Humble Yourselves to Receive Wisdom

“Don’t fool yourselves. Whoever thinks they are wise in this world should become a fool. That’s the only way they can be wise.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I was talking to someone this week and I shared that the only times that Mark and I “get it right” is when we admit we are fools. If you are struggling with a situation with relationships, finances, jobs or whatever...the best thing to do is to cry out to God and tell him how foolish you are.

We have cried out to the Lord and told him that we do not know how to be a parent(even now with grown kids). We have cried out to the Lord and confessed that we do not know how to be a good spouse. We have told the Lord that we do not have wisdom to handle our money. We confessed to God that we do not know to lead our community group at church. The list goes on and on.

When we do this, he says, “Finally you realize that. Finally you are ready for me to lead you and give you the wisdom you need to turn things around.”

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He is waiting and looking for those of us who are running after him and depending on him and not ourselves. When he finds you on your knees, crying out to him, he is standing there ready to give you the wisdom you need. If you think you know it all, he will let you believe that.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Life's Biggest Choice

“And Jesus said, “The things that make people wrong are the things that come from the inside. All these bad things begin inside a person, in the mind: bad thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, doing bad things to people, lying, doing things that are morally wrong, jealousy, insulting people, proud talking, and foolish living. These evil things come from inside a person. And these are the things that make people unacceptable to God.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:20-23‬ ‭ERV 

If you read through the list of things that make a person wrong, you will find at least one thing on that list that would condemn you. This verse says that these things make you unacceptable to God. I think we all want to think that we are pretty good. We only have a few sins and most of our life is okay and that God is pleased with us because we are "pretty much" alright. 

But that is not true. We actually stink in God's presence. The entire book of Leviticus is filled with things that needed a sacrifice so that God could allow them to continue to live. Two of Aaron's sons died on the spot because they offered a wrong incense. God was and is warning us that He is HOLY and that we cannot stand in His presence. 

 At this point, many want to give up and say that no one can meet that standard of holiness. When you reach that point and you understand that you cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God, you have a choice. 

““If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship GOD, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship GOD.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24:15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

God is always allowing us to make a choice. If we want to worship Him and inherit all that He has for us, then it requires one thing...accept His only Son as payment once and for all as covering for our sins. No other way will do. If you don't accept His way, then you are choosing any other god...not the one true God. Believe me, there are a lot of other gods to serve. Problem is they can never satisfy. False gods that you created will always disappoint you. Today chose to have a relationship through Jesus Christ with the only true God.

Don't Cut with a Dull Knife

“But wisdom will make any job easier. It is very hard to cut with a dull knife. But if you sharpen the knife, the job is easier.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬

By this time in January, most people have forgotten their New Year's resolution. I hope one of your resolutions was to read God's Word everyday. If you are slipping, then there is something to consider.

Reading God's Word is not a checklist. Never was. Never will be. Instead it is a daily seeking the voice of all wisdom and power and pouring out your heart back to Him.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We all want wisdom. We want transformation in our lives. Gracious, we want weight loss. We want financial freedom. We want contentment. However, many of us want these things at no cost, instant results, no pain.

"If you sharpen the knife, the job will be easier." By reading God's Word every single day and pleading with God to change you, you are sharpening the knife. The change will not be overnight but it will be easier by using a sharp knife...the word of God.

The enemy wants to lie, deceive and trick you into thinking that a little more sleep is better for you than a quiet time with the Lord. Don't play his game. Don't listen to his lies. He wants to destroy you.

The Search for Significance

“Then the devil led Jesus to the top of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all the wonderful things in them. The devil said, “If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things.” Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!’” Deuteronomy 6:13”
Matthew 4:8-10 ERV

The third temptation of Jesus may be our biggest temptation that we face. The search for significance. The longing to be noticed. The hunger for power in the world around us, however small our world is. 

Again, Satan puts some truth to this to make it almost believable. He is offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. That may confuse you. How can Satan offer all the kingdoms of the world? We need to understand that for a time, Satan is the ruler of this world. Jesus said,

“Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out.”
John 12:31 ERV

That is the slice of truth in Satan's offer. If Jesus bows down, Satan can give him the cheap power that the world offers. Satan has the power to do that and he will do that...offer the empty things that seems wonderful. We are faced with this decision a daily basis. We long to dominate and control, if not others, at least the circumstances that we face. I teasingly stand in front of the document camera's light in my classroom and say, "I am the star of the show, not you." 

At an early age, we are drawn to the spotlight. We put a post on Facebook or Instagram and we check our "likes." The more talented or attractive or athletic we are, the greater the temptation to crave that attention. But be sure that you realizing what you are gaining...a cheap imitation for significance. 

Jesus points us to the true source of self worth. He says, " I will only worship the One who is worthy of worship." He submitted himself to the Father and did not seek the power and attention for himself. He did not seek to serve himself. In doing so, not only did he defeat his foe, he paid for our eternal significance. Until we get this right, we will spend our life trying to figure out why the world keeps disappointing us. Satan only offers the imitation. Jesus offers the real thing.

Disobedient?

“Moses said to Pharaoh, “I will pray for you, your people, and your officials. Then the frogs will leave you and your houses. They will remain only in the river. When do you want the frogs to go away?” Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “It will happen as you say. In this way you will know that there is no god like the Lord our God.”
Exodus 8:9-10 ERV

As you can tell, I am deep into Exodus with my Bible reading. I get so mad when I see the stubbornness of Pharaoh! God knew his heart and he sent plague after plague to cause him to agree to let the people of Israel go. Moses and Aaron continued to warn him of the terrible thing that was about to happen...water turned into blood, frogs appeared everywhere, darkness descended on the land, hailstorm destroyed their crops, etc.

Listen to the stubbornness of Pharaoh when Moses asked him when he wanted the frogs to leave. "Tomorrow," Really!!! That is a rebellious heart. I would have begged that God would end the plague right then and there. However, the Pharaoh wanted the last word on his relief. That is a hard heart!

i know that the reason God made this verse jump off the page to me today. He is pointing out to me that many times, he has warned me of the consequences of my sin. He has clearly told me what would happen if I continue in that path. My response would be, "I will change tomorrow."

Is is there an area of your life where God has clearly warned you of the things that will happen if you continue in the path you are on? For example, not reading the word, not having a quiet time, eating too much junk, sleeping late on Sunday morning, not cherishing and forgiving your spouse, ...the list goes on and on. Is your response, "Tomorrow. Not today because I enjoy my disobedience too much? "

Way To Riches

“Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have. When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 ERV

Many things happen when life is a beat down. We forget that "our troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory." But something else happens-comparison with someone else that doesn't have that problem!

If you are like me, you will begin to compare your life with some one else's every time. Say you have worked hard on your eating and exercise and you gain two pounds. You look around and find women that don't seem to struggle with weight issues and you start comparing. Maybe you are choking with busyness and stress at work(me). You look around and find women that have an easy job or no job. The list could go on and on.

This verse has an antidote. Be content with what we have. "Devotion to God is a way to be very rich." It is a vicious cycle when we take our eyes off the Lord. Good days, bad days will always be there and we will envy the lives of others. i want to get my eyes on him and not others. That is the only way to break out of that cycle.

Face your Enemies

““So get started. Purify the people. Tell them: Get ready for tomorrow by purifying yourselves. For this is what GOD, the God of Israel, says: There are cursed things in the camp. You won’t be able to face your enemies until you have gotten rid of these cursed things.”
Joshua 7:13 MSG

If you feel any calling at all towards leadership, devour the book of Joshua. You will not be disappointed. My reading today had so many things I could write about that it was hard to decide. But this verse stuck out more than any other.

I will NOT be able to face my enemies until I get rid of these cursed things. I actually wrote a blog yesterday about getting rid of the idols I worship but I never posted it. When I read these verses this morning, I realized I was on the right track.

First of all, identify your idols. I made the word plural because if you worship one idol, there is bound to be others. To worship an idol means you have a heart issue, a trust issue. How to tell if you have an idol...the habits that "bite back if you poke at them." Is food your idol? Is it money? Relationships? Is it "likes" on Facebook?

See there are good habits that only bring you joy and peace like reading the Bible or praying about everything. Those habits will never harm you but they will strengthen you.

When you figure out the cursed idol that you have allowed in your camp, it says simply, "Get rid of it." You can't defeat the enemy until you remove the cursed thing. It may take a stick of dynamite to remove it instead of just a small nudge. We just want to stare at the idol or put it away until another day or ignore it.

If it is a food issue, you may have to say goodbye to some foods forever like cheesecake or fried foods or candy bars. I don't know what your idol is. If it is a possesions issue, give half of it away:):):). Joshua woke up at the crack of dawn and dealt with the issue. The next battle was a resounding victory because they had dealt with the stolen idols. I want some victories in my life. God is telling me plainly how to have those victories!

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What does your soil look like today?

"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams. (Mark 4:3 MSG)

One of my favorite things to do is to plant flowers! I love when it is time to go and buy some old favorites and try a couple of new kinds of plants, as well. I am saying the obvious when I state that the soil needs to be dark and rich and loose. You just know when you plant that flower in that rich soil,  that as long as you supply the water, it will be amazing.

God is continuing to throw out seeds(his word) to us. We read the Bible, we listen to podcasts, we buy books, we read devotionals, we hear great wisdom from friends...you name it. The problem is not  that the word is weak and powerless, but the soil is not the best. Sometimes I read the most amazing scripture in the morning and as soon as I read it, I do not even remember what I read. Other times, I read it and I am excited but my heart is gravelly because of complacency in my walk with the Lord and my lack of character. So it never puts down a root, when a difficulty arrives.

I especially saddened by the soil cast in weeds.

“but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I want to have the kind of soil that when I hear the word, and the word will be perfect and powerful and just and true, I want to embrace the truth and produce a harvest beyond my wildest dreams. The problem will not be with the seed but with my soil.

Finding Wisdom

"The first step to becoming wise is to look for wisdom, so use everything you have to get understanding.”
Proverbs 4:7 ERV

There is a decision to make in our lives...whether we want to become wise or stay foolish.

If you asked anyone which they want to be, all would choose wise. But there is a price to pay and most don't want pay the price. You have to use everything to find understanding...everything!

Take time to read God's word everyday. Read devotionals from godly men and women(notice reading God's word comes before reading the devotionals). Find friends to sharpen you like iron. Find a church that preaches from the Bible and be there every Sunday. Pray constantly for wisdom.

Search for wisdom as if it is the greatest treasure known to man, because it is. Slowly, but surely, you will begin to see that you are connected to the source of wisdom and you will want to stay there for eternity