Scripture Reading:

Proverbs 4: 6-7; James 1:5; Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 12:15; Ephesians 1: 16-19; Proverbs 15:33

Please comment below with your conversation with God and/or insights from today’s Scriptures.

You can answer the following:

1. What are the Scriptures telling you about wisdom?

2. Why is wisdom and understanding important to our lives?

3. How has wisdom been a life changer to you? What words of wisdom have you read from the Scriptures that made you grateful you heard or read it?

4. What is your prayer to God regarding wisdom?

Don’t forget to join us nightly at 7pm on FB.com/waterschurchnyc and join the conversation about the Scriptures and topic at hand.

This Way | Lemuel Ayudtud

Living in a complex world we are constantly met with diverging pathways of decisions. Where to go, how to approach it, who to bring, what to do once you get there, are some of the questions we can ask ourselves. No wonder life can be so confusing. Then there are those tense moments where we need a fairly instantaneous response because the answer is required at that moment.

Someone said that experience is the best teacher but it’s the most costly. If you were raised by parents or had a support system that passed on what they’ve learned from all the mistakes they made, then you were blessed with having to gleam from their mistakes and may have been protected from the pitfalls of those mistakes. But if you didn’t have that fortune, then you’re probably like most of us attempting to navigate life through the experiences that have either hurt us or set us back at times.

The Bible tells us that wisdom is the principal thing. Over bravery, courage even faith, operating in wisdom is primary. Yes, faith, hope and love are our modus operandi, but the foundation of the way we deal with people and things should be wisdom.

Wisdom teaches us to view life from a bird’s eye view. It helps us to see beyond what is in front of us. It guides us to steer through life’s pathways in a way that will grow and enrich us. Wisdom helps us to consider the better of a myriad of choices because we can “tell” the outcome of each before we even begin. Wisdom can keep us from experiences pains and mess ups that often times come from inexperience.

If we take a deeper dive, the Bible shows us that the Spirit of God is the wisdom of God guiding us through life. If we understand wisdom, we recognize that proper, godly wisdom helps us to see the outcomes of anger, fear, lust, shame among others and helps us to choose what God desires for us to do.

In fact following the leading of the Spirit in accordance with God’s Word, we can bypass generational teachings and insights into the wisdom of God. That means that even if we don’t have the upbringing that we wish we had, we can be protected from the very pitfalls of life’s mistakes that can be debilitating. If we study God’s Words and apply its wisdom, no one will have an upper hand against us in regards to anything.

The principles of life are within its pages. The stories in the Bible are packed with teachings for us to learn from. In fact, Paul wrote to the saints in Rome telling them that things were written before time so that we can have hope and comfort in it. When we take our time to examine God’s Word, we can be sure that we will win at the end.

Another thing about wisdom is that it’s available to anyone who seeks for it. The teacher wrote that it’s crying in the streets. It’s calling out for anyone to learn from her. No one is separated from accessing the gifts of wisdom. Consistent with the gospel, as it is the greatest wisdom of God, wisdom invites all to partake of her fruits and enjoy its benefits. Unfortunately, much like the Gospel, people reject it. Like repentance, people think they know better and don’t need it. Well, I guess the old adage is correct: people learn the hard way. And that’s the core reason why we need wisdom: the hard way bring hard lessons.

Why would anyone want that? Why do people keep stepping into land mines of mistakes? Because some people just operate in foolishness and think there’s a reward for surviving mistakes. When they could have just done without them, people suffer through hoping they’ll make it out alive if not just in one piece. If we stop and assess it, the real reward of surviving mistakes are wasted times and energy.

Missed opportunities are a result of lack of wisdom. Broken pieces can be seen in the history of those who do not seek for her. Hopefully people would at least learn from their mistakes, but the fool doesn’t learn lessons. They don’t ever gain wisdom. They plow on hoping that what they just went through won’t happen again. Unfortunately, that thinking proceeds with more mistakes with increasing side effects as they cycle back through the voice of life calling for some or more wisdom.

So where do we get more wisdom? How does one start living their life through wisdom? The Bible tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. It’s learning to honor God above our own whims, likes and dislikes, will leads us to more wisdom. Whether choosing right relationships, correct ways of thinking, proper approaches through circumstances, or how to handle kids, family, business and even money, God’s wisdom as written in His word positions us to win at every turn. Of course, the Bible doesn’t write out every “yes” or “no” to every option we may face; it doesn’t give us a outline for what should be done first in any particular event or situation, but what it does in inviting us to study its teachings nothing can match. The Bible calls us, “This is the way. Walk in it.”

Lord, help me to embrace wisdom. Father, teach me to turn to Your word for insights and understanding. Teach me to reverence You in everything knowing that the beginning of wisdom if in it. If I would fear You or regard You above all, I’d operate in wisdom that even I won’t fully understand but be fully blessed with. Teach me to yield to Your wisdom and help me live my life by them. In Your Name Jesus I pray, amen.