Personal NOTE: I know it's not November 1 yet; but I've been having problems with my ISP early in the morning when I normally post my devotional journal entries; so, I decided to get a jump on things and get my first Nov. 2008 posted while my connection to the internet is solid today. If you're reading this, I invite you to come along with me this month on this pursuit of Godly wisdom - something I need. Perhaps you do too!
This month I'll be posting each devtional entry as a separate blog rather than as comments to one blog as I've done in past months. I'll see how this goes. ... <'BB><
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A Year of Daily Devotionals: A Journal by Bill Berry … November, 2008
November 1, 2008 …
Passage of the Day: James 3: 13 … Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
My Journal for Today [actually for tomorrow ;)]: New month … new topic; and for my acknowledged benefit, in November, again following John MacArthur’s devotional book, Strength for Today, as we have been this year, we will undertake a study of an element in life which should be highly pursued by all Christians; … and that is WISDOM from God (see Prov. 4: 7). And MacArthur, in his focus on Christian wisdom, will be using many passages this month from the Book of James in the New Testament; and I like his statement from today’s devotional entry, “Wisdom is the art of living skillfully.” And today’s passage from James, the brother of Jesus, is God’s challenge for believers to seek God’s way of living, through wisdom and understanding.
Above, I just referred you to Proverbs 4: 7. Did you look it up? [BTW, I do put these referral scriptures in my entries not only for myself – but also for you who might be reading this!] Well, if you haven’t searched it out, here’s what it says: Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it may cost all you have, get understanding.
Now, I don’t know about you; but that passage hits me where it lives. God is saying, through His Holy Word, … through James in the NT and Solomon in the OT, ... that wisdom is a value and an element of life to be pursued above most, if not all, other human pursuits. We all have opinions about life, which lead to our choices and our actions. [see NKJV – Prov. 23: 7] Even the fool, as MacArthur points out on this date, will claim to be making wise choices. However, James wrote that only the “understanding” that comes from God can be identified as the wisdom that directs the truly wise person to make Godly choices. That true believer will be the one, as today’s verse exclaims, who exhibits good behavior [i.e., Godly actions] with the humility and meekness of Godly insight. He (she) will also be the gentle believer who becomes a specialist at finding and living the Godly life, … the one who can/will be TRULY WISE [i.e., “Godly wise”].
My personal aspiration is to become one who seeks diligently to find God’s way and His will through this minefield we call life; and then I ardently desire to walk with meekness/humility, prayerfully as unscathed as possible by walking in the footsteps of my Savior (see James 1: 5 – 6, Luke 9: 23, and Prov. 3: 5 – 6). What about you? Is this a serious pursuit for you as well? If so, come along with me this month; and we will pursue the very mind of God together.
My Prayer Today: Lord, show me Your way … I will live it. Amen
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