Daily Devotional

Wisdom, understanding, instruction…all three of these are listed in such a way to depict that they are things that are not something I can conjure up. They are from without, not within. So how do we get it, how do we find it?

If someone were to tell you that a thousand dollars was buried in your backyard what would you do? I, for sure, would be spending a lot of time in my backyard! I definitely would search in every way I could to find it.

I love that when the Lord commands us to do something He tells us how to do it. In this case He told us in a couple chapters before in Proverbs 2:

"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding…"

In other words, you have to seek for it in His Word. It comes from Him. But it is also something that we need to ask for. And it is something we have to receive. What does that mean? I look at it like a gift. If someone gives me a present I won't really know what it is or understand what to do with it until I open it. That’s how it is with God’s Word. We need to open His Word, read what’s inside, accept it as truth and use it for living.  

The other day I was really busy trying to take care of a project. Too busy to really pay attention to what was going on around me. During that time I wasn’t ready when the Lord called upon me to express Truth. Instead I made a funny comment, said what I thought were some encouraging words and then went on my busy way. But the Holy Spirit didn’t let me go. He kept needling at me until I read these words the next morning. So as I was searching out the truth about wisdom, understanding and instruction and seeing they come from God, I asked Him what I should do about my situation. As clear as day I heard, “If you confess your sin He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:9God is so good to care that we keep in a good relationship with Him. That’s why spending time with Him, hearing His voice is so vital for our life. When we don’t, it’s so easy to hear other voices that soon take the place of His, and the needling from the Spirit gets easier and easier to ignore. His Word will give us wisdom of what is Truth, understanding of what it means and instruction on how to live it.

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.