Wisdom Matters

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Welcome to Wisdom Matters, the chance to reflect on a Bible verse or two each day for the purpose of living and thinking biblically. Wisdom is a gift from God that enables us to know how to filter and use all we learn for God’s higher purpose. I hope you will join me for Wisdom Matters.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Do you choose God’s high standards as your own?

    Paul’s prayer for the church in Philippi was that their love would “abound more and more,” and he taught them how such abundant love could be their own. Paul said that “with knowledge and all discernment” we would be able to choose what is “excellent.”  The more we know God and seek his wisdom, the more we are filled with his perspective and his discernment. Paul was teaching the Phillipian church that to truly love others we need to love them as God loves them. Our love for others and our actions toward them can be “excellent” when we are filled with the love of God.  If we want to obey the command of Christ to “love one another,” we will need to pray for the knowledge and discernment of God. We cannot love others like God unless we have the wisdom of God to see others, and ourselves, with his discernment.  Loving others is God’s standard of excellence for his children. When we seek God’s wisdom, we will aim at his high standards. Loving others well is Christian excellence because that choice will help us to be pure and blameless on that day when we meet Christ face-to-face.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we can see others from his perspective. He is the source for the love we need and the love we need to have for others. God’s standards are high and holy because that is the excellent life God wants for us, his children.

    3 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    Do you choose to worship God in every season of life?

    People have worshipped and praised God’s name “forever and ever.” People always will. Daniel said God is worthy of all praise because he is—and owns—all things. God owns and authors every word of wisdom this world will ever need. God is mighty and able to accomplish his will and his ultimate plan for this world.  Times change and, like the seasons, come and go. The “kings” of this world are allowed power and then their power is removed. Their authority is temporary and God’s is eternal. The God that has been worshipped and praised throughout history is the God we will worship and praise in heaven.  If we are wise, we will seek to receive God’s wisdom. When we want understanding, we will ask God to give us his thoughts. Wisdom, might, and understanding belong to God, and because of his love and mercy he wants to give those things to his children.  Blessed is the name of the Lord, forever and ever. Blessed are those who walk in the name of the Lord because they will be blessed forever. Everything in our earthly life is temporary, except the things of God. Maybe that’s why God created the seasons as he did.  February is the shortest month, and for most of us that’s a good thing. Februarys never last forever. Somewhere under the frozen ground are the flowers we will enjoy in the spring. God controls the seasons, and he always brings the next one. We don’t have to see God’s promises to know they will come, in his timing.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Bless the name of the Lord, trusting his wisdom and power are always enough for each day and every season of our lives.

    3 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    Do you choose to treasure the stability of God?

    There will always be unsettling times in our world, in our nation, and in our personal lives. Israel experienced the worst of times when most of her people were taken captive and enslaved. People lost their land, their families, and their futures. Isaiah was a prophet to Israel during their worst times. He brought words of discipline and words of hope.  Isaiah taught God’s people that even though they would experience great distress, God had also provided them hope. Isaiah said that God would be “the stability” of their times. World history speaks to the truth of Isaiah’s words. God is the stability of every generation. His truth and wisdom have remained consistently relevant to every era of human history.  God is the stability of our times, and that will be truth for all time.  God has abundantly enabled the salvation of people throughout history. His wisdom was truth for King David and remains truth today. His knowledge is perfect; therefore, he is the perfect source for all we need. In changing or volatile times, God remains the stability of this world.  That is why Isaiah could say “the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is Zion’s treasure.” To fear the Lord is to hold him in reverent esteem. It’s to know his greatness and embrace his authority. That relationship with God is the treasured relationship we each should seek to have with our Creator.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He always has given that treasure to those who fear him.

    3 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    Do you choose to be sanctified in Christ Jesus?

    Because of God, Christians are “in Christ Jesus.” God “so loved” all of us, he gave us his Son (John 3:16). It's good to remind ourselves that the God of the universe loves us with a powerful, sacrificial love. God is always motivated by his love because God is love (1 John 4:8).  When we placed our faith in the Son of God, we received our salvation because of God’s great love and provision for us. We are now permanently “in Christ Jesus.” We belong to God’s family.  Our salvation has changed us. We are in Christ, therefore Jesus has become our wisdom from God. It’s incredible to imagine that we have been given access to the mind of Christ and his wisdom is from God. Through Christ we have been made righteous before God. Jesus is working in our lives to sanctify us, make us holy, and to bring about our redemption.  Anyone can search for information on their cell phones. Those who are “in Christ” have received God’s Holy Spirit and can search for God’s wisdom within. The Holy Spirit of God provides the wisdom of Jesus.  Open your heart and mind to the immeasurable love God has for you, his child. He provided for your salvation and then made certain you could gain his wisdom through Christ.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He did all of that for you, when he gave you his Son.

    3 min

  5. 5 DAYS AGO

    Do you choose to think about God throughout the day?

    On average, a human being will have more than six thousand thoughts each day. Paul told Timothy to spend a lot of those thoughts focused on God. Almost everything we need for our lives is reachable from a computer keyboard. In many ways, the internet has replaced our need to think.  Our best decisions require more than information. We need to know what God wants us to do with what we know. Wisdom and understanding are difficult to google. God’s leadership and discernment come from our thoughts and prayers. Paul told Timothy, “Think over what I say.” Paul’s words are considered Scripture today. The teaching in our Bibles is God’s word for our lives.  When we take the time to think about God’s word, the Lord gives us understanding and discernment about what to do with what we know. And God’s word applies to “everything,” according to Paul. The Lord wants us to make wise choices throughout the day, and we can if we take the time to think about God’s priorities and teaching all day long.  We have more than six thousand thoughts each day. Thinking takes time. So, when we make time for the God thoughts, God has the opportunity to guide and direct our lives.  One of the most amazing and humbling realizations is that the God of the universe wants to be involved in our thoughts and lives. Our thoughts about God are numbered, but his thoughts about us are immeasurable.  The God of the universe is thinking about you right now.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. We have daily access to his perfect counsel. How many of your six thousand thoughts will include God’s thoughts tomorrow?

    3 min

  6. 6 DAYS AGO

    Do you choose to abide in God’s truth?

    A short letter, 2 John is most likely addressed to a church with which the apostle John had a pastoral relationship. John describes himself as an “elder,” or overseer, and the church as an “elect lady,” a reference to them as God’s chosen people. The children would likely be the members of the congregation.  This church was loved by John and others who understood the “truth” of God. In John’s greeting to this church, he teaches something about God’s truth that all Christians and all churches need to know: “the truth abides in us and will be with us forever.”  God’s truth is permanent and should never be changed. Because Scripture is truth, it applies to everyone in every situation. Times change but God’s truth doesn’t change with the times. John said God’s truth “abides in us and will be with us forever.”  Many aspects of God’s creation reflect his eternal nature. The moon we see each night is the same moon people have viewed throughout history. The olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane today are produced from the same roots that existed when Jesus was there. The ebb and flow of the oceans have continued since the time God separated the land from the seas. God’s truth is eternal as well.  People will always try to adapt God’s word to their beliefs, but only those who know the truth will abide in the truth. John loved this church and her members because they were aligned with the truth of God’s word. God’s truth for the first-century congregation remains his word for congregations today.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He will always give those blessings to those who abide in his truth, which will be true forever.

    3 min

  7. 8 FEB

    Do you choose to approach God in repentance and truth?

    Psalm 51 is one of the most powerful passages in Scripture. King David wrote it after he had sinned with Bethsheba. It has been said that David’s sin with Bathsheba broke every one of the Ten Commandments. King David had every reason to expect God’s wrath, but he asked for God’s forgiveness and restoration. The psalm begins, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1).  King David knew God and understood God’s desire to redeem even the worst, most unforgivable choices. David also knew God required what brought God “delight.” When we approach God with “truth in the inward being,” God is delighted to hear.  When it's necessary to confess, the first step is to come to a place of complete truth in our own hearts. God knows our thoughts, even our deep and dark thoughts, and that is where confession begins. God teaches his wisdom to our “secret heart,” that place in us that only God is fully aware of. It’s to our “secret heart” that God will teach us his wisdom.  Back then, the Hebrew people had limited knowledge of science. But, they did know that when a heart stopped beating, life was gone. They understood the most powerful moments in life caused their hearts to beat faster. In Scripture, the heart indicates the center of life, passions, and motivation. King David asked God to teach him wisdom for the very source of his life—his secret heart.  God accepted David’s honest repentance and granted him a restored life. David lived with the consequences of his sins but did not remain separated from God because of them. God restored David’s heart until he could redeem David’s life eternally.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Only God can apply those blessings to our secrets. He will blot out our transgressions when we receive his word into our inward being, our “secret heart.” You can draw near to God with your true repentance, knowing you will be received and welcomed into his presence because our Father delights in truth.

    4 min

  8. 7 FEB

    Do you choose to live in the light of his truth?

    The psalmist was calling out to God, asking him to send out his light and his truth. It’s so important to remember that if God has led the way, opened a door, or spoken a word, we can know that it's truth. God cannot act apart from his holiness.  If something is only partially true, it’s not fully God. When something compromises our character, it’s not God. When something must be accomplished “in the darkness,” then God’s light is not present. Sometimes a decision is as clear as this: if it isn't pure, complete truth, it isn’t of God.  God sends out his light and his truth so that he can direct our path. That path, according to the psalmist, leads to his holy hill, his dwelling. Those words are a reference to the highest, holiest place on earth.   The Jerusalem temple was built on the highest point, and the Holy of Holies, the place that held the Ark of the Covenant, God’s holy seat, was there. The psalmist taught that God would send the light and the truth to draw us to his presence.  When we feel distanced from God, we can pray the psalmist’s prayer. God’s word leads us into his presence. Scripture is the voice of God, and we need to hear the words as we read them. We can ask for God to reveal his light, his direction, through Scripture. We can ask God to lead us with his truth as we make our decisions and plans.  God provided his word to us so that we could be drawn to his holy hill—his very presence.  The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Ask him for his light and his truth. The Creator of the universe wants to bring you into his holy dwelling and spend time with you.

    3 min
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About

Welcome to Wisdom Matters, the chance to reflect on a Bible verse or two each day for the purpose of living and thinking biblically. Wisdom is a gift from God that enables us to know how to filter and use all we learn for God’s higher purpose. I hope you will join me for Wisdom Matters.

Information

  • Channel
    Denison Forum
  • Creator
    Foundations with Janet Denison
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    365
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Foundations
  • Show Website
    Wisdom Matters

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