If any of you lack wisdom...

Job 28:12 (KJV) questions,

Where shall wisdom be found?

The answer, provided throughout the entire bible, is God. Paul refers to God as (1 Timothy 1:17, KJV),

The only wise God.

The word "wisdom" is used throughout the bible to refer to a type of obedient spiritual insight. James goes a step further, by outlining how we can access that very wisdom (James 1:5, KJV),

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God ... and it shall be given him.

So we can access that wisdom by simply appealing to God! Let us try exactly that through prayer.

 

But if not...

Chapter 3 of Daniel finds Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tossed into the fiery furnace for their refusal to worshop a Babylonian pagan idol. Prior to being put in the furnace, they explain to the Babylonian king that God will save them (Daniel 3:17, KJV),

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand.

But they don't stop there. They continue in the next verse (18), which has become famous,

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

This is fascinating. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego essentially state that God is perfectly capable of saving them, but he is not obligated to do so. And, crucially, even if God doesn't save them, they still refuse to disobey God's commandments.

Simply, we are commanded to believe and obey. We cannot expect individual rewards for doing what we're already supposed to be doing. Jesus touched upon this theme (Luke 17:10, KJV),

When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Achieving that mentality displayed by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is not easy. But that's the level of faith that God wants from us.

Why does God care about us?

If God created the infinite expanse of the entire universe, then how, and why, would he possibly care about each of us on an individual level. This is a very obvious, and frequent, concern for anyone taking a journey through faith. And it's by no means a new concern. Indeed, David, himself, struggled with this (Psalm 8:4, KJV),

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Again, David says (Psalm 62:9, KJV),

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: To be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

So why does God care about us on an individual level? Truth is, the bible never provides a complete answer, but from the front cover to the back cover, God is constantly trying to communicate that he does care. Genesis 2:7 (KJV), describes God's physical and intimate involvement in our existence,

The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

And that theme continues throughout the bible.  In Jeremiah 23:23 (KJV), God says,

I am God at hand ... and not a God afar off.

So let's not get lost in philosophical arguments about whether God pays attention to us. The bible emphasizes repeatedly that he does. Let's accept that closeness, and take comfort in it. As God says in Isaiah 43:2 (KJV),

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Yet they were not afraid

The bible repeatedly commands that we should "fear" God, which might seem like a strange, even uncomfortable, concept. The idea is that we are all sinners (Psalm 14:3, KJV),

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

But God has not punished us as we deserve (Psalm 103:10, KJV),

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

We should there be thankful to God, but with a "fearful" attitude, realizing that we deserve much worse (Psalm 2:11, KJV)

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

For the exact opposite attitude, turn to Jeremiah 36, which finds the king deliberately burning an early draft of Jeremiah's warnings. Despite such egregious behavior on the part of the king (Jeremiah, 36:24, KJV),

They were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

Yikes! Let's not mimic that behavior. Rather, let us pray for forgiveness with a fearful attitude.

Ye have not looked unto the maker

In Isaiah 22, God comments on how the Israelites have undertaken great effort to protect themselves. God says (verses 10-11, KJV),

Ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall. Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool.

Important efforts, no doubt. Unfortunately, the Israelites had not done something more important: appeal to God, himself, for protection. God complains (verse 11, KJV),

But ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

This is a major problem for all of us. Getting caught up in the rhythms of life, we assemble our own efforts to protect and provide for ourselves. But in the process, we forget God's role in bring things into existence in the first place. A presence that power surely can protect and provide for us. So why are we so quick to forget that?

Rather than to try protect and provide for ourselves, let us learn to appeal to God. As David says in Psalm 62:8 (KJV),

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

Rejoice in the Lord

Following God is not about adhering to a set of rules. It's about achieving righteousness through faith. After all, Abraham was declare righteous not because he was a good guy. Rather, as stated in Genesis 15:6 (KJV),

He believed in the LORD; and [God] counted it to [Abraham] for righteousness.

Then, once we achieve that righteousness through faith, it doesn't end there. Rather, we have the opportunity to "rejoice" in our newfound union with God. Paul instructs in Philippians 4:4 (KJV),

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

So we should pursue faith, and in that process, we should also "rejoice"!

Psalm 50

Psalm 51, in which David repents for his actions with Bathsheba, is one of the most famous Psalms, and therefore it tends to overshadow the Psalm immediately preceding it. But Psalm 50 is densely packed with spiritual insights, and it is useful exploring in detail.

In this post, I'll focus on a handful of verses from Psalm 50 (all from the KJV), taking them a bit out of order. Starting with verse 21, God states that, while the people were sinning,

... I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Just because God doesn't immediately punish us for our sins doesn't mean he's not paying attention. He "will reprove" eventually. Verses 3 and 4 look ahead to that time,

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Yikes! Verse 23 puts forth what we must do to avoid that dreadful judgement, 

... him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

The word "conversation" means behavior. And if our behavior is "aright," verse 15 promises,

Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Note that, once we're delivered from our troubles, we will "glorify" God. But what does that (very biblical-sounding) word "glorify" mean? Verse 23 provides the answer,

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me.

So, when reading Psalm 50, one must bounce around a bit, but a theme emerges. God pays attention to our behavior, and we'll have to answer for our behavior eventually. Therefore, we should try to order our lives according to his will, and if we do, he'll save us from trouble. And when he does save us from trouble, we should praise him, which brings him glory.

With that outline in mind, try reading the full Psalm 50, and let it guide your prayers.

Thou knewest my path

God can sometimes feel like a distant, abstract force, unfamiliar with our experiences as humans. When we feel that way, let us consider three things.

First, those feelings are almost always the direct result of our own sins. So we should consider whether those distant feelings are actually our fault.

Second, never forgot that Jesus came in human form, so that he actually directly experienced the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of humans. Isaiah (63:9, KJV) states

In all their affliction he was afflicted.

Third, God has explained to us, in many places, that he completely understands life on earth. Just to pick on example, Psalm 102:19-20 (KJV) reads

He hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death.

And to pick another, consider the famous verse in John 11:35 (KJV),

Jesus wept.

God certainly knows our thoughts and emotions. Here's near to us. So let us draw near to him ... by praying without ceasing!

 

 

After they had rest

Nehemiah (9:28, KJV) summarizes God's dealings with the post-exile Hebrews, but his discourse speaks exactly to our own interactions with God. Specifically, what happens when God has given us some relief or peace or success? Nehemiah addresses God,

After they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies.

On one hand, it's depressing that we do "evil again," which inevitably brings some kind of chastisement. Then we return and cry until God. He hears and delivers. And this cycle repeats, as indicated by the phrase "many times." On the other hand, the passage is encouraging, because it speaks to God's abundant mercies. He delivers "many times"!

We're sinful. We're going to repeatedly sin. And God is going to repeatedly forgive. Our job is to humble ourselves before him, because we don't deserve that mercy. As stated in Psalm 34:18 (KJV),

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Separate yourselves from the people of the land

Toward the end of Ezra, Israel finds itself having intermingled with non-Hebrews. God had expressly forbidden this, knowing that such fraternization would lead to sin. To their credit, the Hebrews repented, without making excuses (Ezra 10:2, KJV),

We have trespassed against our God.

This cycle of sin leading to repentance happens throughout the bible, but what's interesting about Ezra 10 is the extent to which the Israelites plot to change their behavior. Starting in Ezra 10:3 (KJV),

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God ... and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

The main corrective action comes in verse 11 (KJV),

Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land.

Our modern ears should equate "people of the land" with sin in general. That is, we should "make confession" for our sins, seek to "do his pleasure," and separate ourselves from further sin. Thankfully, God gives us many repeated opportunities to follow the path put forth in verse 11. So let's take that path today.

 

 

Be holy, for I am holy

In Leviticus 11:44 (KJV), God commands,

Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.

But then Job complains about everyone's lack of holiness (Job 15:15-16, KJV),

The heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Yikes! We're supposed to be holy, but we're so far removed from that standard that it might seem hopeless. Paul laments this situation (Romans 7:24, KJV)...

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

 ... and then answers the question for the reader (Romans 8:1, KJV)...

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

And that, itself, is the message of the gospel! It is impossible for us, through our actions, to achieve the level of holiness that God demands. Even the very best people are "abominable and filthy." How then do we achieve the impossible? Though faith in Jesus. As Jesus himself said (Matthew 19:26, KJV),

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

 

 

Rewards for obedience

Psalm 199:165 (KJV) reads,

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

And Proverbs 16:7 (KJV) reads,

When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

And then Jesus promises (John 14:23, KJV),

If a man ... will keep my words ... my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The message is consistent. We should obey God, and in doing so, we can expect his love and comfort. And that obedience should be an all-consuming focus. God says (Isaiah 66:2, KJV),

To this man will I look ... him that ... trembleth at my word.

All bible translations render that word as "tremble," which seems to indicate more than just a passing familiarity with God's word. It should enter our heart and occupy our thoughts and concerns. We should actually fear falling into disobedience. And we can reach that level of "trembling" by praying ... without ceasing! 

God will answer

The entire bible emphasizes that, when we seek God, he will answer. Some examples (all from the KJV),

Call unto me, and I will answer thee. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. (Psalm 91:15)

He also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:19)

If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. (1 John 5:14)

Note that God does not ask that we do anything complicated to get his attention. We don't have to accomplish anything or demonstrate any particular talent. We simple have to "call" upon him, and he promises to answer. And that "calling" to him means praying ... without ceasing!
 

Encouraged himself in the Lord

1 Samuel 30 finds David and his army suffering military defeat to the Amalekites. David's family is taken captive and his people contemplate stoning him. He and his companions "wept until they had no more power to weep." (verse 5, KJV).

Yet, verse 6 (KJV) finds Davis shifting gears, at least mentally,

But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

The rest of the chapter tells of David seeking God's advice, and subsequently securing victory.

Many of us find David's frame of mind very difficult to emulate. But that's what God asks us to do. We should seek his help and "encourage" ourselves in him. And let us keep in mind God's promise put forth in Proverbs 16:7 (KJV),

When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Lightness and darkness

Many parts of the bible -- and especially those written by John -- emphasize differences between lightness and darkness, with those concepts appearing to represent righteousness and unrighteousness. This starts right at the beginning of the bible (Genesis 1:4-5, KJV),

God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Note that God divided, or separated, the two. Note, also, that "the evening and the morning" were the first "day." That is, morning (lightness) follows the evening (darkness), and both together go by the same term used to describe the light -- that is, "day." The implication, it would seem, is that lightness will eventually overcome darkness.

The New Testament writers expand upon that dichotomy. For example, Paul writes (1 Thessalonians 5:5, KJV),

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

As we pray, let us remember our pursuit of the "lightness" and be watchful for dangers of the "darkness."

I said not, seek ye me in vain

Numbers 10 outlines God's military instructions to the Israelites. What's interesting about that material is that God does not provide mechanical instructions on the fundamentals of fighting. Rather, God instructs the Israelites on how to call for his help (Numbers 10:9, KJV),

If ye go to war ... then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Note the certainty of the wording: "ye shall be remembered" and "ye shall be saved." Just by calling to God! This passage is surely also intended as instruction to us. When we "go to war," meaning when we encounter earthly or spiritual struggles, we should call to God, and he will hear us and save us.

That passage brings to mind a famous verse from Isaiah 45:19 (KJV),

I said not, ... seek ye me in vain.

God promises that calling to him is not a fruitless endeavor. He hears, he protects, and he saves. 

Let them not turn again to folly

Although biblical scholars disagree about its historical setting, the theological content of Psalm 85 clearly speaks on the topic of God's forgiveness. Verses 2-3 (KJV) praise God for washing away sin,

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin ... Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Those words of Mercy are meant to give us peace. Verse 8 (KJV) reads,

He will speak peace unto his people.

We should feel that peace, and we should take great joy, because that (undeserved) mercy is God's greatest gift to us. Above all, we should be thankful.

BUT, as part of that thankfulness, verse 8 (KJV) also highlights an important part of that thankfulness,

But let them not turn again to folly.

Repeating the very sins for which we were just forgiven is one of the saddest states in which we find ourselves. Solomon puts it bluntly (Proverbs 26:11, KJV),

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

God's mercy is infinite, but let us show our thankfulness by not turning again to our folly. 

Asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord

Chapter 9 of Joshua finds the Israelites entering an ill-advised peace treaty with the Gibeonites. God had already warned to Israelites not to fraternize with the inhabitants of the land into which they were entering. And subsequent events in the bible demonstrate that such fraternization would come back to bite the Israelites.

So why do they do it? Partly because the Gibeonites manage to deceive the Israelites. But verse 14 (KJV) points to the real reason:

The [Israelites] ... asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

Consider how often we fall into trouble for the exact same reason. Tricky situations, troubling circumstances, and impending troubles all require us to make decisions. But we don't have to make those decisions alone! First, we should "ask counsel at the mouth of the the Lord" and then (spiritually) listen for a response.

This is harder than it sounds, because our sinful natures mislead us to rely on our own devices and manipulations. The key is to fully trust God. As the psalmist says to God in Psalm 36:9 (KJV),

With thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Daniel's prayer schedule

Psalm 55:17 (KJV) reads,

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

That prayer "schedule" sounds similar to what appears in chapter 6 of Daniel. When King Darius signs a law requiring everyone to pray only to him, a defiant Daniel maintains his (evidently) already-existent prayer schedule (Daniel 6:10, KJV),

He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.

As punishment, Daniel then gets thrown into the lion's den, where ultimately he is saved by God.

There is nothing magical about praying three times per day. There certainly is nothing in God's commandments that specifies that particular number. Yet, by establishing a prayer "schedule" like that, a person gets closer to satisfying Paul's admonition to "pray without ceasing."

So, perhaps it makes sense for us to attempt something similar. Let us find three times throughout the day to set aside for prayer.

What we left behind

In the bible, ancient Egypt appears to represent a state in which we all find ourselves. While residing in Egypt, the Israelites were prosperous, they were luxurious, they were safe. But they were not free. They then left that world for the far-less-glamorous reality of life wondering through the desert.

Likewise, our lives of sin might bring earthly pleasures and treasures, but we are captive to that sin. In leaving those lives of sin, we enter into a different world, one where we must rely upon God's protection.

But leaving those lives of sin inevitable involves the occasional "looking back." In Numbers 20:5 (KJV), the Israelites grumble to Moses,

Wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Note that those items listed are all earthly delights. Important ones, sure, especially in the case of water. But this grumbling for earthly items shows a lack of trust in God.

We fall into this same mindset. And when we do, we should recall the words of David in Psalm 56:11-13 (KJV),

In God have I put my trust ... for thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Foresee evil, and hide

Remaining with the pursuit of "wisdom" from the book of Proverbs, the verse presented in Proverbs 22:3 (KJV) holds an important life lesson. It reads,

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Every single moment of every single day, sin lurks in our path. This verse encourages us, with the guidance of God, to be our own spiritual coach. We should make an effort to "foresee the evil," and then once we identify it, we should "hide ourselves" from it.

On the contrary, those who lack wisdom "pass on," meaning they do not seek to avoid the evil. And then they must suffer the consequences.

It's a relatively simple verse, but one that should guide our actions throughout every day.

Wisdom's invitation to us

The early parts of Proverbs speak of "wisdom," which appears to be a shorthand way to refer to righteousness obtained through faithful love of God. Those early parts of Proverbs also highlight the rewards of seeking that faithful love, and also the pitfalls of not pursuing it.

The first few verses of Chapter 9 highlight a different point. That is, not only is the pursuit of wisdom rewarding, but also that pursuit is very easy, because we have already been invited to do it!

Proverbs 9:1-6 (KJV) reads,

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:  

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. 

She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, 

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 

Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. 

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

The first two lines set the image of a banquet to which we have been invited. The next three lines highlight the specific invitation to attend that banquet. And the last verse offers a bit of advice, and a hint as to the reward, for seeking that wisdom.

Today marks the beginning of Lent. Although not a formally-declared biblical season, Lent marks a good time to accept that invitation to seek God's love. And then to enjoy the rewards that follow!

Joshua as a "type" of Jesus

Moses gives many wonderful speeches, but I'd like to focus on his address in Deuteronomy 31. In that chapter, Moses is handing leadership responsibilities over to his successor, Joshua. It is Joshua, not Moses, who will guide the Israelites into the promised land.

The name "Jesus" is the Greek version of the name "Joshua." To that end, we may view the Old Testament Joshua as a "type" of Jesus. (The word "type" is often used to refer to Old Testament prophetic symbols of Christ.) Joshua was to lead the Israelites into the earthly Promised Land, just a Jesus is to lead us into the heavenly Promised Land.

Whatever problems and fears we confront, they must pale into comparison to what those Israelites faced at that point. But Moses says to the people (Deuteronomy 31:7, KJV),

The Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

These words also are directed toward us. As we journey to our heavenly Promised Land, let us keep Moses' words on our mind.

A year-long bible reading plan

The start of a new year is an excellent time to begin a bible reading plan. My favorite, and the one I try to finish every year, is the well-known One Year Bible. Another excellent option is The Daily Bible, organized by F. LaGard Smith. (Having read Smith's version several times, I can promise that it feels like taking a semester-long collegiate-level course on the bible!)

But one need not commit to reading the entire bible. Indeed, one can construct an individualized bible reading plan. For example, just to make something up on the fly, one could read one chapter per day from the following five books:

• Genesis
• Luke
• John
• Romans
• Hebrews
• Psalms
  

That's 274 days of reading, so you've built in some cushion for the occasional missed day.

Whatever the plan, the point is for us to commit to active reading, and then to let that daily reading guide our prayers.