Where Does Real, Actual Wisdom Come From?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom….” (Proverbs 9:10a) (emphasis mine)
What does that mean? It means that God knows infinitely more than you do, even about yourself—because He MADE you—so He alone is even the source of true wisdom—NOT us.
Do you care more about honoring GOD? Or yourself? Don’t trust yourself over the God Who made you.
This world is flipping upside down in so many ways & in so much of it, it is because of this ONE verse. People somehow think they can outsmart the very God Who designed them in the first place. As if they know more about the world than the One Who MADE the world.
How foolish!
Believing in Something Doesn’t Make It True…
I can go up to a boat full of holes & BELIEVE in my “heart of hearts” that people just aren’t giving that poor boat a chance & that I BELIEVE in that boat, & that it can do whatever it wants & that if it wants to float & carry us to the other side of the river, then I am going to believe in it, too.
But I can’t BELIEVE something into existence. I can’t manifest reality by believing it hard enough.
I can believe in that little hole-riddled boat all I want, but the fact is that it WILL sink, & if I trust in it… I will also sink.
I can also believe, in my “heart of hearts” that God is not real because “I don’t like the idea of Him or the idea of being accountable to anyone other than myself & what I want to believe…” but believing someone out of existence doesn’t actually believe them out of existence.
I don’t want this mole on my face, so therefore, I am going to choose to believe that it is not actually there so I can feel comfortable with myself & my life. Well, sure, but the mole is still there, isn’t it? (Honestly, personally, I do like my face mole.)
We All Have an Appointment
Fact is, we all have an appointment to keep with God someday. It could be as you’re reading this sentence that you have a heart attack & keel over & BAM, you’re at your appointment like NOW. Could be 50 years… could be tomorrow? But you have an appointment & you will keep it.
Are you ready to stand before the GOD Who MADE you & say, “well, I didn’t like how it felt to believe You, so I didn’t.” Or, “I didn’t want to feel bad about living my way, so I pushed you out of my heart & life & chose to believe I didn’t have to answer to You.”
“Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) (emphasis mine)
There WILL come a day when you will have to face up to the majesty of God & you WILL have NO choice but to recognize His Kingship because it will be glaringly obviously unavoidable to recognize at that point… will you be ready for that?
Are you ready to say to His face—”I thought I knew better than You”?
With His glory filling every inch of space, you, puny in comparison? Are you ready to say that to His face?
Do You Care More about Honoring GOD? … Or Yourself?
You don’t have to want to believe in Him for Him to be…. You can for sure use the excuse that “Christians spoil Christ-following for you,” but God is not fooled. You cannot get away with blaming others for your rejection of Him.
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,/But the Lord weighs the motives.” (Proverbs 16:2) (emphasis mine)
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9) (emphasis mine)
“Would not God find this out?/For He knows the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44:21) (emphasis mine)
Don’t Choose Hell
God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, because He gave His own Son so that despite our wretched undeserving hearts… if we believe on Him, we shall be saved. (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)
But if you reject His Son, Jesus Christ, you will have to answer to God at the judgment seat of Christ—the appointment we all will keep—whether we want to or whether we believe it will happen… or not.
Belief does not create or erase reality.
Do you care more about honoring God? Or yourself? Don’t choose hell.
Accepted Jesus but Hiding Sin?
And for those that have trusted Jesus Christ to pay your debt to God that none of us could ever hope to pay on our own… if you are living in a way that dishonors Him… what are you doing?
Imagine with me for a second that you live in a kingdom where you were caught RED-HANDED committing a crime deserving of the death penalty in that kingdom & whether or not you believed the sentencing to be fair, it was so… & you are standing before the King, with guards all around you, no hope for escape, & you plead for mercy.
Imagine with me for a second that the King then looked to His Son, seated on the throne alongside Him & asks His Son to pay your price, to which the Son replies, “Your will be done,” as He steps down from His throne, is beaten, humiliated, & tortured to death right in front of you—for YOUR crime.
Imagine with me for a second… what would you do in response to that gruesome, gracious sacrifice?
Flippantly go live however you darn well please, thankful for a chance to keep doing whatever you were doing just as before?
Or live with a heart overflowing with humbled gratitude? Living to serve that King Who gave you a chance at LIFE, because His Son was willing to die in your place?
Would you live to honor that sacrifice? Or would you live to honor yourself?
If you are living in sin… what are you doing?
He Is GOD… i am not
Remember… the BEGINNING of wisdom comes from the FEAR OF GOD.
AKA an understanding that HE is GOD… & I am NOT.
AKA an understanding that HE made everything… even me… & I did NOT.
AKA an understanding that HE designed it all… I did NOT.
HE existed before time itself began… I did NOT.
HE sees all, knows all, sees every ripple effect, every thought, every intention, every consequence, every everything… & I do NOT.
If you are living in a way that dishonors Him, as if putting your wisdom above God’s… What are you doing?
Turn from Your Sin! Repent! Turn to Your REDEEMER!
Turn from your sin! Repent! Turn to God Who offers you a clean slate of REDEMPTION through the blood of His SON!
You do not deserve it. I do not deserve it.
I cannot earn it. You cannot earn it.
I cannot believe Him away. I cannot manifest a reality that is not reality.
I have an appointment I will keep & I am confident in this–that I live under the righteous goodness of Jesus Christ. Do you? Can you claim this confidence with me? I am righteous ONLY because HIS righteousness covers me.
God Will Prevail
Truth is truth. Fact is fact. God is GOD… whether I WANT to believe in it or not.
Turn your life over to Jesus.
Let Him be GOD in your life.
He will prune you. He will shape you. He will renew you. He will revive you.
But you MUST turn your life over to the One Who gave His life for you.
You must accept the gift extended to you. He won’t force you to take it.
You must choose.
Jesus, Our Savior Was Born to You This Day
Praise God for Jesus, the reason I choose to celebrate Christmas–the coming of my Savior.
Jesus died for you… but He also rose again, victorious over sin & death.
He is not frantic. He is seated. All power, dominion, & authority belong to Him.
And He holds out His offering to you, the one He made… because that’s how much He loves you.
You must choose.
(Read my previous posts on: “Do you know Jesus?” “What’s the big deal about Easter?” & “Why the Gospel Is Such a Big Deal.”)
Shine HOPE by determining to live your life in a way that honors GOD more than it honors YOURSELF.
Coming Next Week
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
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December 2024 Hope Mail (INDIA)
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Enjoy free shipping on your December Hope Mail package that includes the beautiful Neela Earrings with matching Neela Bracelet from India and the Merry & Bright Sticker!
The adorable Neela Earrings are perfect for the winter season with their fun blue beads and gold accents! The matching Neela Bracelet is an impactful addition to your December Hope Mail! Each Neela earring and bracelet is hand-beaded by women in India earning fair wages for their work to be able to send their children to school. Featuring blue faceted beads with gold accent beads throughout, this slip-knot bracelet will elevate your look while creating an impact for women.
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Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!