Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
—not as unwise but as wise
Summary: Wisdom is a word that describes a state of mind. We attribute wisdom to the things people do when they work out well. People who are careful how they live and keep their eyes on Christ do well.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:15b – The Light of Christ”… but rather thanksgiving.
Summary: Paul has a simple instruction for us, when we talk, we should speak words of thanksgiving. Finding something to be thankful for can be a challenge. Fortunately, when we step back and take a look at the big picture, our reasons to be thankful become clear.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:4b – Worse Than Death”… the manifold wisdom of God
Summary: Manifold wisdom is a concept that requires some thought to understand. How can many answers come from one source? With God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:10b – Gems of Wisdom”
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.
Continue reading “Wisdom Wednesday – Seeking Treasure”
Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
”Very truly I tell you Pharisees…” but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Understanding requires a willingness to see something that you have not seen before. Sometimes being able to “see” something you have not seen before requires letting go of your present point of view – at least for a moment or two.
The Pharisees held firmly to the point of view that they were God’s chosen people and that they, in particular, were chosen to keep control of the rules that others had to live by. Jesus did not follow their rules (man’s rules) and instead followed rules that they did not recognize (God’s rules).
For the Pharisees to understand what Jesus was telling them, they would have to at least pretend for a moment that Jesus could be who he says he is. If they could have done that, they might have been able to understand what he was saying to them.
Continue reading “Understanding … Not – John 10: 6”