Wisdom the Divine Gift

Wisdom the Divine Gift Devotional Reading and Podcast

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. —Proverbs 3:13-15

“The book of Proverbs is all about helping us to make right choices, to choose the way of God and not that of the deceiver.”— SSQ, The Call of Wisdom

Wisdom is a divine gift from God. Yet we must ask for it. “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” (James 1:5). Wisdom gives us the ability to discern between right and wrong whether the deception is obvious or not.

Deception is spiritual warfare by Satan—the Master of Deception who seeks to trick us by developing customized temptations and presenting them to us with such proficiency that in our process of rationalizing, we become confused. Of course, his goal is to make the righteous fall. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14).

Satan deceived Eve with words that appeared to be full of wisdom. Imagine a serpent who can communicate with you. The distraction of a talking serpent who spoke about the wonderful benefits of eating the forbidden tree’s fruit cost Adam and Eve everything, including their face-to-face relationship with Jesus, loss of their home, and immortality.

Sadly, many Christians are deceived every day. When faced with life’s dilemmas, we rely on our emotions, academic degrees, strategies, and prior life experiences instead of praying for God to give us the wisdom to discern. By eliminating prayer for wisdom and guidance, we use our limited knowledge to make decisions that result in costly consequences.

The dilemma is orchestrated by Satan and comes to completion because of our lack of knowledge or pride. We feel pressured to make an immediate decision. Then Satan adds fuel to the fire with additional deceptive tactics by making us believe that our circumstances are trials or tribulations caused by God.

In John 16, Jesus tells us that we will have tribulations. Most of us have been through at least one season of darkness, and thankfully God has given us deliverance that we can use as a testimony to encourage others. But what happens when our lives are in constant turmoil from which we never recover?

Trials versus Consequences

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. —1 Peter 5:10

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed…” —2 Corinthians 4:8

Whether our lives feel out of control or everything is at peace, if we are Christian believers, we will experience hard times. Contrary to trendy [false] teachings, God does not crush us. The apostle Peter tells us that suffering has a Divine purpose. Our characters “as is” are not acceptable for the Kingdom of Heaven. Trials, sorrows, tribulations, and hard times are allowed by God to accomplish a spiritual transformation.

Are you impatient, unloving, have an anger management issue, or possess a prideful and selfish heart? Even if we do not admit our character defects, God’s purpose is for us to live eternally with Him. God does not punish us for long periods because He can. We serve a God whose name is Love. We have the assurance that our trials are given for one purpose, spiritual growth!

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

God does not crush or bring chaos and confusion into our lives. If we are living disruptive lives due to chaos and confusion then we are making decisions outside of the will of God. God’s purpose is to transform and provide restoration and peace to our lives. We benefit from trials because they place us on a firm foundation in Jesus Christ and prepare us to receive our reward of eternal life.

If you are suffering from the consequences of counterproductive decisions, pray a prayer of confession and repentance. Our Heavenly Father is loving and merciful. Every day surrender your heart and will to God by asking for wisdom and discernment. Develop the mindset of “Where God leads and directs me, I will obey.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness for excluding you from our decision-making. We ask for wisdom and discernment and pray for Your Divine Guidance in our lives. We also ask You to resolve our current dilemma that is present due to a spirit of self-reliance. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.