Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 22:17-21
Prov 22:17-21
17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. 20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, 21 to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
Rom 8:6-9
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
We learn facts from studying. We learn wisdom from experience. We need to make good decisions in every facet of our lives. Good decisions are based on our knowledge and our wisdom gained from experience. Unfortunately, learning to make good decisions often comes from making a lot of bad decisions. But there is another way for us to gain wisdom and that is to pray for God to give it to us. He has promised to give it generously when we ask. But it must be applied by us.
James said that when we lack God’s wisdom there will be fighting and quarreling, there will be jealousy and selfishness, along with all kinds of disorder. But when we accept the wisdom from above, our lives will be pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason and full of mercy. This sounds a lot like what happens when we allow the Spirit of God to work in us and bear his fruit of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Listen to God, he wants the best for us.
David was a man after God’s own heart. He is held up for us many times as an example of faith, one who trusted God with all his heart. But David was a man of war and most of his life was spent in various wars and battles. This was God’s plan for him, and he carried out his mission faithfully. But in contrast, Solomon was filled with the wisdom of God, and he was a man of peace. Just think about it.
O Lord God, God of peace and love, what a blessing to be able to serve you and to learn to be like you. Thank you for giving us a Savior who is the Prince of Peace and who teaches us to be at peace with others, both in word and by his example. I know that to follow the example of Jesus and to accept your wisdom requires me to learn to be humble. Increase my faith as you give me wisdom. Give me a positive attitude and a rejoicing spirit in Jesus. In his name I pray.
Robert
