Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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“Pursuing Wisdom and Guidance from God”

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path".

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-7

Key verse: Vs 5: Trust in Jehovah with all your heart. And lean not upon thine own understanding.

DEVOTION

I have looked up to these 3 verses (Prov 3:5-7) as the “Golden Rules” of life. On the path of wisdom, God himself guides us by the wisdom embodied in his word. We live in a complex world today where we deviate our time and attention to unimportant things thereby fail to follow the word of God, leading to the loss of wisdom or knowledge. When we include God in our lives, we embrace wisdom and have spiritual discernment between right and wrong. All this starts by acknowledging our creator and all He's done for us. Wisdom can only come from God and a strong belief in Him. You must fear God and keep his commandments, and from this comes righteousness.
When you have wisdom, you'll avoid sin and evil in your daily life and behavior. Recently Rick Warren said in one of his devotions, “we learn that in times of uncertainty, finding a solid foundation can bring immense peace. The Bible provides that unshakeable ground, guiding us through life's challenges with unwavering truth and wisdom”.
In a world of uncertainty, we long for a solid foundation. As Christians, we're blessed with the Bible's unshakeable truth. Hearing Jesus' words isn't enough; we must live them out. The Bible, inspired by God, provides wisdom and guidance. To build on this solid foundation we need to: 
Remain devoted to Christ alone- If we are going to build a firm foundation in Christ, we must first learn to cling onto Christ continually. Do you have a mind and heart to follow the Lord closely, never allowing yourself to be shifted from his reassuring presence? The apostle Peter illustrates the danger of following the Lord from a distance: We know how Peter denied Christ 3 times. It naturally follows that when we take our eyes off of Jesus, it is inevitable that we will drift and find ourselves in difficult situations. Following close behind the Lord is essential to building a firm foundation in Christ because the Psalmist said: “But it is good for me to draw near to Gid: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all your works” (Psalm 73: 28)
Daily Bible Reading is important. Make it a habit to read the Bible daily. Prayerfully read the Bible. Pray before you read so God helps you understand and you concentrate on the scripture. Ask God to teach us from the word before we begin to read. His Spirit gives us wisdom to understand and apply the scripture to our lives. The Bible is the voice of God, but we sometimes walk away as unchanged even after reading the scripture.
Trust in the Lord to provide: “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith (Matt 21: 22). The closer we draw to God, the more we trust Him and this builds our confidence in God. Our needs naturally go from the physical, to the mental, to of course the spiritual, and in each case, we are assured that the Lord will meet that need as our trust and confidence is in Him. We have to anticipate Him to bring about the proper answer and response in his time. Grounding yourself in God's Word equips you to face challenges with peace. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.
So, when we think about pursuing wisdom and guidance from God, we should Embrace daily Bible reading, Bible study, Meditation, Worship, Prayer, and living out God's teachings, which ultimately requires patience, persistence and above all faith.

PRAYER

 Father the truth is your word and the light is our understanding of it. We cry out for an understanding of the word as we read it. We pray for the light, breaking out of these promises, to encourage and strengthen our weak hearts.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Father, make me a channel of Blessing today and for ever.


    Annie Varghese
               Chicago Mar Thoma Church 

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