Tag: Wisdom

Got Questions? Good!

Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas” — but this label fails to capture the depth of his character or the significance of his encounter with the risen Christ. Far from rebuking him, Jesus invites Thomas to bring his questions forward and see for himself. This moment shows us that faith isn’t about ignoring our questions; it’s about seeking God honestly, even in doubt.

In John 20:24-29, Thomas’ response to Jesus’ resurrection is straightforward: he needs evidence. Instead of shaming him, Jesus appears to Thomas, knowing the disciple’s need to understand personally. This demonstrates that asking questions is not a flaw in our faith; it’s part of a genuine, engaged relationship with God. God, who created our minds, doesn’t ask for “blind faith” — instead, He invites us to know Him fully. Jesus even says that those who have not seen but still believe are blessed, highlighting that God values a thoughtful faith over unquestioning compliance.

Faith, after all, is not about the absence of questions but about where those questions lead us. When we encounter doubts or curiosity, these moments are opportunities to grow. Proverbs 4:7 encourages, “Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Questions open doors to a deeper knowledge of God and often lead us to a more mature, lasting faith. They are part of loving God with our minds (Mark 12:30), engaging all of our intellect in pursuit of the truth.

If you have questions, talk with pastors, mentors, or trusted friends, and bring these to God in prayer. Remember, every question is an opportunity for growth.

Not All Help Is Good Help: How to Protect Your Purpose

In today’s reading, the Israelites return from exile with a clear mission: to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. This was more than just a construction project; it was about restoring their spiritual connection with God. Yet, in the midst of their work, they faced a dilemma. When neighboring groups offered to help, the Israelites made a bold choice to turn them away, recognizing that their intentions weren’t aligned with God’s purpose. This decision might seem harsh, but it reveals something crucial for us today—the importance of discernment.

Rebuilding anything in our lives, whether it’s our faith, relationships, or even a community, requires wisdom in choosing who we allow to influence us. Not everyone who offers help is on the same page spiritually, and partnering with the wrong people can undermine the very thing God has called us to do. The Israelites understood this, knowing that accepting help from those whose motives were not pure would compromise the integrity of their mission. They weren’t acting out of pride or exclusivity but out of a deep desire to remain faithful to what God had asked of them.

This lesson is just as relevant for us. We often face situations where we need to rebuild—whether it’s in our personal walk with God, in mending a broken relationship, or in pursuing a new direction in life. But not every offer of support is helpful. Discernment is crucial in deciding who to partner with, and this discernment comes through prayer and seeking God’s guidance. As we seek His wisdom, we begin to see people’s true intentions more clearly.

Jesus tells us that we will recognize people by their fruits. When someone offers to help, we need to ask ourselves: What kind of fruit is evident in their life? Are they walking with God, or could their influence lead us astray? This doesn’t mean we shut people out based on a surface-level judgment, but rather that we carefully examine whether their involvement will help us stay true to God’s calling. The Israelites knew that compromising by partnering with the wrong people would dilute their worship and weaken their resolve. Similarly, we must be vigilant in guarding against compromise, even when it seems subtle.

As we navigate our own rebuilding efforts, we must remain aware that God calls us to stay faithful to His mission. When we surround ourselves with those who encourage us in our faith and challenge us to grow closer to God, we are better equipped to complete the work He’s given us. Discernment isn’t always easy, but it’s essential. Just as the Israelites protected their mission by saying no to the wrong kind of help, we, too, must be willing to make tough decisions for the sake of our spiritual health.

Rebuilding with God’s guidance means knowing when to accept help and when to turn it down. By seeking His wisdom, examining the lives of those around us, and being cautious of potential compromise, we can move forward confidently, trusting that God will lead us in the right direction. Let’s remember that God calls us to pursue His purpose with integrity, surrounding ourselves with those who share our commitment to His ways.

Do I Know What’s Best?

It’s fun to look for emerging themes as we read through the Proverbs and today’s theme struck me as the very theme highlighted by a proverb appears TWICE near the beginning and ending of today’s reading. Here it is:

There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25 (NIV)

And throughout today’s reading we see that the foolish¹ follow their own path and chart their own course, but instead of finding success and joy, they find destruction and emptiness. And more than that, they also hurt those around them in a sort of hurricane of destruction. We read about households, neighbours, children, parents, and even the Lord being affected by the ill-conceived, ill-informed, and ill-executed plans of the willfully ignorant. But the great irony — as Solomon points out — is that they are “pure in their own eyes”!

This is yet another example of why it is so absolutely critical that we have a brother or sister who can sharpen us and tell us when we are being big stupid idiots. Once you find a person who can tell you that your being stupid as an act of love and friendship… return the favour and never let that person go!

It is worth noting that “fool” or “foolish” refers to a person who is obstinate, unyielding in their position, and without understanding. This is not someone who has been bamboozled in a moment, but represents a lifestyle of doing it “their way”. ↩︎

Choose Your Fighter

We’ve hit the point in Proverbs where there is a steady theme of widsom vs folly, but there isn’t necessarily any connective tissue from one verse to the next as this section is essentially putting forward various scenarios that contrast a wise and foolish approach. As you read through today’s passage you will undoubtedly find several of these contrasting statements that pop out to you, based on what is going on in your life and in the lives of those around you. The applicability of the Scripture never ceases to amaze me. But I think my BIG takeaway from today’s reading is this:

There are two approaches to every situation. One that is born of wisdom and leads to good outcomes. The other is born of folly and leads to poor outcomes. The former is the outworking of the pursuit of God, while the latter is the outworking of selfishness. How will you pattern your life? In the image of God, with Him as your “GPS”, or in the image of the world, with yourself as an idol?

Every situation has both path available to you. Choose wisely.

Knowledge is Power

We’ve all heard this adage somewhere… the first time I heard it was on the title screen of Mortal Kombat 3 for my Super Nintendo. But regardless of the source, if it’s true, it’s true. And this sentiment is echoed loudly in Proverbs 2. The NLT titles this chapter “The Benefits of Wisdom”. Here is a list:

Understand what it means to fear the Lord
Gain knowledge of God
Common sense
A shield
Guarded paths
Protection
Understanding of justice
Finding right paths
Watching over you
Keeping you safe
Salvation of evil people
Salvation from “twisted words”
Salvation from sexual immorality

As we look at this list, think about the things that we are told wisdom grants us. The list is not purely spiritual, but also incredibly practical. Because wisdom is not just some philosophical thought, but — as I wrote back in January:

What is wisdom? Ancients understood wisdom to be a comprehensive understanding of not just the whats, but also the whys and hows. What is this thing? How does it work? Why does it work that way?

Wisdom gives us this understanding about ourselves. Our universe. And our God. Do you not want to be protected from the snare of evil people? And I don’t mean moustache-twirling monocle-clad villains, but people who are deceived by Satan and unwittingly pursuing a path that leads to destruction. Do you want to be trapped in sexual immorality and constantly weighed down by how poorly you feel about yourself? Do you want to know which directions to pursue and leave unexplored in life? Which will lead to heartache and disappointment, and which will lead to life and opportunity? We read 4 times about shields, protection, safety, and oversight? Doesn’t that sound awesome? Someone looking out for our best interests and protecting us from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

Pursue wisdom, friends. Because Wisdom is a practical protection from the attacked of Satan in this world. And we all need that!

What Does it Mean to be Good at Something?

Today’s devotional is a simple one. In 1 Kings 7:14b we read, “Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work”. Note that there are 3 words used to describe Huram’s ability to work with bronze. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge.

Why these 3 words, and how do they apply to a craftsperson’s¹ trade? Well, the fact is that they don’t merely apply to trade work. They do, in fact, apply to ALL work. Any work that you or I may do should be done with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. In order to more fully understand what this means, let’s take a very brief look at each word in the original Hebrew.

Wisdom. This word carries the meaning of technical knowledge or skill. This is a person who is capable of performing the task.

Understanding. This word means insight. That is, the capacity for discerning a right course. This is a person who can see what needs to be done to bring the task to completion.

Knowledge. This is a knowledge of how to apply wisdom and understanding to the task at hand.

These are the qualities that any of us need to accomplish any given task. We must possess the skill. We must know how to get things done. We must know how to combine those skills to actually accomplish was is set before us. This may seem simple, but I have worked with a great many people who possess only one or two of these — I suspect we all have. In fact, despite these skills being so seemingly straightforward, the last time we saw someone who was explicitly labelled as being in possession of all three was Bezalel in the beginning of Exodus 31! And that was cited as being a gift from God.

So, if you possess wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in an area, that is because God has gifted you in that way. Step out into that gifting and use it for the glory of the One who gave it to you!

I know the word “craftsperson” is a weird word that doesn’t roll off the tongue well, but the fact remains that the work being done — any work that IS being done — might be performed by either a man or a woman. ↩︎

The Physical and the Metaphysical

In Chapter 28 of his eponymous book, during a lengthy monologue Job expounds on all the incredible works of mankind. In plumbing the depths of the earth mining and exploring. Harvesting every precious metal the earth has to offer. Creating fine delicacies like crystal and glass and jewlery. In searching out the far recesses of the globe; discovering, charting, and conquering everywhere that is ‘hidden in darkness’. In working the land and bringing forward crops of every sort to benefit mankind. It is impressive what we were capable of so relatively early in human history. Remember the events recorded in Job happen some time between the recession of the Noahic Flood and the establishing of the Mosaic Law.

But Job has no idea what is to come! Oh the places we’ll go! We will explore the depths of the oceans, turn rocks and minerals into amazing devices that continue to impress, amaze, and terrify. We will send drones out to the far recesses of the galaxy to take photographs of the outer reaches of the universe. We will send human beings beyond the earth’s atmosphere to explore space first-hand. The way we — as a species — have conquered every facet of the physical world with an insatiable appetite for more and more and more is impressive to say the least. Our curiosity, it seems, cannot be exhausted.

But! As Job says in 28:28 and Solomon echos in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What is wisdom? Ancients understood wisdom to be a comprehensive understanding of not just the whats, but also the whys and hows. What is this thing? How does it work? Why does it work that way? When we look at a thing we can see instantly that it was designed. Something as simple as a row of stones. That they are ordered neatly in a row would be a sure sign that an intelligence ordered them that way.

So it is with life, the universe, and everything. The ancients correctly understood that if we want to understand what something is, we must know how it functions. A shoe is useless until we understand that it covers our feet. But it seems that our curiosity has succumbed to our desire for self-governance. Because we have answered every why question with ‘it’s just random’ or an indifferent shrug. Why is that? Why don’t we care about ‘why’? Because we KNOW that “why” is a God question. And that is why the beginning of wisdom (understanding) is fear of the Lord.

Job 26-29 | 026/365

Who’s Leading Who?

We are all the hero of our own stories. But sin is eager to counsel us — and we are eager to listen, because the counsel of sin so often aligns with our existing desires. But God knew how hard-headed our free will would make us and so he made a way out; a way not obvious to everyone; a way that strikes most — nearly all in the case of Noah — as foolishness. Let me encourage you today in the strongest possible terms to listen to (in every sense of the word) the Lord’s leading.

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