false images or gods.
They had to make a choice. They must either bow down or face death in the fiery furnace. They did not hesitate in giving Nebuchadnezzar their answer. They would not bow down to the image. They believed God could save them but even if God chose not to save them they were not willing to worship false gods.
The King was now really full of fury and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. He had the men bound and thrown into the furnace. These men knew that they had their trust in God and that God was with them in this time of their real trouble.
Then the King was astonished at what he saw. He asked his counselors if they put only three men in the furnace because he could now see four. Then the King said that the fourth man is like the Son of God. He ordered the men taken out of the furnace and said to the men who came out to come to him. Then the King said; “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” and he decreed that no man should speak against the God of these men or they would be sliced to pieces.
Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that their God was the true God with these words: “for no other god can save in this way.”
What a wonderful illustration God has given us. If God could help these men in their time of trouble, surely He can be with us in our times of trouble. Though it is very difficult for us to understand at the time, it is the troubles of life that help shape us into what God wants us to be. The next time trouble comes along in your life, and it is never far away from us, ask the Lord, “What would You have me learn from this?”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”
PRAYER:
My prayer today is that You would stay close to me and keep me away from trouble. Increase my faith so I truly understand that You are with me in my times of trouble. Bless and care for my family just as You care for me.
Wisdom: February 15, 2010
February 15. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2010.
WISDOM
DEFINITION:
The power of forming a sound judgment in any matter; experience.
SCRIPTURE:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5.
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Proverbs 4:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
How many times in your life have you done something and then reacted by asking yourself, why did I do that? Some would respond by saying that it was a lack of wisdom. Others might just say that it was a mistake. In our day to day activities we often act on impulse and then wish we had not reacted in the manner we did. The bottom line was that we did not use wisdom.
Even as a child, Jesus recognized that God was His real Father. When He went to Jerusalem with His parents for the Feast of the Passover, He went to His father’s house and spent three days listening and questioning the teachers in the Temple. During this time His parents were looking for Him. Although He was only twelve He stayed in the Temple and recognized He needed to grow in wisdom and that God was the source of His wisdom.
The understanding He showed even at so young of an age amazed the teachers of the Temple. Jesus had parents who loved God and He listened, not only to His heavenly Father but to His earthly parents. When His parents found Him in the Temple, He went back with them to Nazareth.
For the next 18 years He worked in Joseph’s carpenter shop. The scripture tells us that during these growing years that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Jesus not only grew and matured physically but He grew spiritually and in wisdom.
The verse above, Proverbs 4:5, is written as a command to us: GET WISDOM! GET UNDERSTANDING! The Bible contains many verses, especially in Proverbs, concerning the need to have wisdom in making our everyday decisions and the importance of growing in wisdom as Jesus did. In Proverbs 9:10 we are told that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
How do we get wisdom? Solomon tells us in chapter 1 of Proverbs. He advises us to listen and learn and get guidance. In verse 8 he instructs us to listen to the instruction of our father and mother.
We can learn much about wisdom from the life of Solomon, considered the wisest man in the scriptures. David’s son Solomon was given guidance and instruction by David before he died. His instructions to Solomon were to be strong, and to prove yourself as a man. David recognized that wisdom comes from God. He told Solomon to do all that the Lord requires, which was to keep God’s laws and obey all of His commandments.
Solomon became King at a very young age and it was early in his reign that the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said to Solomon: “Ask! What shall I give you?” (I Kings 3:5) Solomon responded (verses 9-15) by asking for an understanding heart so that he could discern between good and evil. This pleased the Lord and the Lord responded by saying that because you have asked for this and have not asked for long life or riches, you will have a wise and understanding heart and I will also give you riches and honor. Then the Lord said (verse 14) “so if you walk in My ways, keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” God gave Solomon not only wisdom but so much more.
Later Solomon showed his wisdom, that God had given him, when two women, who lived in the same house, came to him (I Kings 3:16-27) over the issue of who was the mother of the baby?
The two mothers had babies within days of each other. One of the babies died during the night and the mother of the dead baby switched her baby with the live baby. Both claimed the live baby as theirs. Solomon had no way of knowing the truth but in his wisdom he knew how he might find the truth.
Solomon asked for a sword and said to divide the child in two and give half to one and half to the other. Solomon then received the answer he wanted when the real mother said do not to kill the baby and asked that the baby be given to the woman who was not the mother. Solomon knew this woman was the true mother because she was willing to give up her baby rather than see her baby killed.
Solomon was known as the wisest man in the world and he gave God the honor for this. Solomon wanted to share his God-given wisdom with others, so he wrote down his wise principles and we can now read them in the book of Proverbs.
As Christians we need to have wisdom in making our daily decisions. We need the wisdom that only God can give. In I Corinthians 3:19 we read, “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.” In the world we cannot find the kind of wisdom God wants for us. That is why God has given us the Bible. God will give us wisdom if we will just ask for it. (James 1:5)
We need to have a personal relationship with Jesus in order to be a recipient of the wisdom God will give us. We may acquire all the wisdom of the ages and be known as the wisest man on the earth, but if we have not “SEEN” Christ we then are indeed ignorant.
The German sculptor Dannecker labored several years to fashion a figure of Christ in stone. He wanted to make sure that it closely resembled the Savior so he invited a young girl to identify the person represented in the sculpture. Her response was “a great man.” Dannecker was crushed, so he returned to his studio and worked for six more years on the sculpture. Then he invited another little girl and asked her to identify who the sculpture was. The little girl began to sniffle and said, “Suffer the little children to come to me.”
His goal was achieved; he had fashioned a likeness of Christ so real that even a small girl could see Him. Then he confessed that in his hours of discouragement in the last six years that he had personally turned to Christ and accepted Him as his Savior. Because he now knew Jesus, he said that he was able to carve into marble the vision of “CHRIST” that he now had “SEEN.”
When we are able to see Christ and know Him personally He will give us the wisdom we need for the decisions we must make in our daily lives.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
PRAYER:
I praise Your name today that, through faith, I can know You and that You will give me the wisdom to live my life today honoring You in all that I do.
WISDOM
DEFINITION:
The power of forming a sound judgment in any matter; experience.
SCRIPTURE:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5.
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Proverbs 4:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
How many times in your life have you done something and then reacted by asking yourself, why did I do that? Some would respond by saying that it was a lack of wisdom. Others might just say that it was a mistake. In our day to day activities we often act on impulse and then wish we had not reacted in the manner we did. The bottom line was that we did not use wisdom.
Even as a child, Jesus recognized that God was His real Father. When He went to Jerusalem with His parents for the Feast of the Passover, He went to His father’s house and spent three days listening and questioning the teachers in the Temple. During this time His parents were looking for Him. Although He was only twelve He stayed in the Temple and recognized He needed to grow in wisdom and that God was the source of His wisdom.
The understanding He showed even at so young of an age amazed the teachers of the Temple. Jesus had parents who loved God and He listened, not only to His heavenly Father but to His earthly parents. When His parents found Him in the Temple, He went back with them to Nazareth.
For the next 18 years He worked in Joseph’s carpenter shop. The scripture tells us that during these growing years that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Jesus not only grew and matured physically but He grew spiritually and in wisdom.
The verse above, Proverbs 4:5, is written as a command to us: GET WISDOM! GET UNDERSTANDING! The Bible contains many verses, especially in Proverbs, concerning the need to have wisdom in making our everyday decisions and the importance of growing in wisdom as Jesus did. In Proverbs 9:10 we are told that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
How do we get wisdom? Solomon tells us in chapter 1 of Proverbs. He advises us to listen and learn and get guidance. In verse 8 he instructs us to listen to the instruction of our father and mother.
We can learn much about wisdom from the life of Solomon, considered the wisest man in the scriptures. David’s son Solomon was given guidance and instruction by David before he died. His instructions to Solomon were to be strong, and to prove yourself as a man. David recognized that wisdom comes from God. He told Solomon to do all that the Lord requires, which was to keep God’s laws and obey all of His commandments.
Solomon became King at a very young age and it was early in his reign that the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said to Solomon: “Ask! What shall I give you?” (I Kings 3:5) Solomon responded (verses 9-15) by asking for an understanding heart so that he could discern between good and evil. This pleased the Lord and the Lord responded by saying that because you have asked for this and have not asked for long life or riches, you will have a wise and understanding heart and I will also give you riches and honor. Then the Lord said (verse 14) “so if you walk in My ways, keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” God gave Solomon not only wisdom but so much more.
Later Solomon showed his wisdom, that God had given him, when two women, who lived in the same house, came to him (I Kings 3:16-27) over the issue of who was the mother of the baby?
The two mothers had babies within days of each other. One of the babies died during the night and the mother of the dead baby switched her baby with the live baby. Both claimed the live baby as theirs. Solomon had no way of knowing the truth but in his wisdom he knew how he might find the truth.
Solomon asked for a sword and said to divide the child in two and give half to one and half to the other. Solomon then received the answer he wanted when the real mother said do not to kill the baby and asked that the baby be given to the woman who was not the mother. Solomon knew this woman was the true mother because she was willing to give up her baby rather than see her baby killed.
Solomon was known as the wisest man in the world and he gave God the honor for this. Solomon wanted to share his God-given wisdom with others, so he wrote down his wise principles and we can now read them in the book of Proverbs.
As Christians we need to have wisdom in making our daily decisions. We need the wisdom that only God can give. In I Corinthians 3:19 we read, “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.” In the world we cannot find the kind of wisdom God wants for us. That is why God has given us the Bible. God will give us wisdom if we will just ask for it. (James 1:5)
We need to have a personal relationship with Jesus in order to be a recipient of the wisdom God will give us. We may acquire all the wisdom of the ages and be known as the wisest man on the earth, but if we have not “SEEN” Christ we then are indeed ignorant.
The German sculptor Dannecker labored several years to fashion a figure of Christ in stone. He wanted to make sure that it closely resembled the Savior so he invited a young girl to identify the person represented in the sculpture. Her response was “a great man.” Dannecker was crushed, so he returned to his studio and worked for six more years on the sculpture. Then he invited another little girl and asked her to identify who the sculpture was. The little girl began to sniffle and said, “Suffer the little children to come to me.”
His goal was achieved; he had fashioned a likeness of Christ so real that even a small girl could see Him. Then he confessed that in his hours of discouragement in the last six years that he had personally turned to Christ and accepted Him as his Savior. Because he now knew Jesus, he said that he was able to carve into marble the vision of “CHRIST” that he now had “SEEN.”
When we are able to see Christ and know Him personally He will give us the wisdom we need for the decisions we must make in our daily lives.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
PRAYER:
I praise Your name today that, through faith, I can know You and that You will give me the wisdom to live my life today honoring You in all that I do.
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