[God's words] are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

Proverbs 8

[God's words] are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Proverbs 8:9

I completed my study of Proverbs for the week, where I examined chapter 8. Today, the commentary focuses on how chapter 8:

•  portrays "wisdom [as]...integrally present at creation...[and how it] points to the eternal Son of God"
•  describes wisdom, and thereby Jesus Christ, as "the way to life...and to miss her is to love death" (v35-36)
• describes wisdom and how "God wove wisdom into the created order so that it would function as coherent system...those who submit to God and His ways-the wise-are able to participate in the rationality at the heart of created things" (v9)

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - You provide Your Words - wisdom - and You give me ears to hear and eyes to see so that I can understand and have life. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your Word.  It is more valuable than silver and gold.  Again I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

Various Proverbs 

In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. Proverbs 15:4

Day 140 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of the Proverbs - primarily of Solomon, but including the Proverbs of other authors as well. This morning my focus includes proverbs that highlight disharmony and strife (solicitation to evil, violence, murderers, causing others harm, revenge, and dissension and strife), honesty (truthfulness, accurate weights, boundary stones, wrongfully obtained gains, and bribery), and justice (false witnesses, open-mindedness, and judicial justice).

Of the many proverbs in my study this morning, Proverbs 18:17 is the one that hits home the most. My commentary* highlights the focus of this proverb as a proverb of open-mindedness.

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

I believer that when you peel back the onion, arrogance, pride, lack of confidence (insecurities), also play a role in how we are quick to speak - or quick (or rash) to react to anything for that matter.  This is very similar to the topic of my post a couple of days ago.

We must be quick to listen and slow to speak.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is slow to anger and abounding in love - thank You Jesus.  I know I have done many things worthy of Your wrath and I am grateful for Your mercies.  I am also undeserving.  I continue to sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”[d] But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. v16

Building on chapter 1 (see post yesterday), Paul continues to remind us of the source and purpose of wisdom.  He tells us that he has no wisdom apart from the Holy Spirit in him (v2-5) and that God reveals to believers this wisdom (v9-10, 12, 13).  This is of course very humbling and exciting at the same time - that we don't possess wisdom from and for ourselves but from and for God.  If we consider that God is all knowing isn't it amazing that God would even disclose a sliver of this wisdom to us?

See also posts here. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has shown my great wisdom and this has helped me through great difficulties and helped me grow closer to You - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful!  Yet I am humbled and undeserving.  I worry and my sin is great.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. v3-4

I have indeed been blessed by God's word and I do feel that is more valuable than silver or gold. 

Proverbs echoes this sentiment.

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:10-11

As does 2 Timothy.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great God and You are my God!  You have blessed me beyond what I deserve with Your Son, Your Word, the Holy Spirit, the Church, etc.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and blessings.  I am harsh with my words and actions and impatient with others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family, serve You and serve others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

Psalm 111

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. v10

Much of this Psalm focuses on praise and worship of God with simple one-liners that emphasize different attributes of God as an example of how God is great.  All true of course!  But the last verse gets me the most and is my focus this morning. 

We must fear the Lord...the Lord is all powerful, all knowing, and all seeing.  He created all things, is in all things and He holds all things together - He is in control (see here).  If we start with these premises, then we have no choice but to fall down and know that Jesus is God, Lord of Lord, King of Kings and Name Above All Names.  We must love Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength as our number one priority.  Only then will we begin to achieve some level of wisdom and understanding.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of Lords and I need You desperately in my life.  I am nothing without You.  You must be the priority in my life...yet I know there are many times where my focus is elsewhere.  Please forgive me and help me turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do. Thank You for your grace and compassion throughout my life - please continue to extend this grace and compassion today.  Help me grow in my faith and help me be the father, son, husband and man You intend for me.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.

Psalm 69

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. v5

God knows everything - He is omniscient.  Knowledge and wisdom comes from the Lord and we are to lean on Him (not ourselves) for our understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  He reveals deep and hidden things he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:21-22

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:6

 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God - all truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding comes from and flows through You.  I know apart from You I can do no good thing.  I know that when I stay near to You and abide in You that You will bless and You have - I am rich as You have blessed me beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus for the many blessings in my life.  Yet I continue to sin as we all do and I am desperate need of cleansing...today and every day.  Forgive me for my lack of grace, impatience, etc. for others.  Forgive me for my pride and arrogance.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Our Fathers Acceptance
Psalms 139

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. v6

Today's devotion encourages me to focus daily on renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2).  God is indeed the source of all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding and if we focus on Him and our relationship with Him we can be assured that we are equipped for God's plan for us...indeed as the devotion states we are freed from fear, the need of approval, acceptance, etc....we KNOW God love us and that is sufficient to carry us.  

See also posts here on knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an incredible God You are...You are worthy of ALL of my attention...yet I am easily distracted...and I very often lack grace and patience of others...please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin...help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You Jesus.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. v21

Peter is warning believers about false prophecy and teachings.  Wise human teachers lean not on their own understanding (see also Proverbs 3:5-6) but instead submit fully to God and allow God to speak through them.  Jesus said it to the Disciples in Luke 21:15.  God told this to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 4.

We must understand truth both from a head and a heart perspective - see also my post yesterday.   When we understand truth, we will be better armed to discern false teachers and teachings.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God so full of patience for me...even though I am not so patient with others.  Thank You Jesus for Your grace but please forgive me for lack of patience for others...among my many sins.  Help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing.

1 Timothy 6

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. v3-4

All understanding - wisdom, knowledge, etc - comes from Jesus Christ.  We cannot claim to have wisdom and knowledge without also claiming that it comes from God alone - otherwise we are incorrectly attributing such understanding to Christ. The second part of these verses is also important...if we make false claims we are not only conceited but foolish!  We must attribute our understanding to Christ!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

My Prayer: Lord You are an awesome God and the source of all things.  You have given people understanding, knowledge, wisdom, etc. and these have been great blessings to me and others who are able to use such gifts for Your glory - hopefully.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I know I sometimes use such understanding for my own glory or I lean too heavily or entirely on my own understanding - and this is sinful.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me lean ONLY on You and Your word.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength, comfort, and freedom from pain.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.