LifeLink Devotions for Friday, May 3, 2024

If you are tuned in to what is happening in the world, you know there is a noticeable decrease in wisdom. People are following political, social, economic, intellectual, and even spiritual trends without understanding the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

Wisdom is the proper application of truth. Therefore, for us to be wise we must have a knowledge of the truth. Not just knowledge, but knowledge based on absolute truth. And since God is the ONLY source of absolute truth, we can only be wise if our lives are grounded in the knowledge of God.

We need to become people of wisdom. So today we begin a journey to become wise.  We are using as the basis of our study a passage of God’s Word in Proverbs 22:17-21.

“Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD I teach you today, even you. Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge,teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?”

I have broken that passage down into 5 key points:

1.      Let wisdom transcend all else (v. 17a)

2.      Let wisdom be transmitted to you (v. 17b)

3.      Let wisdom transform your heart (v. 18a)

4.      Let wisdom transpose your speech (v. 18b)

5.      Let wisdom transfer your trust (v. 19)

We will take one of those points each day and look at it closely, beginning with “Let wisdom transcend all else.”  Here are some principles to get us started.

1.      Wisdom is the application of knowledge so that it affects actions

2.      Wisdom begins with the knowledge of God – Prov. 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

3.      The knowledge of God goes much deeper than just a knowledge of His actions, but to an understanding of His heart. We do not simply change our behavior so that it matches what we think God would do, but rather we allow God’s nature and character to change our heart so our actions are the life of Jesus being fleshed out in us as a loving response to God’s power in us.

4.      For this to happen, wisdom must be more important than anything else to our hearts – it must transcend all else.

So here’s your assignment as we get started. Read the first four chapters of Proverbs. As you do, take a couple of different colored highlighters and do this – with one color highlight all the verses that describe the consequences of not pursuing wisdom, and with the other color highlight all the verses that describe the benefits of pursuing wisdom. Then consider which way you want to live. Don’t just assume you know the answer right now – do the exercise to gain the growth. What this will do is touch into your heart, so that more than your mind is involved. Your decision will be an act of your will, and it will transform your heart so that Godly action results. When that happens you are gaining wisdom. Nothing in your life is more important than this development of character because it is the only part of our personal being that will stand in the presence of God someday.

Enjoy your study. Monday we will dive in to the principles of wisdom.  

Pastor John