7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Proverbs 4:7-8
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
Put First the Word
Gloria Copeland
"Well," you may be saying, "I've heard that before. It's no secret." But when you understand what I mean, it could be a revelation to you.
You see, the Bible is not just a textbook, a storybook, or a history book. It's a handbook for living. It's the wisdom of Almighty God written down so that you can apply it to your everyday circumstances.
God says that wisdom is the "principal thing." Principal means "first in importance." That means the Word of God needs to occupy the place of highest importance in all of your activities. I know from experience what an impact that can have on your life.
Twenty years ago I decided to read the gospels and the book of Acts three times in 30 days. It seemed an impossible task at the time. With two small children and my house turned upside down from a recent move, I couldn't see how I could possibly spend that much time reading the Word and still get everything done. But I set myself to put other things aside and do it anyway.
Surprisingly enough, at the end of the first day I had accomplished more than I would have under normal circumstances. And by the end of that 30 days, I'd not only read the gospels and Acts three times, I'd kept all my housework done, taken care of my children, and refinished several pieces of furniture to boot! I was amazed.
You'll be amazed at what happens in your life too, if you give God's Word priority. But let me warn you, don't wait until you think you have the time. Satan will see to it that you never do.
Just do like I did and set other things aside. Invest your time in the Word first and that investment will soon be paying off in every area of your life.
Scripture Study: Proverbs 3:1-9
"For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.... Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her." (Proverbs 4:7-8)I want to tell you the only real secret to getting ahead in this world. It's simple. Put the Word of God first place in your daily life.
"Well," you may be saying, "I've heard that before. It's no secret." But when you understand what I mean, it could be a revelation to you.
You see, the Bible is not just a textbook, a storybook, or a history book. It's a handbook for living. It's the wisdom of Almighty God written down so that you can apply it to your everyday circumstances.
God says that wisdom is the "principal thing." Principal means "first in importance." That means the Word of God needs to occupy the place of highest importance in all of your activities. I know from experience what an impact that can have on your life.
Twenty years ago I decided to read the gospels and the book of Acts three times in 30 days. It seemed an impossible task at the time. With two small children and my house turned upside down from a recent move, I couldn't see how I could possibly spend that much time reading the Word and still get everything done. But I set myself to put other things aside and do it anyway.
Surprisingly enough, at the end of the first day I had accomplished more than I would have under normal circumstances. And by the end of that 30 days, I'd not only read the gospels and Acts three times, I'd kept all my housework done, taken care of my children, and refinished several pieces of furniture to boot! I was amazed.
You'll be amazed at what happens in your life too, if you give God's Word priority. But let me warn you, don't wait until you think you have the time. Satan will see to it that you never do.
Just do like I did and set other things aside. Invest your time in the Word first and that investment will soon be paying off in every area of your life.
Scripture Study: Proverbs 3:1-9
Your Irrevocable Calling
Romans 11:29 - For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable.
It is dangerous to align your calling and your vocation as dependent on each other. God calls us into relationship with Him. That is our foremost calling. It is from this relationship that our "physical" calling results. Whether that is to be a teacher, a stockbroker, a nurse, a pastor, or any number of vocations, we must realize that when He calls us, the change in vocation never changes His call on our lives. It is a mere change in the landscape of our calling. This is why it is dangerous to associate our purpose and calling too closely with our work. When we define our work life exclusively as our calling, we fall into the trap of locking up our identity into our vocation. This promotes aspiration because of a need to gain greater self-worth through what we do.
Os Guinness, author of The Call, describes the great artist Picasso, who fell into this trap.
"When a man knows how to do something," Pablo Picasso told a friend, "he ceases being a man when he stops doing it." The result was a driven man. Picasso's gift, once idolized, held him in thrall. Every empty canvass was an affront to his creativity. Like an addict, he made work his source of satisfaction only to find himself dissatisfied. "I have only one thought: work," Picasso said toward the end of his life, when neither his family nor his friends could help him relax. [Os Guiness, The Call (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, 1998), 242.]
What happens when you lose your job? Do you lose your calling? Do you lose your identity? Do you lose your sense of well-being? No. Calling involves different stages and experiences in life. Disruptions in your work are an important training ground for God to fulfill all aspects of His calling on your life. Trust in your God who says your calling is irrevocable and that all things come from Him.
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