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Heavenly Wisdom Part 2

< Read Part 1

Wisdom is first of all pure.  Purity is foundational to what we do, and purity starts with surrender to God’s standards—the word “confession” means agreeing with Him, that is being of the same mind with God on what is right and what is wrong.

Purity starts, I believe, primarily in our motives.  If our motives are impure, that taints all that follows. As one of my friends is fond of saying, wisdom is doing the right thing, for the right motives, in the right way, at the right time.  All else may be right, but if the motives are wrong that can negate all the other good.

For instance, a teen-age boy faithfully attends every meeting at church, including prayer meeting. He is doing the right thing at the right time in the right way. But, since his motive for being there is hit on the girls, it negates ever other good aspect—and ruins it for others, too.  Motives are important.

In my own life, I’ve found that in any decision I make there are usually mixed motives: negative ones, neutral ones, good ones.

In making an important decision, it has proven very profitable to sit down and write out before God the motives from which I want to make this decision. As I give the Holy Spirit time to work, He often brings out motives I was unaware of.  It is important to be honest here, as we naturally tend to hide, even from ourselves, the negatives that drive us. To name them takes courage and commitment to truth.

After listing out my motives, I can evaluate these in the light of Scripture, agreeing with God on whether a motive is right or wrong or neutral. Then in prayer I specifically reject the negative and neutral motives (naming each before God), and commit to act only out of biblically sound motives.

For instance, in wanting to be on time for meetings, I have the following motives.

1. I want to be more effective for God.

2. I want to be a good example to others.

3. I want to respect their time.

4. I want to be comfortable and unrushed.

5. I want them to think well of me.

The first three motives are positive, the fourth is what I would call neutral, more focused on self than on pleasing God. The last one is definitely negative, being basically fear of man.  I had to confess the neutral and negative motives as wrong, rejecting them, and determine to act out of the positive, purer motives.

This bringing of our motives into the light of God’s presence and purifying them with the water of the Word means we are joining God in what He is doing rather than striking out on our own and thereby making  ourselves vulnerable to attacks by the enemy. Pure motives put us on the right track and provide us with protection.

>Read Part 3

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Psalm 30:4-5

Psa 30:4  “Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.” [YES! This must be our response to you, Lord, singing and praising you for your marvelous character, which is displayed in your holy name. You are sure, sinless, separate, and strong, glorious, gracious, good and great, worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of our surrender, love and obedience. To you be honor in song, glory in praise, exaltation in thanksgiving.]

Psa 30:5  “For his anger lasts only a moment,” [Praise you that you are angry with sin, that you do move to judge and punish, that you don’t draw back from chastening us. And that your anger ends when your work is done.]

“but his favor lasts a lifetime;” [Praise be to you that you are a God of forgiveness, of grace and of goodness, pouring out your favor on us forever. “He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Ps 18:19) Praise be to you that you can delight in redeemed but far from perfect sinners. We rejoice in your favor, we exalt in your goodness, we revel in your love, we bask in your grace. You are wonderful, you are marvelous, you are incredibly, unbelievably, beyond conception good!]

“weeping may remain for a night,” [You do take us through loss, disappointment, difficulty and heartbreak, but for good and wise reasons, one of them being to mature us, to shape us, to deepen us that we may be more useful for you, share more in your glory and earn a greater reward in heaven.]

“but rejoicing comes in the morning.” [Weeping in the night, especially the weeping of repentance, will be followed by joy in the morning as we see what you have done, how you have forgiven, how much you love us. As we move out of the darkness of our limited understanding into the light of your wisdom, we are able to comprehend more of your great and marvelous mind.

To you be glory, O Lord, to you be honor, to you be trust, as well as praise, thanksgiving and worship, for you are worthy at all times, in all circumstances, in all outcomes. Glory be to you today in my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength. Amen.

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Heavenly Wisdom Part 1

No one wants to be foolish; we’d all like to be wise, and God makes it entirely possible for all of His children to be so, if we are willing to cooperate with Him.

First He promises to give us wisdom when we ask Him for it. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Second He describes clearly in James 3:17 what it means to be wise. We will look at this further.

Third, the Holy Spirit is constantly seeking to give us more wisdom through the Word, if we spend the time and energy to read, study and meditate on it. In Proverbs 8:34 wisdom says, “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.”

The question for us is,  “Are we cooperating with God in being wise?” The first step is to recognize our need for heavenly wisdom and ask for it. If we are confident in our own wisdom, we will not seek His.

The second step is to know what heavenly wisdom looks like. Let’s look together at the description in James and see how human ideas of wisdom match up with this.

James 3:17 says: “…the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. “

Note that at the beginning and end of this list are firm, directing, strong elements (purity, impartiality and sincerity) while in the middle are tender, merciful and gracious ones (peace loving, reasonable, submission, mercy and good fruit).

The tender parts without the firm ones will lead to mushy sentimentality and appeasement; the firm parts without the tender ones will lead to legalism and merciless demands.  We need the whole spectrum of wisdom to be at work in our lives in order to have heavenly wisdom. It is a package, we are not given the option of picking and choosing.

Note also that these elements come in a certain order “First…then…” and so on. We need to be cultivating these qualities in the proper order, not jumping to the end without having laid the foundation for doing so.

God, in His usual fashion, has provided the elements needed for the foundation of wisdom and wants to work in partnership with us in building it. He can say “be wise” because He has prepared each element of wisdom for us to take up and use.

In the following parts of this article we will look at each part of heavenly wisdom.

Read Part 2 >

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Further Thoughts On Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light” [When all is dark, when I can’t see the way, when confusion reigns and I don’t know what to do, you shine your light on the path, Lord Jesus. You are light itself, so your presence brings light, whether we can see it or not. At the right time we will be enlightened. Praise you for your faithfulness in showing us the way, illuminating us with what is needed.]

“And my salvation.” [You, the Star Breather, the Earth Spinner, the Dawn Bringer, the History Ender, are at work in great power, in deep wisdom and in unquenchable love to bring what is best within a broken world

Truly you protect on every level: eternal, temporal, spiritual, intellectual, volitional, emotional, physical, financial, social, vocational. You shield, you deliver, you provide, you warn, you rescue, you embrace.  Why? Because you are love itself, you cherish your children, you delight in me, you choose to love in spite of what I am. I praise you with humility before your goodness, with shame for my unbelief, with wonder for your gracious forgiveness, with joy for your undeserved love, with enthusiasm for your delight in me, with deep thankfulness for your marvelous, rich, positive and good character.

In you I am safe, in you I am secure, in you I am significant. In you is all I need. Praise you that you are the Savior to the uttermost for those who believe in you.]

“whom shall I fear?” [With a God like you watching over me in love, tenderness, forgiveness and power, who else should have sway over me? Who else should I fear and respect in obedience? Who else could bring real damage to me when you filter out what is truly harmful? You only are the One to be feared, to be obeyed, to be revered.

Praise be to you in all, Lord Jesus, Redeemer of all, especially of those who believe.  I praise you now for what you have planned for my life today, I delight in your love, rejoice in your provision, revel in your perfect character. May you be exalted today in my life, for you deserve glory, honor and praise in and for all things. ]

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Psalm 29:10 The Lord Rules

Psa 29:10  “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;” [You O Yahweh, Creator, Sustainer, Ender of All, you sit above the flood of time, the flood of events, the flood of nations and peoples. You are unchanging, without age, without growth or alteration, for you are perfection itself. You are Almighty, All knowing, All seeing. You dwell outside of time, you reign over time, and will end time. You are the Most High, the Undefeated King, the Everlasting God.]

“the LORD is enthroned as King forever.” [There is no end to your righteous rule, your dominion extends through all eternity, your power will never diminish, your plans will always work out. No one can defeat you, no one can fool you, no one can out think you. You are the Savior, the Judge, the Pardoner and the Lord. To you belongs all honor and glory and awe. To you belongs obedience and fear and love.]

Psa 29:11  “The LORD gives strength to his people;” [You, in your good graciousness, draw us into your embrace and share your power with your people, even though we deserve the opposite. We are by nature rebels, evil, worthy of punishment, failure, suffering and death. But in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called, cleansed, claimed as your people, commissioned and equipped to special service, and cherished as your children. You pour your strength into our lives: spiritual, intellectual, volitional, emotional, physical, social, financial. We can move forward when all human resources fail. Praise you, Lord God, for all your gracious love and provision. You are totally worthy of honor, of worship, of obedience.

“the LORD blesses his people with peace.” [You, Lord Jesus, are the Prince of Peace, the Source of Peace, the Purveyor of Peace. I praise you that in your willing sacrifice for our sins, you bought us peace, peace with you, with ourselves and with others. I praise you for the power of forgiveness you have placed in our hands, the power to move against what is natural in this twisted world, to forgive as you have forgiven us, to do what is high, gracious, freeing and healing.

You, Lord God, richly bless us by bringing the possibility of peace into our world.  Help us to take it up and use it, confessing our sinfulness to you and receiving your forgiveness, forgiving ourselves, forgiving others as you have forgiven us.  Praise be to you, Lord God, for your marvelous love displayed in your loving, gracious, transforming forgiveness, offered to all, efficacious to all who receive it.

I praise you for your love that is higher than the heavens, wider than the universe, longer than eternity, deeper than all space. You are worthy of our worship and love, our praise and honor, our surrender and obedience. May we live in these today, exalting your name before the nations, the unseen hosts and the domain of the devil. To you be honor in all, Lord Jesus.

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From Disappointment to Delight

Woke up at 7:30, which was not to my liking, but I thank you for it anyway, Lord, a chance to praise by faith, to give you glory, to deny discontent, to reject selfishness and to negate negativeness. This is an opportunity to live in your Truth, Light and Love.

I praise you for this new day and for what you will do in it. Thank you for the opportunity to face the discontent of others with the calmness of trust, the rest of faith, the joy of truth. I certainly am weak, overly sensitive, touchy, easily effected by other’s words and attitudes. But I praise you for this weakness which is another chance to be strong in you, to recognize my sinful fear of man, to reject my natural desire to draw security and significance from people, and instead to live in protection and safety behind your shield of victory.

I praise you today for what will come to pass and what will not come to pass, for success and failure, for opportunities to forgive myself, to give you glory and to carry your blessings to others. Guide me in making decisions that will give glory to you: praise instead of complaining, thanks instead of self-pity, trust instead of fear, forgiving instead of anger, rejoicing instead of discouragement, obedience instead of rebellion. To you be honor in all.

 

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Psa 28:2 “Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,”

Awoke with somewhat negative feelings. Perhaps from thinking too much about work? I do want to be thinking on, focusing on you, Lord Jesus, to be rejoicing in you and who you are throughout the day.

Whether my work goes well or not is not such a big deal. You are the Big Deal in life: the eternal One, the Righteous One, the Holy One, the Mighty One, the Glorious and Beautiful One. You deserve our love, our devotion, our worship, our obedience, our fervor, our focus.

I praise you that you lift our eyes from the temporary to the Timeless, from the small to the Great, from the created to the Creator.  You are the One to be worshiped and I repent of thinking so much about sales and success. Guide me in being balanced in a biblical way, in approaching this work with you, in your time, in your way, in your power. Praise you for all you will do.  Open the way for us to do what is best. I praise you for your goodness and guidance now.

Psa 28:2  “Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,” [Where else can I look for mercy and help? You are the spring of all mercy. You are the source of all help. What we see on the earth is but a reflection of your great and wonderful character. Truly I can trust you to hear, to answer, protect and guide.]

“as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.” [To focus on you is the right thing to do, for there is no real help in any other place. You are the Holy One who knows what is good, what is pure, righteous and edifying. In you I can trust. In you I can hope. I can praise you for what you will do before there is any sign of your working. You are the God of Goodness, Power, Wisdom and Grace, full of Love, Life, Laughter  and Light.]

Praise be to you, Lord God, my Refuge, my Fortress, my Stronghold, my Shield, my Shepherd, my Protector, my Guide, my King and my God. To you be glory in this day. Help me to be a glory giver at each step, at each juncture. You are the One whom I am to follow, to gaze upon, to focus on, to worship, to love. To you be glory and honor for all you will do.

 

 

 

 

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Psa 28:6 “Praise be to the LORD"

Psa 28:6  “Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.” [You, O LORD, the great Triune God, pure and holy, powerful and high, perfect and heavenly, persistent and humble, to you belongs all praise. You are the prayer-hearing God, you stoop down from you Heavenly throne to help us, you support us with your mighty right hand. To you be glory and honor today in my life for you are worthy of all exaltation.

I think of your mercy this past weekene in our trip to speak in a meeting. An accident on the other side of the freeway caused a huge traffic jam backing things up for many miles, while we could zoom right along and arrive in time for the gathering. Then on the way back there was another traffic jam, again on the other side, this time from all the people returning home on Sunday evening. And again we were able to zoom right along and make it home in good time. You are the provider and protector, the merciful One who watches over us in every way. I give you honor and glory, I thank you for your care.]

Psa 28:7  “The LORD is my strength and my shield;” [I am weak, so vulnerable, so easily defeated by men, myself and devils. But you, Lord Jesus, you are the Victor, you are the Most High, the Almighty. You give your strength to your children, you make yourself our rock, our fortress, our defender, our shield, our stronghold. You give us your shield of victory, your support us with your right hand, you stoop down to make us great. You reach down from on high and draw us out of deep waters, you rescue us from our powerful enemies, from our foes too strong for us, you save us because you delight in us and bring us into a spacious place. (Ps 18)   I give you praise and honor, glory and exaltation for your great goodness, Lord Jesus.]

“my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” [Without trust much is forfeited. With trust we can praise you before we understand, before we get an answer, before relief comes. You, Lord God, are the good One whom we can trust in any circumstance that comes from the world, the devil or our flesh. As we trust, you give us peace, wisdom, guidance and protection. As we trust we give you glory and honor before all, the seen and unseen. As we trust we open the way that your salvation may come through. As we trust we are changed, you are honored, others are blessed and sinners see your glory.

Lord, may I so trust you today that you will be honored. May your strength, goodness and graciousness be evident as I reject impatience, worry, fear, anxiety, lust and over-eagerness, and instead rest in you. Praise you that I can take up your patience, your grace, your wisdom, your strength, your calmness, your joy, your light and live today in your power, protection and love.]

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The Delight of Surrender

Praise you, Lord God, for a new day, a fresh gift from your hand, steaming with potential, warm with grace, delicious with your presence. I praise you, Lord Jesus, my Good and Great Shepherd, for your provision, protection, presence and preparation of all that will come today.

Praise you for the privilege of nurturing a first love for you, of worshiping you, praising you, focusing on you, accompanying you through the day, joining you in what you are doing and checking in with you on what I should do—no sneakiness in doing what I’m not sure you would want.

I confess my sin of doing that, of ignoring you in making decisions, setting my heart on gaudy baubles of pleasure rather than on your kind eyes of wisdom. I confess my double-mindedness, my half-heartedness, my rebellion and unbelief. Forgive me for these serious, glory-stealing sins.  Help me to be open to you  in all things, so that I may live in the light of your presence, of your Truth, of your wisdom, of your grace. It is not worth it to try and do things I’d like without checking in with you; I only end up with a mouthful of gravel!

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for your great forgiveness, your efficacious sacrifice, your total cleansing, your persistent application of discipline and correction, your patience with me in my unbelief and rebellion. You are great, you are good, you are gracious and thereby worthy of praise, honor, worship and obedience.  May each of these stream from my being today, enlightening those around me for your glory.

 

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Fulfillment: But By What Measure?

Often at the end of the day I have a nagging sense of failure. I feel as if I didn’t do enough today, that I wasn’t productive or useful.  This is my emotional perception, and I have learned that it is usually a distorted one. It is like your reflection in those curved mirrors at the carnival which show you with a tall, skinny head, a short fat body and huge feet. It is a twisting of reality.

Taking time to look at the day objectively gives us a much more realistic perspective.  When we were in language study, a time when one is reduced to the level of a 1 year old, unable even to ask where the bathroom is, I felt totally useless and unfulfilled. This wasn’t helped by a teacher who told me regularly what a terrible student I was.

The Lord helped me deal with this by having me list out all the things that I actually did in a day: I got up, had my quiet time, got dressed, brushed my teeth, had breakfast, got the kids off to school, went to class, came home, prayed through my list, spent 4 hours in study, got the kids from school, helped prepare supper, did the dishes, put the kids to bed, collapsed into bed myself, usually after getting undressed.

Most of these items I would never have counted as “accomplishments” in my life as a farmer or a tire dealer. They were things you had to do in order to get to the “real work.”

However, in reality they are accomplishments, and counting them helped me to have an objective measure of what I had done in a day—no matter how little I could say in my new language.

Now, many years later, each evening after getting into bed, I take the time to think through my day, thanking God for all the things He helped me to accomplish, big or small—as well as for the things that I was not able to accomplish, for that is in His hands, too.

This almost always changes my emotional perception of the day from a sad, melancholic view to a warm and thanks-filled one.  I then go to sleep in the positive truth that God has carried me through, used me in some way and thereby accomplished some of His great plan for the universe.

Going to sleep in the positive usually assures that I wake up with a thankful heart.  Psalm 143:8 describes this: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.”  When I go to sleep trusting in God and His version of the day, then I wake up thinking of His unfailing love, which gives me a great start on the next day.

So don’t trust the negative emotional perception of your day that your natural self feeds you.  Learn to, in the evening, objectively think through your day and count every positive thing that comes to mind, across the whole spectrum from brushing your teeth to leading someone to the Lord. And rejoice in Him!