Tag: Wisdom

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Wisdom – Understanding – Knowledge

JANUARY 23

MATTHEW 5:8_Blessed are the pure in heart…

Oh, to be pure in heart! Isn’t that something else you want?

What is involved in becoming pure in your heart? You know how to find out: use the key. The Bible opens your spirit to wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of truth. When you begin the journey into what pureness in heart looks like, you will discover you must first find out what it is not.

We have mentioned Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV), “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” You have to gain the understanding of there is nothing pure about your heart—on its own.

Next, you discover Proverbs 19:21 (KJV), “There are many devices in a man’s heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” Praise God! Now you gain knowledge that although you cannot trust your heart (because it is deceitful), the counsel (wisdom, understanding, knowledge) you gain from the Bible can override the deceitfulness in your heart.

Bible truths dispel all the devil’s lies.

So, the first step to become pure in heart is to put no trust in the flesh. Place all your trust in the power of Jesus. Your spirit will be instructed through the power of the Holy Spirit.   

PRAYER

Holy Father, I want my heart to be pure. I want it cleansed from all deceit and wickedness. Teach me from the Bible. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                    

Christ is pure in heart—He purifies my deceitful heart!

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What Jesus Says

JANUARY 7

MATTHEW 5:2_saying,

Jesus has reached the mark, set, and opened His mouth. Here we go! Now is the time to be blessed as only truth, love, and freedom can bless.

What Jesus says gives liberty. What Jesus says gives self-acceptance with worth.

What Jesus says gives power to forgive. What Jesus says gives God’s wisdom.

What Jesus says gives peace to pass human understanding.

What Jesus says gives courage in the midst of, and in the face of, raging storms.

What Jesus says gives love. This is not the temporal self-absorbing love, but the true, everlasting, never-failing love.

What Jesus says gives faith—incredible, phenomenal, mountain moving!

There is nothing namby-pamby about Jesus or His teachings. He brings real answers for real people with real problems.

Jesus brings strong truth for weak people who need real help.

He brings tough love that doesn’t coddle or pamper, but compassionately stays until the hurt is soothed and healing has come.

Throughout this year consider these sayings, hand-picked for you.

PRAYER

Almighty God, I have real problems and I need real answers. Help me draw closer to You through Your teachings. I can trust You to guide me in faith. I want incredible, phenomenal, mountain moving faith! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                    

Christ knows my hurts and pains—and He cares!

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On Your Mark, Get Set,Go!

JANUARY 3

MATTHEW 5:1_he went up into a mountain: and when he was set…

Have you ever heard, “On your Mark, Get Set, Go?” In this verse Jesus reaches His mark, which is on a mountain. You must reach your mark before you can begin the race, and you must have prepared yourself before you reach the mark. Once the mark is reached, you get set—ready to begin the work.

Baptism was a part of Jesus’ preparation for His mark. Another was testing and endurance. Jesus endured a wilderness experience away from home, family, and friends. He suffered.

He suffered physically because He chose to fast during this time—to deny the body in order to strengthen the spirit.

He suffered temptation of the flesh to break the fast—in order to satisfy the physical over the spiritual.

He suffered a power struggle—to test God’s Word rather than believe it. He suffered the struggle of fame—to seek the praise of men over the praise of God.

You will face tests and sufferings throughout life. Suffering can break you or make you. The making or breaking is a decision, and the decision is yours.

PRAYER

Holy Great God, Help me endure my struggles in life. Let Your Word teach me wisdom that I may reach the mark and be set for Your go. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                     

Christ suffered—He will help me be strong in suffering!

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A Foundational Rock

DECEMBER 27

MATTHEW 7:28_the people were astonished at His doctrine.

I wonder if the listeners who were truth-seekers were sorry to have this sermon come to an end? Are you? There is much more in the Bible than the Sermon on the Mount—but it is certainly a foundational rock. You can continue to seek the truth, and find it, as long as you are asking, seeking, and knocking in the right places and with the right people.

Jesus has taught dynamic principles of life. He has taught them systemically and precisely, with gentleness and compassion, with firmness, in a no-nonsense manner, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, humility, and a pure heart.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (KJV), “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your [that’s you and me] sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

This is what makes Jesus’ teachings astonishing. Not only did He endure the humility of leaving the throne of God to walk the earth with mere mortals—He died for them! None were worthy of His sacrifice.

But those who receive the free gift of His life, become worthy.  

Unheard of!

Unprecedented!

Astonishing!              

 PRAYER

Rock-That-Is-Higher-Than-I, I want Your humility, pure heart, and unprecedented love! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ came to free me from death—I praise Him!

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Truth and Love Never Fail

DECEMBER 25

MATTHEW 7:28_when Jesus had ended these sayings…

Truth and love never fail. This sermon ends, but its power never ends. It will continue throughout this life and into eternity. Its ability to free the heart and soul of man is unstoppable. There simply is no way freedom cannot prevail from this sermon. As always, there is a way to choose to escape truth.  

Everyone has something from which they need freedom—because everyone sins. Some sins have delicate holds, some firm holds, and some despairing holds of bondage. The words of Jesus are healing. Using the Bible as a key to open the spirit allows freedom to penetrate the soul. 

Time spent in prayer, baring the soul, is essential to freedom. The time will never come when quiet times are no longer needed. Time with Jesus in prayer and Bible is not something you out-grow. It will never come to pass that you have learned it all, and have ended your need for fellowship and worship of your Creator and Savior.

Hopefully, you will read through these devotionals again next year. Allow them to infiltrate deeper into your soul with more wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.    

 PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Praise You that love and truth never fail. I need them. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ’s words are healing—they heal me!