Archive for January, 2010

How many smart people do you know? You may be able to fill up an entire page of names. Now think about how many wise people you know. You are truly blessed if you are aware of more than a handful. While there is no shortage of intelligence or education - - why does wisdom seem to be in such short supply?

There are some folks that believe wisdom is to know. They consider amassing factual data as a worthy end in itself. To others, however, wisdom is not in the knowing but in the actual doing. And King Solomon knew this.

You may recall that God offered him a real deal, “Because you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, I’m going to give you any one thing you ask for.” Solomon could have asked for anything – wealth, long life, prestige, you name it. But he was certain that it was not enough just to have something. He needed to know how to do something in order to lead a nation [Israel].

The book of Proverbs provides God’s wisdom on a whole host of topics that we encounter along life’s journey [money, friendships, work, our marriages, our children]. I define wisdom as knowing the difference between right and wrong – but doing that which is right.

Knowledge is instant, a by-product of our ‘microwave’ culture, which offers quick bits of information in five-minute bursts of the news. Our brains seem overloaded with the trivial and temporary. But pursuit of wisdom takes time. It’s like cooking a meal with a crock pot – it will not be ready in ten minutes. But when the time is right, and all the spices, flavorings, and juices have marinated you will have something that is really worth sharing.

In biblical terms wisdom may be defined as the ability to live skillfully from God’s point of view. It is an outcome of observing life from a ‘vertical perspective’ – and – acting accordingly. We must search after wisdom and humble ourselves [admitting our need while confessing our insufficiency], then ask God’s assistance.

Dear Lord, Thank You for teaching us that Your ways are higher than our ways. Thank You for challenging us not to take the easy way out - - not to just walk through any door that swings open, but to seek Your will and guidance in all things. Amen.

I love you!

Stay faithful and finish strong,
dale

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage and wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

We are victims of the age of immediate gratification. Instant messaging. Instant replay. Instant oatmeal. Instant coffee. In today’s world, you can immediately obtain a photograph thru digital technology, a new pair of eyeglasses in less than an hour, or have a pizza delivered to your doorstep in less than thirty minutes. Folks today demand both quickness and convenience. However, these expectations should not overflow into our spiritual lives.

It should be understood that God does not work in accordance with manmade deadlines. His timing certainly isn’t our timing, but it is always perfect. He will answer, and you will have His answer when you need it.

No matter what you may be praying about, God hears your prayers. Sometimes His answer is ‘no’, sometimes ‘yes’, and even at certain times ‘wait’. You can rest assured that God will answer you according to His infinite wisdom, flawless timing, and limitless love.

When you perceive that God is offering a ‘no’ answer - - think about what He may be attempting to teach you. Think about the fact that what you want, may not be exactly what you need [at least at this present moment – because this seeming ‘no’ may well be a ‘wait’]. If that is the case, you will soon discover that the wait is truly worth it.

Lord, may we realize that You always have our best interests at heart. Help us be watchful for the unexpected ways that You may answer our prayers. Amen.

I love you!

Stay faithful and finish strong,

dale

Most of us have at one time or another misused faith. We often wave our faith in God’s face thinking that it is the means by which we get God to give us what we want. We treat faith as a ‘spiritual magic wand’ - which we wave and God does what we wish.

The problem is actually in our understanding of faith. We comprehend that faith is essential to living a Christian life. We are “saved by grace through faith.” “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” “The righteous live by faith.” But, faith is not the means to get what we want from our heavenly Father. It is not the spiritual token which we place in the ‘heavenly vending machine’ so we can make our selection.

As Christ followers, we must break free from the self-centered narrow mindedness of this world. We need to understand that our faith in Christ connects us with something far greater than ourselves. The individuals mentioned in this chapter died with a living faith, not fully realizing the promise but they knew God’s purposes encompassed far more than themselves and their own present situations.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as: “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith sees what the naked eye cannot. Faith sees beyond the pitfalls and materialism of this existence. Faith has an eternal perspective. Faith is the assurance, the realization, the certainty of what is not seen by the human eye – yet is visible – through ‘faith eyes’.

When we follow Christ we are afforded such eyes. However, many folks have allowed this power to atrophy from lack of use. This function allows us to see the eternal rather than the temporary - - the real rather than the fleeting. This is why Paul advises us to: “Fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” [2nd Corinthians 4:18]

Faith is not mere belief; it is real, genuine, and authentic – that we are sure in Whom we trust and live for. May your faith be strengthened.

I love you!

Stay faithful and finish strong,
dale