Wisdom Matters Foundations with Janet Denison

(Today’s devotional was originally run on February 2, and is being re-run for leap year.)

Paul told the church in Ephesus, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10–11a). It’s always been a challenge and a choice for God’s people to live according to his truth rather than our own. 

God’s word is the wisdom and discernment we need to make our daily choices. Scripture is our armor, our personal protection against the ideas and opinions the world imposes that can weaken our faith. We are called to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). It’s so important to remember that we never stand alone or without God’s protection. 

We can stand firm, confident of our values and our calling, when we trust God’s word as our truth because it's the truth. 

The polls and predictions are interesting and often valuable information. The opinions of others are born from their God-given right to choose. The caution and protection of Scripture is understanding that our right to choose doesn’t guarantee our choices are right. We have to fasten on the belt of truth for it to serve as our protection. 

Do you truly believe something that is contrary to God’s truth? Has the culture become more convincing than Christ? Sometimes our right to choose truth becomes more important to us than choosing what is right. God’s word isn’t always popular, but it's always true. 

The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Lord gives us the ability to stand firmly each day when we choose to trust his word as our truth.

Paul told the church in Ephesus, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10–11a). It’s always been a challenge and a choice for God’s people to live according to his truth rather than our own. 

God’s word is the wisdom and discernment we need to make our daily choices. Scripture is our armor, our personal protection against the ideas and opinions the world imposes that can weaken our faith. We are called to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). It’s so important to remember that we never stand alone or without God’s protection. 

We can stand firm, confident of our values and our calling, when we trust God’s word as our truth because it's the truth. 

The polls and predictions are interesting and often valuable information. The opinions of others are born from their God-given right to choose. The caution and protection of Scripture is understanding that our right to choose doesn’t guarantee our choices are right. We have to fasten on the belt of truth for it to serve as our protection. 

Do you truly believe something that is contrary to God’s truth? Has the culture become more convincing than Christ? Sometimes our right to choose truth becomes more important to us than choosing what is right. God’s word isn’t always popular, but it's always true. 

The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Lord gives us the ability to stand firmly each day when we choose to trust his word as our truth.

Welcome to Wisdom Matters, the chance to consider a verse or two from the Bible for the purpose of gaining God’s wisdom. Each short devotional will be a message from Scripture that you can apply to your daily life.  The goal of Bible study is to learn to think and live biblically.

Our world has been transformed by the Internet in many wonderful ways, but the abundance of information can be a source of confusion. Is the information we find true, important, relevant, helpful? What should we do with the information we acquire?

The Bible, unlike the Internet, doesn’t change with time. God’s word never changes because it is perfect truth and invaluable wisdom. God wanted us to make his word the window through which we view everything else.

I’ve often said, in a sea of information, wisdom matters. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” Wisdom is a gift from God that enables his children to know how to filter and use all we learn for God’s higher purpose.

God’s perspective is wisdom therefore, wisdom matters. Spend some time each day and “get wisdom” and “insight.” You will begin to see the world and the information around us with God’s biblical perspective. I hope you will join me for Wisdom Matters.

How do we learn to love God? 

Jesus answered that question in his Sermon on the Mount saying, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

At the end of each day we can ask ourselves, “When did I see God today? How did I enjoy, share, and respond to God’s unfathomable love?” 

To fear the Lord is to thoughtfully consider our eternal God with the reverent love and honor we owe him. It's to return the love that he has lavished on us. 

The psalmist taught that loving God in this way is the beginning of wisdom. 

Our goal should be to reverently love God in the ways that will lead us to walk in his presence and be filled with his wisdom. That is how we are most able to lead a pure life—a life that can see God and love him with a pure heart. 

Let’s begin our year with the “beginning of wisdom” as we love and honor our amazing God.

Our attention is easily drawn to an older couple who strolls through the church, holding hands, still obviously in love with one another. Their love illustrates God’s plan for marriage because the “two have become one.” That’s a love most of us aspire to have and is the earthly example of the love relationship God wants to have with each of us. 

People who maintain a strong love relationship with God naturally reveal God’s love to others. When we fill our days with God, he fills our moments with his love because “God is love.” His nature, character, and presence in our lives serve as an expression of his pure and unconditional love.

Maybe someone glimpsed God’s love in you today simply because you allowed his love to be present in your thoughts and choices. When two become one, a unique love is born. That is the relationship God desires to have with us. Our attention is easily drawn to people who live with that love for one another. 

To know God is to understand that He is love, and that is the beginning of wisdom.

John 3:16 is probably the most quoted verse from the New Testament. It’s been said that the entire plan of God for his creation is summarized in that one verse. God has always wanted to spend eternity with us, so he did everything necessary to make our salvation possible. Everyone can inherit eternal life simply by choosing to receive what God has offered. Heaven is promised to each person who believes that John 3:16 is truth and receives what that verse offers.

People wait in long lines to get on a fun ride at the amusement park. I’ve often taught children that heaven is like their favorite amusement park, filled with the best rides and the best friends. Jesus already bought everyone a ticket. But each person needs to understand what that ticket cost God, then ask him to receive theirs. Our earthly lives are lived gratefully, until it’s our turn to go through the gates of heaven. Everyone in this world either has their ticket, or it's still unclaimed, needing to be picked up.

John 3:16 is the message of salvation. If your ticket is securely in your possession, offer God your praise. Find peace and joy knowing that, once you have claimed your ticket, you are guaranteed admission. Enjoy considering what it will be like to enter the gates.

Picture the wonder of children seeing all the sights and sounds of their favorite place for the first time. Then, multiply their wonder by infinity. That is just the beginning of a believer’s eternity. Christians are blessed with the assurance of our salvation. We will be blessed, and be a blessing, every time we help someone else understand the perfect truth of John 3:16. End your day filled with the joy of your salvation and pray for the opportunity to help someone else receive their ticket to eternal life.

Knowing God is the beginning of wisdom and our confidence that he has promised to save.

Many years ago, I designed a bookcase headboard I wanted for our bedroom. My dad used my drawing, made a plan, and built us that bed. My dad has been home in heaven for several years now and that bed is one of my favorite possessions. He took my drawing and created something I treasure from it.

Every sunrise, storm, animal, and person has been uniquely crafted from the “understanding” of our infinite God. The entire world has been established because of his wisdom and creativity. God’s power spoke every detail of this world into reality. 

What in God’s creation did you marvel at today? 

What has caused you to glimpse the creative genius of God? 

God stretched out the heavens and filled the atmosphere with planets and stars. God separated the land from the oceans and filled the world with an abundance of living creatures. Tomorrow the sun will rise and then set because God ordained it.

God “established the world by his wisdom,” and his wisdom holds the world on his predetermined course. If things seem “out of control” in this world, we need only remember the Creator, who holds everything in his mighty hand. God is wise and his plans will always come to pass. God gave us this life and, through Jesus, life eternal for all who put their trust in him.

At the end of each day, we need only trust our Creator for tomorrow. He can take our plans and turn them into our treasure. He can take our mistakes and redeem them for our good. 

Will you take a moment and trust your thoughts and plans to his infinite wisdom, power, and creativity? 
To know God is the beginning of wisdom. Knowing God as Creator is to begin to understand his genius.