Wisdom – Page 29 – Three Minute Bible

January 8, 2020January 9, 2020

Wisdom Wednesday – Seeking Treasure

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you

turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—

indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2: 1-5

Solomon recognizes that even he, the most powerful man in all the earth in his day, can not force a person to accept his words. He tells his children, and by extension us, that if you accept his words there is a benefit. More than that, he expands on what it takes to acquire understanding.

January 4, 2020January 17, 2020

Stop the Spinning! – James 1: 19 Part I

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…

Today James gives us a recipe for harmony: Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. How many situations have gone bad because someone did not listen? Have you ever opened your mouth and stuffed in a foot or two? When your feelings are hurt do you become angry before stopping to figure out what happened?

If I were to chart out all the problems I have suffered in my life, I wonder how many would be the direct result of doing the opposite of what James suggests. Just guessing, I am inclined to think that the answer is upwards of ninety percent.

Think about that for a moment. If you could eliminate ninety percent of all your unhappiness by following these three simple rules, would it be worth it?

December 25, 2019December 26, 2019

Wisdom Wednesday – Merry Christmas!

And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.

Genesis 3: 15

The Perfect Gift

Today’s “Wisdom Wednesday” text is not from the traditional wisdom literature in the Bible. Instead, we are looking at the wisdom of God in action.

Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior. The reason we need a savior is that Adam and Eve could not resist the wiles of Satan. Having sinned, they became spiritually dead, separated from God. At the same time, they were able to see something they had been protected from while they were alive in God. They could now see evil. The tragedy was (and is) that people do not always recognize evil for what it is.

December 19, 2019December 20, 2019

Opposites – James 1: 6

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

James has just written that God is generous in giving to those who ask for wisdom. He makes the point that God is not looking to find fault. God simply wants everyone to have wisdom.

But then James adds this little caveat: “.. you must believe and not doubt…” He compares someone who doubts to a wave on the sea, tossed around by the wind first one way and then another. So what is he talking about?

December 18, 2019December 19, 2019

Wisdom Wednesday – James 1: 5

It turns out that today’s “Wisdom Wednesday” post is found in the next installment of James…

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Finding Wisdom

What good is wisdom? What does it buy you? How is a person with this thing called “wisdom” any better off than the next one who has none? What is wisdom anyway?