Good morning, friends!
Happy Columbus Day! It’s fall break around here, and I’m off work today with my kids. We may even go fishing.
Here are two thoughts from last week’s study that I’m still carrying with me. I hope they’ll be an encouragement to you, too.
1 – Wisdom is Calling
Wouldn’t it be nice if life came with an operating manual?
When you get married, the pastor hands you a manual explaining how to be a good spouse and navigate the hard parts of marriage.
Then, when your first child is born, the doctor not only hands you the scissors to cut the umbilical cord but says, “Oh, by the way, here’s a manual on how to raise this kid until they leave for college.”
Unfortunately, life doesn’t come with instructions for every situation.
But God hasn’t left us without guidance.
James tells us that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it (James 1:5).
And this week, I read in Proverbs 8 that wisdom is calling, inviting us to hear instruction and gain understanding.
Maybe the key to navigating life isn’t having an answer for every situation. Maybe it’s learning to listen to the One who does.
What I’m carrying:
Wisdom is calling; am I listening?
2 - A Teachable Heart
When you picture a wise person, maybe you imagine someone who looks like Gandalf—a long white beard, flowing robes, and a mind full of wisdom.
But what if wisdom looks like a teenager sitting down to read his Bible before school?
Or a young adult willing to listen to advice instead of insisting he already knows everything?
What if wisdom isn’t a destination, but the fruit of a lifelong pursuit?
Notice the wise person in Proverbs:
Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.”
Proverbs 10:8: “The wise in heart will receive commandments.”
Proverbs 10:14: “Wise men lay up knowledge.”
Did you catch it? The wise man is still receiving instruction, commandments, and knowledge.
Could a teachable heart be one of the marks of a wise life?
What I’m carrying:
The wise never outgrow their need to learn.
We had a guest speaker this Sunday morning, so I didn’t teach on 1 Samuel, but we will pick back up where we left off next week.
Have a great week!
Brad