WISDOM WEDNESDAY          

Vol. 1 Issue 5 - 3-23-22

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 

- II Peter 3:18

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Greetings Church,

We have heard many times on a particular television commercial that "a mind is a terrible thing to waste"(Arthur Fletcher - United Negro College Fund) Yet when it comes to the fears in our lives we truly do waste our minds. We become consumed with fear and forgetfulness. We find our thoughts distracted by those fears so that we do not seek the solutions God has already revealed in His Word. We let the pressures of the world dictate the direction of our minds and our hearts. The challenge in the midst of fear is to remember the Word of God and its promises. For those promises are God's and they are given to us to be encouraged and blessed.

I would like to bring to our remembrance three things that will help us seek out the Lord's direction in our lives. The first is that of the faithful work of the Word. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10,11) Isaiah shares a very simple yet profound picture for us to understand the faithfulness of the Word of God. We all experience the rain and snow as it accomplishes its purpose. Even though there are times we are disgusted with the rain or the amount of the cold winter snow, it continues toward its purpose. Isaiah says, "so shall my word". We need to remember that time in the Word is never to be monotonous, it is to be pursued with faithfulness as it will always accomplish that which God purposes.

Secondly, regardless of our situation we must count on the Word and its power because it cannot be bound. Paul in II Timothy 2:8,9 says, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!" How many times have we thought in the midst of our own bondage that we have nowhere to turn. Nothing is going to help us. Paul reminds us in his own bondage that the Word is not bound. What a joy to know that the Word that is purposeful is also the word that cannot be bound. What a blessing to turn to the Word and find the promises that free us from the bondage we have put ourselves in through fear, doubt or anxiety. Let us purpose to explore daily the wonder of the truth found in the Word of God.

Thirdly, in II Timothy 3:16,17 we find a familiar passage that continues our theme of encouragement. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." All Scripture is inspired, breathed out by God. It is His very Word. We should and must trust it fully because He has shared it and given it to us. It is a Word that is purposeful and free. The Word is profitable to the fullness of our lives. It teaches us all things for our daily walk with the Lord. It reproves us or rebukes us for it convicts us of sin. It corrects us so that we are restored to our right position before a holy God. It trains us in righteousness for we are but children before Him. It thoroughly equips us so that we are complete in order to do the work. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

As Christians in a fallen world we must take care not to let the world influence us unto fear or forgetfulness. Whatever the issue we are facing, the Word of God can answer. Let us purpose daily to be in it and let us let it wash over our hearts and minds that our focus will be upon Him and not this world.

Blessings,

PBS