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Introduction
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” - Psalm 111:10
How do we learn to love God? Jesus answered that question in his Sermon on the Mount saying, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). At the end of each day we can ask ourselves, “When did I see God today? How did I enjoy, share, and respond to God’s unfathomable love?” To fear the Lord is to thoughtfully consider our eternal God with the reverent love and honor we owe him. It's to return the love that he has lavished on us. The psalmist taught that loving God in this way is the beginning of wisdom. Our goal should be to reverently love God in the ways that will lead us to walk in his presence and be filled with his wisdom. That is how we are most able to lead a pure life—a life that can see God and love him with a pure heart. Let’s begin our year with the “beginning of wisdom” as we love and honor our amazing God. -
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Introduction
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” - Proverbs 2:6
My dad worked for IBM, and, as a young girl, I would occasionally visit his office. He always let us peek into the enormous room filled with giant machines that generated a lot of noise and heat. Dad said those machines were called “computers.” Today, the cell phone I carry in my purse has far more capacity for information than the entire room my dad showed me as a child. We live in a culture flooded with information, but in a sea of information, wisdom matters. How do we process all we can learn into what we should believe? How do we discern fact from opinion? Scripture has answered those questions throughout history. “The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). One of the most powerful proofs of the miraculous nature of God’s word is the fact that it has transcended the cultural trends of every generation. Today’s world is filled with information, yet popular movies and television are fascinated with fantasy. Is an idea or belief based on fact or fiction? God’s word is the wisdom we need so we can process what we learn into what we should know, trust, and believe. The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. When we search his word, we find the truth, wisdom, and discernment we need. -
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Introduction
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” - Colossians 3:16
The word of God is his voice. When we worship God in spirit and truth we are ushered into his holy presence. When we want the presence of Christ to dwell in our hearts and minds we seek his word. I love to have my sons and their families return home for the weekend. Even in the early morning quiet, while everyone is asleep, I am aware of their presence. I don’t have to see them to think about them. I know I can expect to see them come down the stairs and join me. That is the picture that comes to mind when I think of the word dwell. I enjoy the texts and phone calls, but it isn’t the same as those days when they “live” in my house. Paul encouraged the early church to allow the word of Christ to dwell among them as their source of teaching, encouragement, instruction, correction, and joy-filled worship and praise. Our Bibles are so much more than information. God’s word is our inspiration to live with thankfulness in our hearts to God. -
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Introduction
“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” - 1 Corinthians 1:30
One of the best descriptions of Jesus is to see him as God, in human form. It is difficult to understand how Jesus could be fully God, yet fully man. Jesus is the only One in human history who will ever carry that distinction. When Jesus spoke, he spoke with the wisdom of God. Jesus lived each day of his life in a righteous, or right, relationship with God. Jesus led a life of holiness, sanctified by God and set apart to serve him. And Jesus was born to be the Messiah and provide for our redemption. Paul described Jesus as the One who became wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. When we received Christ as our Lord and Savior, Jesus became the source of God’s character in us, through his Holy Spirit. Jesus is the model for our own faith and the pathway for our relationship with God as our Father. -
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Introduction
“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” - James 3:13
Yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. We live in a culture that is impressed with and influenced by success, confidence, and experience. Scripture teaches that yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. Therefore, as Christians, we should submit all that we know to the One who knows all things. James was writing to his Christian brothers and sisters when he asked, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” James answered his own question by telling his church to look for the person who “by his good conduct” would “show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” Wisdom is knowing what to do with all that you know. Our good conduct, our godly conduct, will yield our good ideas to God’s perfect wisdom. -
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Introduction
“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” - Proverbs 19:20
God created us to need other people in order to prosper in our lives. Just like our fingerprints, our gifts and abilities are uniquely our own. One of the best examples of the infinite wisdom of God is creation itself. We are each created to be loved and known personally by our Creator and to be cared for by him. God directs our paths, and he often directs our paths to intersect with others. There are people God will bring into our lives for his unique purpose and some who will help us fulfill his calling in our lives. Each of us has wisdom to give as well as a need to receive wisdom from others. God’s word reminds us that we need to *listen* to those around us in order to gain the wisdom we need for our future. This month we will consider the many ways God uses others to guide us to a greater wisdom for our lives and a greater wisdom for our souls as well. Good advice and careful instruction provide wisdom. Are we willing to listen? -
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Introduction
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” - Ephesians 5:15–17
This month we will “look carefully” at God’s priorities in the Bible. His priorities are wisdom and will guide our lives. We make thousands of decisions each day. Knowing God’s priorities will help us make choices that align with his will. Paul told the Ephesians, “Look carefully then how you walk” and taught them to make the best use of their time. Knowing God’s will and his priorities will help us to live wisely and with his blessings. God’s priorities are wisdom. Let’s carefully study all that matters to God so that we can be certain his wisdom is our priority as well. -
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