wisdom | Daily Encouragement

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” (James 3:17, New Living Translation)

In today’s scripture selection, James contrasts earthly wisdom with heavenly wisdom.

Earthly wisdom’s perspective is 70 or 80 years — enough only to cover our time on this earth. If you think you can outrun to the grave the scales of human justice, what is to prevent you from being contentious, rude, and unyielding in your dealings with others?

On the other hand, heavenly wisdom has an eternal perspective. It recognizes the reality of spiritual things, and of God’s reckoning.

Resist earth’s Siren call to its ways and to its wisdom. Other people may scoff at your “naivete,” but only for the short span of their lives. The approval of God is forever! – Luther

Tagged God's wisdom, godly wisdom, the book of James, wisdom

August 14

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” (Psalm 111:10, NIV)

How many times have we have heard (or said) the lament, “I wish I knew then what I know now”?

Knowledge alone will not keep us from foolishness. On the contrary, for many people, a discovery becomes a kind of “dare.” We do a new thing, not because we ought; but because we can.

Knowledge plus “experience” over time develops wisdom, but there is a short-cut: The abiding fear of the Lord.

Many of us reject the idea that we ought to “fear” God. The problem here isn’t the concept, but our view of the word “fear.”

I fear God the same way I “fear” electricity: I don’t understand electricity, but I do rely on it to light my nights, to power the devices I need to do my daily work, and in a hundred other ways. I am quite comfortable having electricity in my life.

I also know (from admonitions, not from first-hand experience) that no matter how comfortable I may become with electricity, if I stick a knife into a live circuit, I will learn why electricity — because of its nature — ought to be feared, and treated with reverence.

When we have “fear” or “reverence” of the Lord, His word becomes the highest authority in our life. When we allow God to inform our thinking, to guide our actions, and to challenge our planning, we have both the knowledge of today; the wisdom of the ages; and a lot fewer instances of, “I wish I knew then what I know now.” – Luther