Wisdom has been my main word this week. God has shown me over and over the blessings and benefits of growing in wisdom.
As I am starting 1 Samuel, I see wisdom and obedience tied closely together. Because Hannah cried out to the Lord, He blessed her obedience with giving birth to Samuel. Then because she, in her wisdom, dedicated Samuel back to the Lord, He gave abundant favor on Samuel, and continued to bless Hannah with more children. However, I also saw the consequences of not seeking wisdom with the Father. Eli, the priest at the time, was dishonoring the Lord and valuing his sons over obeying the Lord, Eli put his future in jeopardy, which then affected his family line. I see that the only way I can gain wisdom is to ask for it from the Father—to tune my ear to listen and obey His voice. This can come in the forms of His Word, His children speaking over me, listening to His voice in prayer.
Also, as I have been reading a Proverbs a day, several verses have stuck out to me about gaining wisdom and how much the Lord uses it to grow other areas of the heart from the root of wisdom.
Proverbs 15:31-32 “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”
Proverbs 16:16 “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver.”
Proverbs 16: 21-23 “The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools. A wise man’s heart guides his mouth and his lips promotes instruction.”
Proverbs 17:27 “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.”
Proverbs 18:15 “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”
Proverbs 19:8 “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.”
Proverbs 19:11 “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”
Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”
From Wisdom
It is a spring of life,
With it you can relieve strife.
It provides patience,
Speaking in love and grace,
All the while, in power and diligence,
Joy coming in to place.
Will I be brave enough to ask?
To gain wisdom is such a task.
Daily I pray for You to grow in me
A wealth of knowledge as great as the sea.
I pray in confidence that You will grant my plea…
Prayer Request:
Lift up my heart and mind to gain in wisdom! That from the wisdom He pours in that it changes and refines the rest of my heart–giving me patience, giving me diligence, giving me a heart for more of Him.
*Also, we are starting our last week in Lesotho. Pray that we use our time wisely as we wrap up this month–making the most of each and every opportunity with each other and especially the ministry contacts.
