Got Wisdom?

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. – Proverbs 4:7

In the post “What’s the Cure”, explained was how the incentives were upside down during Hosea’s time in Israel. Isn’t it amazing that the incentives seem to be upside down in societies throughout our world today! One thought brought out in the post was that governments throughout the world go into debt for rewarding the wrong behavior.

There is an incentive for governments to make people dependent on them rather than God. Even the United States seems to no longer put an emphasis on being “One Nation Under God”. Instead of being wise, being efficient, and productive as individuals, the aim is to promote discontent and chaos. Perhaps the reason is that society is in disarray and laws are not enforced.

When laws are not enforced, there is no accountability in society and a lack of morality is pushed throughout the culture. The worse off the people become, the more government solutions are pushed. Then to support government solutions, people are taxed to support the dependence. This only makes the harmful government institutions grow even larger and more tyrannical.

Over time, governments grow but go into more and more debt. Then governments tax more and this limits what people can create on their own; limiting their gifts to churches and non-profits. The vicious cycle continues from generation to generation. Unfortunately, people then have fewer opportunities to get out of the second-rate living conditions they have been forced into by the government.

The only cure is through accepting God’s grace. The Great Physician diagnosed adultery, stealing, and murder; the prognosis was emptiness, failure, and disappointment. But by accepting God’s grace, there is a cure and His people can also acquire the positive lessons of life through the study of His Word!

God’s way leads to wisdom and understanding. As in this video, God knows how we should live and His Word provides the instruction: He Knows – Jeremy Camp.

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Former Things and New Things

See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. - Isaiah 42:9

God wants to make each day amazing and our tomorrows more amazing than today. In His timing, things are made right. He is for us so we can be at peace and focus on a brighter future. Because of His love for us, we are inspired to share about this love with others.

The good memories we have can give us a lift and the nicer weather can give us a lift but the ultimate lift is knowing that the future is bright because of the reward God has for all who believe in His Son. No matter what is going on in life, we can count on the turning of the season from winter to spring. We can also count on greater tomorrows because of our acceptance of Christ in our heart.

We get hit with so many negative thoughts on a daily basis. One idea to overcome is to begin our day with uplifting positive music to inoculate the negative thoughts. Take a few minutes to listen to this uplifting song to get your mind in the right frame of mind as you begin your day: Forgiven – Sanctus Real. 

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Praise for What He Gave

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9

What is our greatest reward in this life? Is it nice houses, cars, and cloths, or is it waking up early with God, studying the Word, praying, and knowing He is with us throughout our day. Unfortunately, as written about in the post “Our True Reward”, many look for their happiness, needs, and desires from this world rather than from God.

Take a moment to watch this video: Good, Good Father – Chris Tomlin. Let us keep our eyes on the true reward today for with God, we can sincerely believe that each hardship we face can be overcome. We can be enthusiastic; going about this day by taking action to make it our best day ever. Then our tomorrows will be our best days ahead and we can celebrate progress by giving praise for what He gave.

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Disciplined Listening

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. - Proverbs 16:3

As shared in the post Unlimited Potential with God, Israel was not faithful to God and their future was not going to be easy. The lesson for us is to reach out and grab the upper hand of God by setting aside time to study the Word and spending time in prayer.

Here is an idea for today. Instead of taking breaks today, have a praise the Lord prayer time asking for direction for the rest of the day. First, watch this video poem and take every opportunity during pauses throughout the day to watch this video poem; to pray and ask for guidance: This Day with God.

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Hope Remains Because He Reigns

God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. - 1 Corinthians 6:14

The vision written about in the post “Life Has Strains but Hope Remains”, reminds us that there is always hope because Christ brings changes in life. Just like Israel that was destroyed and then transformed, there is a redemptive purpose in God’s judgment that changes the future for the better.

Even in hard times, hope remains because He reigns and we can have joy because of the inspiration we gain in the events around Easter. Throughout life, there will be difficulty but hope remains in front of us just as in this video: Hope in Front of Me – Danny Gokey and we will come out stronger on the other side.

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Renewed Day by Day

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

In the post “Reward for the Soul”, the rich and powerful had oppressed the poor and there was idol worship throughout the land. The time had come for God’s judgment. Just like in the times of Amos, people today look for answers to life’s problems in the wrong places.

As the main point in this song: First – Lauren Daigle, the solution to our challenges each day can be found by seeking God first before anything else. Enjoy today’s inspiring music and have a blessed day?

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Experts Can Have Many Misses

Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. - Job 6:24

We can’t be assured of the proper guidance from experts or by using apps or maps. Experts can have many misses as they tell us what is best for us in our life. That’s why the greatest learning in life comes from God’s Word and by following His Way.

That’s not to say that we can’t learn from others but many times, the whizzes in certain fields tend to have an agenda. Keep in mind that those who have our best interest in mind are the ones to follow; people like our parents and grandparents.

One time, my daughter stayed with her cousins in my hometown about 60 miles east of where we currently live. I was going over to pick her up but on the way over, I ran into a downpour.  It was so much rain that a part of the highway that goes under a railroad track was flooded. Being from that town, I remembered my dad and grandfather taking another route nearby that went over the tracks instead of under the tracks and then back onto the highway. I took the route and noticed behind me about five other vehicles following me.

No map or app showed the way but experience and following what I had learned growing up got us to where we needed to go. It is much the same in a life with Christ. The experiences we go through and learning how Jesus lived as recorded in the Gospels will lead us to where we need to go.

Some days seem like a fight. We have doubt and we have things that happen that brings us to our knees. It is during these times that we need to go to the ONE who knows. The experts in various fields may have a personal agenda but God has our best interest in mind so lift up your eyes to Him today and receive inspiration from today’s video: He Knows – Jeremy Camp.

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There is a Process that does Bless

Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it. - Hebrews 4:16

Many times throughout the history of mankind, nations have gone astray. Such is the case as written about in the post “Actions to Take Now for the Good Life”. Amos was telling the people that there is a process that does bless God’s people; a way to change course away from their sins which included the oppression of the innocent, taking bribes, depriving the poor of justice, and idol worship to mention just a few.

Here we are in current times and the warning from Amos continues to apply in the present. Many nations throughout the world do not seek the Lord first. Even the United States of America in which the motto is “One Nation Under God” has lost their way as leaders no longer put an emphasis on integrity and upholding justice.

Albert Einstein once said “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning”.  We must continue to question: What does God want in the lives of His people? How can each individual take action now to seek what God has for them?

Learning is a life-long process so let us take every opportunity to ask questions, seek answers, and share with others. God wants His people to seek every good thing and glorify His name. Let us begin at this moment to give praise to the ONE who made this amazing universe as we are inspired by this video: Lifesong– Casting Crowns.

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