Tag Archives: wisdom

FOUR WISDOM RULES TO LIVE BY

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LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, January 30, 2025

One morning as I scanned Facebook to stay connected friends around the world, I came across a post from one of my “adopted” daughters in the Philippines. It shared four truths to live by, and the first one caught my attention because it illustrated a wisdom principle I had just read in Proverbs 27:19.

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.”

Her are the four wisdom rules for today.

Rule #1 – Live without pretending – that’s integrity. Every part of our lives integrated together in perfect harmony with no contradictions. Nothing fake. Nothing done to impress others. Just a life lived as a reflection of the character of God in us.  

Rule #2 – Love without depending – that’s identity. It’s knowing we have God’s approval rather than seeking the world’s approval. That’s accepting God’s definition of our being rather than seeking it from others. That’s giving to others out of security rather than seeking to receive affirmation. The world’s love depends on a response and looks for a return benefit. But when our identity is secure in Christ, sacrificial love that originates in the heart of God will overflow in us.

Rule #3 – Listen without defending – that’s humility. Be able to be corrected. Pride defends the value we think is being attacked. Humility listens to the possibility of improvement. Pride protects personal choice. Humility submits to anything or anyone as being God’s instrument of perfecting our lives. Pride convinces us we are right and that we have rights. Humility sees the right in others. Pride cannot see a reason to improve because that would require admitting a weakness or fault. Humility can admit faults because value is not found in performance but in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Rule #4 – Speak without offending – that’s grace. Speak the truth, but do it in love, with a pure and holy motivation to truly help the person to whom you are speaking. Do not speak to be heard. Do not speak to build up self. Speak to impart God’s wisdom so that it will be heard and applied. Speak to be an instrument of God’s grace to others.

Now those are four rules by which we all should live.

Pastor John

THE ENEMY OF WISDOM

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LifeLink Devotions for January 28, 2025

Within each of us is a terrifying enemy of God. Not terrifying to God, but to us. Unfortunately, we have embraced this enemy and signed what we think is a lasting peace treaty with it. However, this treaty is a lie, and sooner or later we all discover that the enemy has deceived us and brought us to destruction.

The enemy I refer to is Pride. God hates pride.

  • “Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.” Psalm 101:5
  • “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Proverbs 8:13
  • “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5

Pride manifests itself in a variety of ways in our lives. But the single most prominent way pride reveals itself as both the enemy of God and the enemy of our life is this – when we reject correction. When confronted with a wrong and a challenge to change there is an immediate rise in our pride pressure, and just like an exaggerated rise in blood pressure, our heart is at risk when it happens.

Pride seeks to protect when in reality it is causing harm. We are deceived into believing that we are guarding our hearts – our value system and our image – when actually we are moving quickly towards the destruction of our spiritual hearts. Just as high blood pressure is an indicator of hardened or constricted arteries, so high pride pressure is an indicator of a hardened heart.

King Solomon states that pride is conquered only when we respond humbly to the reproof of God when He lovingly disciplines us for our sin. How we respond to God’s correction reveals the nature and extent of pride in our hearts.

Proverbs 1:23  “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”

Those who embrace the perceived benefits of pride’s self-protective responses will find themselves alone, abandoned, and absorbed with awful consequences. In Proverbs 1:29-31 we read,“Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.”

But those who humbly seek the Lord and embrace His correction comes the abiding Presence of God in the Person of His Holy Spirit, and a constant understanding of God’s Word – His purpose for our lives and the power and provision to accomplish it.

What a contrast. The choice is ours. Pride resulting in only what we can do for ourselves, or Godly correction resulting in what God can and will do in us. Today, and every day from here forward, while we know we are weak and our pride is strong, we can choose to read God’s Word, not for knowledge, but for transformation, calling out for God’s reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.

How about you? How do you respond when someone tries to correct you? What does that say about the enemy of God in you? What will you do about it?

Pastor John

COMMUNICATING GOD’S TRUTH

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LifeLink Devotions for Friday, January 24, 2025

Do you remember the first conversation you ever had with your father? I don’t. Even if I eliminate the early years prior to the age of five, I still can’t remember a conversation of any real significance. I’m sure there were some because of the values and beliefs that are still foundational to my life, and for that I am so thankful: but I can’t remember them. We are both to blame for that. He felt his primary role was correction, and there was very little discipleship. I was an arrogant child who wanted to do everything my own way. The result was a lack of meaningful communication.

Communication with our children is critical. Unfortunately, our conversations with them are usually quite shallow, and when we do try to teach them something it is done as an emotional response to an undesirable action on their part. Very seldom do parents have a plan for the training of their children that is consistently implemented.

There are two general patterns that parents adopt for the training of their children. The first and least desirable is what I call the “reactionary” method. Other terms I could coin would be the “off-the-cuff wisdom” method or the “this is really inconvenient for me right now” method.  In this format parents simply react to whatever the children do and hope they have the wisdom and skill to handle the consequences when it happens. There is no need for planning or preparation, and there is certainly no defined long-term purpose to what they are doing. Teaching of the child is confined to the limited time immediately surrounding each event that required parental intervention and is usually done with emotional outbursts.

The second and preferred pattern is the “disciplinary” method. Parents using this method have established goals for the character development of their children and have defined a specific plan of how to accomplish those goals and it’s unique to each individual child based on their natural abilities and tendencies. They know that a child’s life is a treasure that needs to be fully discovered but that without proper polishing the treasure could be lost forever. They recognize their highest priority is to “disciple” their children through teaching, correction, admonition, training, and application. They have developed a “scope and sequence” for each child. There is a syllabus for every year of their lives based on their emotional, educational, and spiritual maturity. They don’t react to events that happen but train their children to be prepared for when they do happen. 

The disciplinary method is the Biblical pattern for parenting. In fact, it is God’s pattern as our Heavenly Father for all of us as His children. God’s scope and sequence had a beginning for us – the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). That  is the same place we are to begin in the training of our children.

It is extremely significant that with all the wisdom he was granted by God that Solomon chose to begin the instruction of his son with these words in Proverbs 1:10. “if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. He then goes on to explain the consequences of sin. To balance that, he also teaches his son the value of wisdom and its benefits for life.

I encourage you to read Proverbs chapter 1 starting in verse 10. Pay special attention to how Solomon prepares his son for the potential traps of sin and the consequences of that sin, and then to how he presents the positive alternative by following the path of God.

If the training of our children is not first and foremost founded on faith in Jesus Christ which includes the recognition and rejection of sin, then we have built for our children the wrong foundation. As parents we must have a plan with a purpose. Our teaching must be intentional and consistent. It will be the temptation right now to think that this is too hard and will be inconvenient. If so, then you have already made your choice of methods. But just look into the eyes of your child and see if that choice is really the product of the love that lies deep in your heart.

Pastor John

https://open.spotify.com/episode/65jmGmAGU5obV4RCACF9U0?si=N47RJ2KWSN2WxFZCdCrq8Q

A JOURNEY OF WISDOM

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LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Let’s take a journey of wisdom through the book of Proverbs. We begin at the beginning, which is always a good place to begin. I am the type of person that likes to know the goal before I start out on any adventure. God’s call of Abraham to simply go east would really be a test for me. I am thankful that Solomon sets forth the goal of Proverbs right at the beginning.

Proverbs 1:1-4  “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—”

Solomon says that these proverbs have five primary purposes:

  1. They are the learning center of wisdom and discipline;
  2. They teach us how to think clearly;
  3. They produce a God-honoring lifestyle;
  4. They enhance one’s common sense;
  5. And they help even the young to make good decisions.

WOW! Just think, by reading, studying, and applying these Proverbs to our lives we will tap into the eternal Source of all wisdom resulting in our life becoming more disciplined; we will be able to think clearly about every circumstance in our life; we will be transformed into people who obey God and love doing His will because we now understand our eternal purpose; we will no longer be simple-minded but be blessed with an abundance of common sense; and we will be confident in our ability to make good decisions no matter what the choice may be.

I am issuing a challenge to you – to read one chapter of Proverbs every day for thirty-one days. As you read, write down one or two things in a daily journal that the Lord teaches you about practical wisdom. Include those things God uses to renew and refresh you in your faith. I hope you accept the challenge. When you feel like it, send me some of your thoughts on what God is teaching you.

Tomorrow we begin our journey.

Pastor John