Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Kathy Trocolli singing her song … I Will Choose Christ … poignantly singing of how we Christians must CHOOSE God’s way and His will over the selfish pursuits of self.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 8:10-11 [NLT] … 10 Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.11 For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.
… When we see wisdom as more valuable than gold, we will be pursuing the very mind of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 8:10-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Wisdom from God is seen as the most valuable commodity in our lives.
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Reference Passage : … 1 Kings 3:1-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, in a dream, offers Solomon anything he wants; and the King chooses God’s understanding (i.e., wisdom).
Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we trust in God to show us His way, we are receiving Gods wisdom rather than relying on our own knowledge.
Reference Passage : … 1st Timothy 6:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul advises Timothy and Christians to avoid the trap of pursuing worldly wealth over the pursuit of the mind of Christ.
Reference Passage : … James 1:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… James exhorts Christians to be in full out pursuit of wisdom from God, Who will give it freely to the one who trusts completely in the Lord.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, used a quote from a prominent British journalist, who came to Christ later in his life, to teach on the value of Godly wisdom over earthly wealth. … The ODB author wrote: Malcolm Muggeridge, the noted British journalist and social critic, came to faith in Christ at the age of sixty. On his seventy-fifth birthday he offered twenty-five insightful observations about life. One said, “I never met a rich man who was happy, but I have only very occasionally met a poor man who did not want to become a rich man.”
Solomon is often reported to be the wisest man in history, … other than Jesus, of course. And there was a time in Solomon’s life when he valued Godly wisdom more than earthly power or wealth (see 1Kings 3:1-15). And this pursuit of the mind of God resulted in the wisdom literature of the Book of Proverbs, where we read much of God’s wise advise to mankind … as penned by Solomon.
BUT … Solomon, later in his kingship. let his fleshly desires take reign over his pursuit of wisdom as he pursued the idolatry of the flesh [in women] over the wisdom of God. And when we read the Book of Ecclesiastes, we read Solomon’s regret and insights to mankind … that we should humbly pursue the mind of God, avoiding the pitfalls of vanity and self indulgence.
And yes, when we live by the advice of Solomon in Proverbs and God thru NT authors, like Paul and James (see Scriptures above), we will know that pursuit of God’s will, His way, and His mind is worth FAR MORE valuable than any pursuit of worldly gain or selfish pleasure. And I pray that’s our pursuit today … and even more for tomorrow.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for being willing to give me Your wisdom when I seek it faithfully.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help us, as Your children, to avoid the pitfalls of pleasure and see the grace of enlightenment which comes in our headlong pursuit of Your wisdom. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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