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 hand your worries to God?

    We usually talk about the subject of prayer when we discuss this verse, but it's also important to look at these words from a different perspective. Paul was telling the Philippians to pray about everything. But this verse is also about God, your Father.  God doesn’t want us to fret and worry. We don’t have to be anxious about anything. Why then are we anxious so much of the time? What are you worried about right now? Paul would say, “Take it to your Dad!”   Why do we need to make requests “known” to God, who already knows everything? The answer is simple: God wants us to know we have given our requests to him. When we leave our requests, our worries, and our concerns at his throne, we can be grateful that they are now safely and securely in God’s hands. The same hands that created the world are more than able to handle our requests.   Maybe our most amazing thought is the knowledge that we have been invited to come to God’s throne. Approach him as a child. He is your Abba, your loving dad. He wants you to bring him all of your hurts, bothers, guilt, and worries. You can be joyful knowing God wants to do whatever is perfect. He can forgive, comfort, counsel, and direct. Be thankful that you have an Abba who wants to help.  Jesus was praying for the strength to face the cross when he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Even Jesus needed to lay his worry at the foot of the throne.  Allow the word of Christ to dwell in you richly. Allow Abba the chance to assure you that every prayer is heard and held in his mighty hand.

    3 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    Do you escape your temptations?

    Temptation existed in the garden before Adam and Eve chose to sin. Temptation isn’t a sin; it’s only the possibility or opportunity to sin. Therefore, we shouldn’t think about all the things in our lives that tempt us as much as we should think about the actual choices we make.  Martin Luther summed it up this way: “You cannot prevent the birds from flying in the air over your head, but you can prevent them from building a nest in your hair.” In other words, we can’t keep Satan from making suggestions, but we can decide not to dwell on, or follow, those suggestions.  It's common to focus on our temptations, but Paul had a different focus. He wanted the church in Corinth to be confident in their faith. Paul told them that every time they were tempted to sin, they needed to remember an important truth. God had already given them a way to avoid the temptation or the power to endure it.  Temptations will always be a part of our daily lives. Temptation existed in the Garden of Eden! Birds flutter and squawk overhead, but they can’t build a nest in your hair unless you allow it.  That’s why we allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly. God has provided us with a way of escape and the strength to endure. His word will chase away that bird!

    3 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    Do you live with the freedom of Christ?

    God created each of us with free will, and we are each designed to desire freedom. Yet, every generation has had people who are enslaved in some ways. Some have been enslaved, but most submit their freedoms because of their personal choices.  Paul described slavery as a “yoke.” The yoke was a heavy burden placed on the neck of an animal so it could then be forced to walk a certain path and work for someone else. Another type of yoke during that day was used to keep prisoners chained.  When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he was speaking to some who had been unable to lay down the many Jewish laws of the Old Covenant and step into the freedom Christ had provided in the New Covenant. Paul was also speaking to some who had come to the Christian faith from a Gentile background. Before their salvation, they had been “free” to behave in some pagan practices they now knew were wrong. Their desire to keep some of their pagan practices had enslaved them to their wrong choices. The same is true for God’s people today.   Our sin entangles our lives, and our consequences burden us with a yoke of slavery. If we stand firm in our faith, we can be free of those burdens.  Paul encouraged all of them to seek the freedom Christ offered. Christians have freely chosen Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. We are truly free when we stand firm in our faith, when we choose to walk through life “in step with God’s Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).  When you allow the word of Christ to dwell in you richly, you are most able to stand firm in your faith and live as the Lord intended. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.

    3 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    Do you live for Christ’s return?

    Christians have always known that Christ will return again because he promised he would. The first-century Christians expected it to be in their lifetime, and those expectations have existed in every century that followed. There are always those who point to certain occurrences in their day and time and become convinced that the return of Christ is imminent. One day, a generation of Christians will be correct. They will experience the prophecy of the Revelation and witness the return of Christ.  Peter has taught every generation of Christians how to live until Christ returns. Peter had just written about the second coming of Christ when he said, “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” (1 Peter 1:13 NIV).  Peter would tell Christians today, “Beware of the many distractions of this day.” In the first century, it was a day’s work to feed the family and try to get a load of laundry done! They didn’t flip a light switch; they had to press oil for their lamps. They didn’t hop in the car and run to a grocery store; they worked gardens, cared for livestock, and walked to a marketplace—if they were lucky to live close to one. Every generation since that time has needed to work to balance their time with their priorities. People have always had distractions.  Today, many of our distractions are of our choosing. We “set our minds” on whatever we choose to listen to, read, or use technology to search for. Our distractions aren’t limited to a time of day or a lack of resources. Therefore, if we want to be fully alert and sober, if we want to set our thoughts and hopes on the return of Christ, we must choose to do so. Our world has very little quiet. In fact, our lives don’t have to be quiet unless we choose for them to be.   We should learn to be sober-minded, measuring the moments we spend each day and giving thought to the inevitable return of Christ. When we consider the grace that will be ours in that moment, we will find that we are distracted by our thoughts of heaven and the chance to see those who have gone before us. We can imagine what it will be like to meet the Lord—face-to-face.  We have a lot of distractions in our world today. Let’s allow the return of Christ to distract our thoughts as well.   Allow the word of Christ to dwell in you richly and you will allow thoughts of his return to be your great hope.

    4 min

  5. 5 DAYS AGO

    Do you live empowered by God’s spirit?

    The Holy Spirit is the living presence of Christ in our lives. After Jesus ascended to heaven, he continued his earthly ministry through Christians, who were led by his Spirit. Our relationship to Jesus is strengthened by spending time with him by abiding in his Spirit. The more we invest in that connection, the more we will come to know Jesus as our Lord.  Paul described the gift of the Holy Spirit saying, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” When the Spirit of Christ is at work in our lives, we are not governed by our fears. Instead, we have the Lord’s power at work through us. We can think the Lord’s thoughts, speak the Lord’s words, and love a person as the Lord would love them. Scripture often uses the words self-control, but we can usually translate those words biblically as “a Spirit-controlled self.”  God loves us individually. Our relationship to God is unique and personal. That is why God chose to give each of his children his Holy Spirit. God empowers his children in different ways and for different callings. Christians have much in common, but each of us has a unique fingerprint, physically and spiritually.  God gave us all we needed when he gave us his Spirit. We underestimate our capacities when we limit ourselves to what we can humanly accomplish. The power, love, and self-control Paul was talking about isn’t human effort; it's spiritual capacity.  We read about the miracles, sermons, and accomplishments of our biblical heroes. It's important to remember that the same Spirit who enabled them indwells each of God’s children today. When the Lord is at work through his Spirit, we accomplish things because of his power, his love, and his ability to control our thoughts and actions.   We are to allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly so that the work of Christ can be accomplished through his Holy Spirit. He is the power source for each of our unique ministries.

    3 min

  6. 6 DAYS AGO

    Do you live with eternal priorities?

    Romans 12:2 is rarely studied without Romans 12:1, but sometimes it's important to look at verse 2 alone. Usually, more time is spent on verse 1 and the need to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Granted, verse 2 doesn’t happen until verse 1 has been obeyed.  That said, we accomplish verse 1 by obeying verse 2. How is it that we set apart our daily lives for service to the Lord?  For starters, we don’t work for the sake of this world. Our lives right now are temporary, so we should allow the Lord to help us think with an eternal focus. When our minds are “renewed,” we will be able to discern the will of God. We will be able to discern the Lord’s priorities for this life.   We want our thoughts to be changed, renewed by his Spirit. Why? Because his thoughts are his will for our lives, and God’s will is “good and acceptable and perfect.”   Inspired thoughts accomplish his will in our lives. When we accomplish the will of God, we are blessed now and eternally with his favor. God doesn’t want us to serve him for his sake. God wants us to accomplish things on earth that he can then reward us for eternally. God will bless our obedience to his will and direction in our life.  When we sacrifice our lives to serve God, our thoughts are renewed. Our minds are less consumed by the things of this world and more often drawn to the eternal priorities that God can reward forever.   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly so that your mind can be renewed and directed toward the will of God. His will is “good and acceptable and perfect.”

    3 min

  7. 7 MAR

    Do you think about your thoughts?

    Some situations cause me to hear my mom or dad’s voice telling me what to do, as if they were with me. My husband and I have been married a long time, and we often finish each other’s sentences. Our thoughts come from a lot of different voices in our lives.   Paul’s words to the Corinthians taught me to “think about” my thoughts and consider their source. I coined a phrase for my life after studying 2 Corinthians 10:5. I call some of my thoughts “God thoughts.”  I try to pay careful attention to those thoughts that float across my mind for no particular reason. Those thoughts often lead me to pray, send a text or an email, or make a phone call or visit. Sometimes the God thoughts encourage my spirit, direct my choices, or convict me of a sin I need to confess. The Holy Spirit speaks into our thoughts when we expect him to, and our lives are richer when we listen.  There are other times when my thoughts are filled with worry, anger, frustration, or self-doubt. Sometimes, those thoughts are arrogant, prideful, or judgmental. It's during those times that Paul’s words have come to mean the most. I have learned to think about those thoughts and ask, “Who would have authored those thoughts?”  It's easy to know whether a thought or an opinion is a God thought. It's just as easy to know when we need to take a thought “captive” and make it “obey Christ.” When you can determine the author of the thought, you will know what to do with it.  Would Jesus have said that? What is the result of the thought? Does that thought build up or tear down? Does that thought line up with the truth of Scripture or the partial truth of Satan himself? When we know the thought stands against the knowledge of God, we know that God would never have authored that thought.  God speaks through his Holy Spirit, but Satan speaks into our thoughts as well. Take captive those thoughts and submit them to God. He will tell you what to think instead!   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and take captive any thought that disagrees with the perfection of Scripture. Think about your thoughts and determine their source. Obedience to the message of 2 Corinthians 10:5 will change your life!

    4 min

  8. 6 MAR

    Do you think godly thoughts?

    The Lord knew that our thoughts would drive our actions. Jesus commanded us to “fear not” because choices made from a place of fear are rarely choices based on faith. The Lord knew the world would always be filled with sinful temptations and tendencies. Our thoughts matter as much as, if not more than, our words. We know to be careful with our words; Jesus would want us to be careful with our thoughts as well.  Paul was closing his letter to the Philippian church when he taught them how to measure their thoughts. He taught the believers to think about what is true, honorable and just. Our thoughts shouldn’t wander into areas we know are wrong and dishonest. When our thoughts go in that direction, we should repent, a word that simply means to turn and go the opposite way.   Paul said the right thoughts lead us in the direction of what is pure, lovely, and commendable. God knows our thoughts, and we should honor him with the direction of our thinking.   Paul said that the right thoughts are excellent and worthy of praise. Which thoughts will the Lord commend and praise? Paul would say, “Think on these things.”  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and your thoughts will be excellent and worthy of the Lord’s praise. How good it is to think like Jesus and allow those thoughts to drive our actions!

    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
    363
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Foundations
  • Show Website
    Wisdom Matters

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