'wisdom' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you.’” vss. 19-20a Luke 12:16-21 If any of the people in the crowd around Jesus were familiar with the book of Ecclesiastes, they would have realized that the truths contained in his parable on greed were found in its pages. While some of…
Daily Devotions
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.” vs. 22 Proverbs 8:21-31 No wonder humans have valued wisdom since the beginning. According to the book of Proverbs she was the Lord’s first creation! And as the Lord then brought the universe into existence, Wisdom was put in charge of construction, giving shape to suns and moons and their orbits, even molding the earth with all its land and oceans, mountains…
Daily Devotions
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?… ‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.” vss. 1, 4 Proverbs 8:1-4 Wisdom has been valued from the beginning by every tribe and nation, and the Hebrews were no exception. That wisdom took the shape of proverbs, teachings, and stories that were passed from generation to generation. We can see samples of this wisdom literature in our scriptures in the books of…
Daily Devotions
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” vs. 3 Daniel 12:1-3 Even though many have little interest in the apocalyptic messages found scattered through scripture, when we take the time to read them we can find what might be called “hidden gems.” Such is the case today with the vision recorded in this section of Daniel. These are words that those…
Daily Devotions
To those without sense she says, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.’” vss. 4-6 Proverbs 9:4-6 Every generation professes concern for succeeding generations, frequently castigating the young for their senseless and immature behaviors, even though we all know that foolishness is not the exclusive domain of that sector of the population. Folks of every age are susceptible to outrageous and childish…
Daily Devotions
Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.” vs. 12 1 Kings 3:9-12 After Solomon had ordered the death of his older brother and thus consolidated his power, the ancient court history recounts in a scene reminiscent of the Arabian Nights that the Lord, like a genie, appears to him in a dream and offers to give him whatever he wants. Solomon…
Daily Devotions
As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.” vs. 9 Jeremiah 28:7-9 Jeremiah was suspicious of the prophet Hananiah. It might well be true that Hananiah’s placating message was from the Lord–if so, they’d soon find out. But in Jeremiah’s experience the true prophets always called for repentance and change, and if our scriptures can be trusted, he was right!…
Daily Devotions
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” vs. 17 1 Corinthians 1:14-18 Pastors who can preach with eloquence are highly prized in our congregations, and if they can throw in a dash of humor they are exalted. The best of them have their sermons live-streamed into multiple settings so that even more folks can be enthralled…
Daily Devotions
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” vs. 30 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Paul sensed that one of the problems in the Corinthian congregation was that some of the people had begun to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. He reminds them that when they were called to become believers they were all nobodies, and none of them was in any…
Daily Devotions
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10 Psalm 111 For centuries there wasn’t much question about the primacy of the Lord. Pretty much everyone, at least in the Judeo-Christian heritage, would have agreed with the psalmist–the Lord was in control and showered blessings over the entire earth. Our awesome God had power and might and was also gracious and merciful. But somewhere…
Daily Devotions
Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” vss. 6-8 1 Timothy 6:6-12 The wisdom in these few short verses is overwhelming. Obviously, accumulation was an issue even for first century followers of Jesus, and some seem to have been infected by the notion that more is better.…
Daily Devotions
For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice, that one should live on forever and never see the grave.” vss. 8-9 Psalm 49:1-12 This psalmist, like the Teacher of Ecclesiastes, has accumulated a fair bit of wisdom in the course of his life, and he passes on an important oft-forgotten truth. No one lives forever, no matter how much money they might have! For him this knowledge brought peace and a freedom from fear and anxiety. He…