HOKMA

  • Has your waiting turned to presuming?

    I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

    and in his word I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5)

    What is the difference between expectation and presumption? As we consider the condition of our heart, where is the line between these two postures of the soul? 

    First, the similarities: both begin with a promise from God, and both wait for the provision. 

    The difference between the two is revealed in the light of frustration. 

    When expectation is frustrated, it continues to wait for the promised provision. This is perseverance: acknowledging the difficulty while remaining surrendered to God. When presumption is frustrated, it chooses bitterness. It begins to count all the ways it deserves the promised provision. 

    Expectation is an expression of faith because it trusts that God will provide on his promises. Grace proceeds and pervades the promise and the provision. God does not owe us anything, neither promises nor provision. They are a gift.

    Presumption is an expression of pride because it trusts that it deserves provision. It turns the grace gift of God’s promises and provision into a wage, debt owed to us by God. 

    The reward of expectation is greater faith and peace. The consequence of presumption is greater self-reliance and unrest. 

  • Discovering God’s Call For Your Life

    DISCOVER is the perfect word to describe what it means to go after God’s call in your life! When you make his plan a priority, an unexpected adventure awaits. One where you’ll

    • Uncover a purpose that is far greater than anything you can dream up.
    • Enjoy a significance that outperforms anything the world has to offer.

    What will his call look like?

    First: God’s call in your life is INTENTIONAL.

    Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors… (Acts 13:36)

    God has a specific plan that is custom tailored for your strengths and experiences. He has a plan for your life today, in your family, with your neighbors, in your school or work. When you don’t do what you were made to do, God’s family, and the world, missis out on something vital. God called David to something special, he went from shepherd to warrior to king to psalm-writer. He also has something awesome for you.

    Second: God’s call in your life is INSPIRATIONAL

    And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

    God is good, all the time. In the highs and in the lows, he is working for the good of his people. Followers of Jesus often look to this passage for strength during the difficult times. This is good and true and right! However, we must remember that God is also working in the good times—and it is so VERY easy to forget God when things are good. God is moving, let us always be inspired by Him.

    Third: God’s call in your life is EXCEPTIONAL.

    I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1)

    Worthy is a difficult word to translate into our lives. At one extreme, some of us are trapped by our feelings of unworthiness, and we fail to see the God-placed wonder that exists within all of us. At the other extreme, some of are trapped by the false confidence that are up to the task earning God’s gifts.

    Worthy means that we give to God everything we’ve got. We make him our number one priority—God is to take exception over everything else in our lives. He gets first place!

    We miss out on God’s call in our lives when we fail to put him first, be inspired by him, and do what we are made to do.
    What is God calling you to do this week?

  • Do you want God’s power?

    “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry … Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” (Luke 4:1-2; 14)

    Flip the switch, and the light turns on. Is this how God’s power works for us?

    Luke makes it clear: Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Spirit, and had the power of the Spirit. There seems to be a progression in this passage:

    1. We are filled.
    2. We are led.
    3. We have the power.

    There is no doubt that our life in the Holy Spirit is ongoing and dynamic.

    Does obedience to God, explicitly seeking him through fasting and resisting temptation, grant us God’s power?

    Personal experience would seem to support this. I feel closer to God when I seek him and live a holy life. My life is more fulfilling when I resist temptation. Additionally, I am more effective when I’m obedient to God.

    Of course, Scripture is more authoritative than personal experience! James tells us that if we come near to God, he will come near to us (James 4:8). 

    Does this make our obedience the light switch to God’s power?

    Most assuredly not!

    God is not a cosmic vending machine, as if we could deposit coins of prayer and devotion and then select our snack.

    Jesus didn’t return in the power of the Spirit after ten days of fasting. Not ten, but forty! Jesus didn’t return to Galilee after one temptation. Not one, but three!

    God is good. We can trust that he will bless us with the power of the Spirit at the right time. We must seek him more than food and resist temptation more than temporary rewards.

  • A Prayer Based on Matthew 11:28-30

    “LORD Jesus, I come to you. I am tired and overwhelmed. I’m at the end of my rope; I cannot continue on my own. I accept your yoke, I give you control over the direction and pace of my life. Teach me, Great Teacher! I need more truth and wisdom in my life. Make me more like you: gentle toward others and humble at heart. I seek the rest that you provide and I thank you in advance because you keep your promises. There is no comparison between life with you and life without you because your yoke is easy, and your burden is light.”

    Read Matthew 11:28-30 here.

  • Hidden Criticism

    If you do what Jesus wants you to do, you will have critics—especially if you are a leader. (See Luke 13:10-17).

    What motivates them? Who can know? They may fear loss of power or some other form of pride.

    They may not criticise directly, they are hidden, like snakes in the grass. Therefore, a leader ought to stay alert.

    Most critics cannot be reasoned with, but the must be answered. Why? You probably won’t win them over, but you will keep their poison from taking root in others.

    Don’t ignore your critics, in fact, look for their work. Answer them to limit their influence.

  • Thorns in Life

    Jesus warns us about the thorns in life that keep us from following him and being blessed.

    The thorns are self-inflicted; we choose them. We are responsible for the thorns; they are not situations that happen to us.

    Jesus specifically mentions three kinds of thorns (although anything that keeps us from following him is a thorn): worries, riches, and pleasures.

    Worries feed our fear. It sees our problems as more powerful than God.

    Riches feed our pride. It sees our resources as enough to meet our needs, keeping us independent from God.

    Pleasures feed our desire. It sees our playful diversions as better than God’s peace and joy.

    Let us look for the thorns! And with God’s help, unroot them from our hearts!

  • AMAZING FAITH

    [Jesus] was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith…” (Luke 7:9)

    I’m amazed that Jesus was amazed. 

    Luke uses this word 18 times, and only once does it describe Jesus. 

    (In nearly every other instance, people are surprised and impressed by the words and works of Jesus. )

    Jesus was amazed by the great faith of a Centurian, a Roman (not Jewish!) commander of 100 men. What can we learn from his example?

    Great Faith Understands Opportunity.

    Great faith looks beyond the problems before us and recognizes great opportunities to trust God. 

    Even though his servant was very sick, the Centurion didn’t give up. Instead, he saw the opportunity to ask Jesus for help. 

    Luke makes it clear that the Centurion wasn’t Jewish. Anyone can have faith in Jesus- Jew or Gentile! Faith isn’t reserved for people with perfect spiritual pedigrees. 

    Your past, present, or future aren’t big enough or bad enough to keep God from working great things in your life. We all have the opportunity to have great faith in Jesus, even during life’s difficulties.

    He understood charity. 

    Great faith is expressed through great love for others. 

    We know that the Centurion loved his servant because he valued him highly. Love recognizes the value of people. 

    Love isn’t just a feeling or attitude! Love always translates into action. The Centurion asked Jesus for help–action. The Centurion’s love for the Jews translated into paying the bills for their place of worship–action.

    It’s not easy to love others, but it’s worth every ounce of effort you put into it!

    He understood authority. 

    Great faith acknowledges the great authority of Jesus.

    As a leader in the Roman army, the Centurion understood authority. He had people in authority over him, and he had people under his authority. This Roman soldier knew who was at the top of the “chain of command,” Jesus. This is why he said to Jesus, “I don’t want you to trouble yourself; I am beneath you.”

    Recognizing Jesus as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings is difficult. We are “hardwired” to resist God, and the Bible calls this sin. When we live on our own, apart from God, there are devastating consequences — for now and eternity.

    He understood humility.

    Great faith comes from great humility. 

    The Centurion displayed humility in two distinct ways. Initially, he felt unworthy to meet Jesus, choosing instead to send others in his place. This action stemmed not from laziness or busyness but from a genuine sense of humility.

    Secondly, the Centurion’s humility is further demonstrated through the progression of his requests to Jesus. Initially, he asked Jesus to come to his house. However, upon reflection, he sent another message, expressing that Jesus need not trouble himself.

    One can imagine the Centurion’s realization after sending the first group to Jesus, perhaps smacking his forehead, and saying, “I’m not worthy enough to see Jesus; why am I asking him to come to my house?”

    Humility is a life-long pursuit. As our humility increases, so does our faith.

    One Last Thought

    Jesus used the word FOUND because he is LOOKING for us to have faith in him. God wants us to trust him more and more.

    No matter where you are in your journey, I encourage you to trust God with just one new thing. Your life of amazing faith is right around the corner.

  • We need each other to grow spiritually

    Did you know that God uses other people to build your faith?

    In fact, if you feel like you have stalled out spiritually. This could be due to the fact that you don’t have the right people in your life.

    Here’s the truth: we need each other to grow spiritually.

    This isn’t a comfortable faith principle! We’d rather keep people at a distance rather than bring them in close. When we open our lives up to others, we risk getting hurt. What keeps you 

    Before visiting the church in Rome, Paul said the following:

    “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” (Romans 1:11-12)

    He didn’t even know these people, yet he was expecting God to use their relationship for mutual growth. 

    One way that others strengthen us is to tell us the truth we need to hear. They help cover our blind spots, and when we have the humility to listen, we avoid trouble. When was the last time someone said something that made you stop and think?

    Consider: Is it time for you to seek new relationships? This isn’t easy! A Christian without a church family is a spiritual orphan. Maybe you need to deepen an existing friendship. This isn’t easy either, changing the way we normally relate to someone is challenging.

  • fast and slow

    Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19–20)

    What is the connection between listening, speaking, and anger?

    Although it’s mentioned last, let’s start with a quick look at anger.

    Most people work hard to avoid expressing their anger–not me! I am amazed by how far a person can go to keep it bottled up. I’ve traveled a long road with anger, and still have a long way to go.

    James tells us to be slow with our anger. Sometimes, anger is the right response when it results in the kind of righteousness God desires.

    Anger from broken, sinful, imperfect humans rarely reaches this standard.

    Many physical systems have safety measures built into them. They allow for a bit of destruction to save from greater devastation. 

    • Electrical systems have circuit breakers. If the current is overloaded, the circuit breaker breaks, and the system is saved. 
    • Water heaters have pressure-release valves. If the water gets too hot, it opens up so the tank doesn’t explode.
    • Steep declines in mountainous areas have run-away truck ramps. If a truck loses its brakes, it can pull off the road onto the safety ramp where gravity and several feet of loose gravel slows down the 18-wheeler.

    This Scripture contains the safety device for the angry soul.

    • When we listen more, we gain greater understanding. This releases some of the pressure and breaks the circuit.
    • When we speak less, we avoid saying something we’ll regret later. This slows us down so we can come to a safe stop.

    What triggers your anger? How can you be ready to listen more and speak less? Consider the last time you got angry. How was your listening-to-speaking ratio?

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  • Will you have too much faith next year?

    “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8)

    Scripture makes it clear: we ought to deal with our doubts. Although our doubts are often a necessary stop along the path to spiritual maturity, we ought to make them a short visit rather than a permanent resting place.

    John the Baptist had doubts at the end of his life, and he sought answers from Jesus. It’s a great picture of how to deal with our doubt.

    We don’t want to be double-minded and unstable. But, what does that faith actually look like? Is it possible to have “too much” faith? That is to say, the kind of faith that spills over to presumption?

    There is another danger of “too much” faith: what happens when we don’t receive what we are expecting? When this happens, has God failed us? Have you ever been disappointed with God? What caused that, if it wasn’t presumption?

    True faith leads to stability and single-mindedness; there is also room for flexibility. James also says,

    Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

    Faith wants what God wants.
    Presumption wants what we want.

    Stable and single-minded faith trusts God to give us what he wants to give us, which is not necessarily what we want.

  • More than a glitch

    In a list of basic spiritual teachings, Hebrews 6:1 mentions “the repentance from acts that lead to death.”

    The writer does not talk about a single act that leads to a single death. Instead, there are many kinds of actions that lead to many “deaths.”

    There is a death that is not final. Physical death is a one time event (most of the time!), but a spiritual death can happen many times. We are called to repent from the acts that lead to death, meaning that the death can be cured. What is death? It’s a broken relationship with God.

    This teaching rings true when we consider the decisions we make and the direction of our life. There are times when we are distracted from God. There are times when we are disobedient. These kinds of acts hurt and hinder our relationship with God.

    We must keep in mind the severity of a severed relationship with God: it is no small thing! It’s not just a minor glitch, it’s a full system shutdown. Disruption in our relationship with God is so serious that the Bible calls it death.

    Let us watch our lives closely so that we can both avoid and repent from the death causing actions that hinder our relationship with God.

  • Where do you belong?

    “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)

    Everything belongs to God, but some people “especially” belong to him.

    The distinction is found in a person’s response to Jesus. He died for everyone (even the people we don’t like!), but not everyone accepts his free gift of salvation. For those who believe in Jesus, it is certain that they belong. Those who reject him, they do not belong—at least, not yet!

    Do you believe that God is good and that he gives good gifts? Have you said “yes” to Jesus, believing he lived a perfect life, died a real death, and resurrected after three days—all so that we might have eternal life? If God is your heavenly Father, Jesus is your Savior, and the Holy Spirit is your Comforter, then God looks at you and says, “My people.”

    Do you see yourself as a child of God, a member of his family, a citizen in his kingdom? Sometimes we forget our true identity in Christ. How does this happen? The world, and the enemy, are working hard to mold us into anything other than the image of Jesus.

    Let us accept the free gift of grace! Let us remember who we are!

    We are his people because he is our God!

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  • Declaration of dependence

    But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)

    As I grow older, I want to become more dependent on God and filled with his power, not my own. I desire to be righteous, not self-righteous. I want to speak the words God desires, not my own.

    It is easy to judge others and overlook our own faults. We can easily exaggerate our own godliness while downplaying our flaws … and then do the opposite with others! This might make us feel better, but it doesn’t make us better.

    It is better for me to avoid comments that criticize, challenge, or correct others—unless I am certain God wants me to do so.

    Mercy is greater than judgment!

  • Why the heart matters

    The pride of your heart has deceived you … you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ (Obadiah 3)

    The prideful heart believes a lie, saying, “I will never fall because my accomplishments are so amazing!”
    The humble heart accepts the truth, saying, “I may fall, no matter how much success I’ve experienced.”

    Therefore, let us daily renew our trust in the Lord and be relentless in rooting out trust in ourselves.

  • Why do you do what you do?

    Photo by Tom Wilson on Unsplash

    “This is why…” (1 Timothy 4:10)

    Motivation is everything because nothing happens without it. All actions—even the impulsive ones—are prompted by something in our head/heart/soul (call it whatever you want!). Paul knew the importance of being properly motivated for doing the work of God.

    There are at least two pitfalls regarding our motivation: (1) we can lack it, and (2) we can have bad motivations.

    When we lack motivation, we are lazy and live unproductive lives.

    When we have the wrong motivation, there are three negative consequences to consider before we experience them:

    First, we will eventually do the wrong things. It’s possible to do the right things for the wrong reasons, but when we continue to operate from an impure heart, it will eventually show through.

    Second, we miss out on the benefits of faithful living.

    Third, we learn the wrong lessons.

    For example, let’s say I serve others because I’m motivated by their praise. How will my soul pay the price?

    Instead of caring about what God wants, I become overly concerned with what others want. When my conscience is ignored, my actions will shift. I might move from sharing sacrificially to sharing superficially. Truth is, skimming the surface will still get you praise from others.

    I exchange deep-rooted joy for unpredictable moments of happiness. When I serve others to please God, it will go unnoticed by others. This isn’t fun, and we need encouragement. The lack of recognition becomes more bearable because I know God is pleased by my service. Confidence is another byproduct of faithful living. But when we live to please others, insecurity abounds. Why? Because you can’t please everyone, and you can’t please any single person all of the time.

    Finally, seeking praise from others doesn’t make me a better person. Instead of learning to be more like Jesus by living as he did, I learn how to receive more praise from others.

    Why do you do what you do?

  • Build your life on the only firm foundation

    “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

    Jesus was the promised Messiah, the incarnated Son of God, and the Savior of the world. We are the sinners, those who need saving.

    This teaching is not just the starting line for faith. It would be better to call it faith’s foundation. In a race, the starting line is quickly left behind, but no building ever leaves its foundation!

    This Scripture reveals the essential truth about Jesus’ identity and ours. When we tire of this teaching, we wander off the path of faith–and this is dangerous! It is a terrible thing to forget that Jesus is the Savior and that we are sinners who need saving.

    How can we know when our full acceptance of this teaching is eroding?

    First, when our worship — personal or corporate— is weak, it’s because we have begun to lose our awe and reverence for Jesus. Second, we stop seeing Jesus as our Savior when we don’t believe we need saving. This destructive seed is pride; as it grows, so does our independence and division from God.

    Let us renew our devotion every day: Jesus saves sinners!

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    Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash

  • How to avoid pointless controversy

    “Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.” (1 Timothy 1:4)

    Ideas are important.

    They determine how we feel, think, speak, and act. When we promote the wrong ideas, not only is unity threatened, but we also don’t accomplish anything worthwhile.

    (Truth is, there’s enough controversy when we focus on the right ideas!)

    Speculation is the weakest form of ideas. Why? Because they don’t lead to meaningful change. Idle speculations draw lines between “us” and “them.” They create pointless controversy.

    How do we know when we are “majoring in the minors?” Here’s the test: ideas that don’t advance God’s work are a subject best left alone. In this passage, Paul specifically warns against the danger of false doctrines, myths, and endless genealogies. Let’s dig a little deeper into those three kinds of bad ideas.

    False doctrines are easy to identify…if you know God’s Word. Without a firm understanding of the Bible, it’s difficult to recognize untruths because some false doctrines sound really good! It’s not until they are seen under the light of Scripture that they are seen for what they really are. Myths also exist outside of God’s Word; they are unverifiable stories passed along by word of mouth. Everyone loves a good story! Did you hear about Peter picking a fight with Paul in Alexandria over the best spot for carnitas tacos? (For the real story, check out Galatians 2:11-15) Focusing on “endless genealogies” is an example of spending too much time on trivial details. Details are essential, but we should not over-inflate their value.

    Our goal should be to advance God’s Work. Anything less will provide an opportunity for pointless controversies. This isn’t the same as “keeping the peace” at all costs. Paul urged Timothy to command false teachers to stop–talk about controversy!

    What moves a person to teach things that aren’t true? Or to focus on myths or overinflate the value of details? I’m sure there are many reasons, but here are two that I have seen:

    First, there’s a temptation to bend the truth to fit a personal agenda (or “narrative”). We no longer operate by faith in God when we do this.

    Second, not all biblical information leads to transformation. Learning more facts doesn’t equate to a more obedient life. Learning more facts fills our ego without challenging our lifestyle. Jesus commanded his disciples to “teach people to obey” because faith without deeds is dead.

    Most importantly, for you personally, how much of your life is devoted to advancing God’s work?

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  • You are more like the Apostle Paul than you think.

    “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God” (1 Timothy 1:1)

    Paul’s calling as an apostle was based on the command of God. While the position of “apostle” was extremely unique, his mission wasn’t any more important than the rest of us non-apostles.

    Everyone who follows Jesus has a mission; it’s a calling that is nothing less than a command from God (Ephesians 4:1)

    My dad was a computer programmer. He wasn’t in full-time ministry, but his faith impacted his day-to-day life. His job put him in contact with many different people. Every month he’d be with a different client. In his one-on-one conversations, he’d often ask about spiritual issues. Growing up, he would tell me about these conversations. “…so I asked this guy, do you believe Jesus was God?” I remember exclaiming, “You said THAT to someone you barely know??” My dad didn’t pressure people, nor did he argue with them. He discovered where they were “at” spiritually and shared about his journey. His command from God was to have significant conversations with others.

    Everyone who believes in Jesus has a significant job in God’s kingdom.

    This teaching is comforting; God has a plan for your life! This teaching is also sobering, for we do not want to ignore his call and miss out on our opportunities to love others.

    Hi. My name is Matt McGill, a husband, father, friend, pastor, community volunteer, and woodworker in the name of Jesus by the command of God.

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  • Reflections from The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress

    I really liked The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress. It was thoughtful and funny–a great combination! It was an allegory, and I usually rather hear the ideas because that’s much faster than a story. That being said, I recommend this book!

    The book was filled with a ton of great ideas–challenges, reminders, and encouragements. The book has a ton of quotable material, but I think the following was probably the central theme:

    “That’s right: you weren’t enough,” the King said. “You were never meant to be enough. You were only asked to be faithful. You were only asked to keep on going forward.”

    This story addressed a wide mix of “classical” and “contemporary” spiritual struggles. What do I mean by this? 

    Since the beginning, followers of Jesus have struggled with doubt, temptation, anger, discouragement, confusion, suffering, loss, the problem of evil, etc. (I consider these “classical” issues).

    Unsurprisingly, the creators of the Babylonian Bee would also address current issues like cancel culture, deconstructionism, prosperity, and abortion. And let’s not forget the angry people on Twitter!

    The story effortlessly weaves between all of these issues, evidence of great writing! According to my reading, here’s the picture the authors painted:

    #1 The spiritual life is filled with constant struggle, pain, and loss. A dark picture! (I wonder if their primary audience is comfortable Christians.) The Christian life is good, but it isn’t easy. The authors did a great job driving home this point.

    #2 God’s Word is important without becoming more important than God. The journey wouldn’t be possible without “the Book.” They also accurately described the core messages of the Bible and how we experience them.

    #3 Everyone needs a buddy! We don’t need to get lost in a crowd of like-minded people; we need one person who is both encouraging and challenging–through the highs and the lows (Although there aren’t many highs in the story!).

    #4 They connect faith and action. The spiritual life isn’t just about believing the right things; it’s also about doing the right things. When everything is upside down, and we don’t know what to do, just move forward!

    #5 Humanity is limited — utterly and completely insufficient. We aren’t smart enough to understand God, and we aren’t good enough to follow Him. 

    I’m sure I’ve missed a lot! When I read the book, I wasn’t reading with a critical eye. I read it for personal encouragement, and this post reflects my “takeaways.”

    I don’t want to be a comfortable Christian. I want to rely on God’s Word every day. I need a few good relationships, and I need to nurture them. I want to believe the right things about God — with AWE and REVERENCE — and I want to do the right things for God — with PASSION and ENDURANCE.  Ultimately, I want to be faithful in all things, and the can’t happen without humility.

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  • How to avoid self-harm

    Reflections from Proverbs 28:26:

    Those who trust in themselves are fools, 
    but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

    THOSE WHO…BUT

    According to the sandbox created by this proverb, there are two kinds of people. Naturally, life is more complicated! Oversimplification has value as a tool for instruction. We need to start with the basics. First, we crawl, then we walk, and finally, we run.

    TRUST/WALK (similarities)

    Both groups of people have something in common—they are living life. Every day, everyone makes all kinds of decisions. This proverb describes living as “trusting” and “walking” — two different words to describe the same thing. These words are complementary colors that paint a vivid picture.

    Every action springs from something you trust. Sitting in a chair is an expression of trusting the chair to hold your weight.

    Every action you take moves you down your path in life. One action leads to another, which leads to another, which leads…

    IN THEMSELVES/IN WISDOM (differences)

    While everyone trusts and walks, they do so according to different criteria. Some live according to their own (false) “wisdom,” while others rely on (true) wisdom that is not of themselves.

    Trusting ourselves is the opposite of walking in wisdom. This teaches us that wisdom comes from beyond ourselves. We need God’s wisdom. He teaches us through holy Scripture, prayer, reflection, and even through other people.

    ARE FOOLS/KEPT SAFE (results)

    The first group are fools. But what are the natural consequences of being foolish?

    The second group, those who walk in wisdom, will be kept safe. The fools face the opposite fate: they will experience harm. This harm is self-inflicted because it comes from the personal choice to trust in themselves while neglecting the wisdom that comes from God.

    CONSIDER

    It is human nature to believe we are right…and when we’re wrong, we are quick to move on. Denial is easier than humility. However, here is a difficult truth: we are insufficient to face life’s challenges—we can’t go at it alone! We need wisdom that comes from God. We must learn to say, “I am not enough God; but you are.”

    If you are fearful or feeling unsafe, where have you placed your trust?

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