Tag: wisdom

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Settling Into Our Friendship Home

A flock of birds flying in the air, against a background of a tall building and a power line.
Proverbs 27:8 (ESV)—Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

Sunset, in Denver, Colorado, shadows streaked across the sky, a flock of birds dancing as one while twenty or more lined up on a power line in the distance. Their back-and-forth dance, a choreographed masterpiece, lasted about five minutes. My feathered friends then, all at once, as if they’d heard a signal, shot down from the sky and into the trees lining the sidewalk, and a symphony of birdsong exploded into the air.

A sight to behold, for sure, and a reminder of God’s design for seeking wisdom in friendship. When we flock together and seek heartfelt, biblical wisdom from one another, our friendships become a restful “home” and a safe, secure place for our relationships to grow and thrive.

With our friendship homes, we don’t need to stray to find our heart’s desires; instead, we settle into the firm foundation of God with a community of believers. We pray for, gently guide, serve, and confide in one another. Most important, we love one another, settling into the tree and creating a symphony of friendship that puts our soul at ease.

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Fixing God in the Foreground

A highlander cow standing in a grassy field
Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)—The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

A caption caught my attention while I browsed photos telling stories of Frank Lloyd Wright. The simple landscape photo, part of an exhibit in the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, showed a field with cows in the foreground. According to the caption, Wright pointed out to the landowner that the cows in the foreground made the view of the grassy field better.

The same can be said when we fix God in our foreground. The plans of our heart transform from a flat view of a grassy field to a field with a clear focal point. The next steps of God’s plan for us become more evident.

Before we take our next steps, let us seek the Lord’s wisdom. When we seek his wisdom, we can hear his voice and discern his purpose. Then we can move forward with God in the foreground to guide us.

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Resting in the Mystery

Numbers 9:21 (ESV)—And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out.

I perched on the edge of my seat on the bus, on the lookout for wildlife and the top of Mount McKinley in Denali National Park. Hoards of bears, a fox, a flock of dall sheep, a herd of caribou, and a moose later, at the end of the road, the clouds still obscured Mount McKinley, its view a shroud of mystery (except for thousands of photos on the internet, of course).

For the Israelites, the cloud of God led them through the desert. When the cloud descended on the tabernacle, the Israelites made camp, and when the cloud lifted, they broke camp and traveled through the desert, an arduous journey for sure.

The people trusted in God even with the mystery of the cloud’s timing. They allowed God to lead and followed in obedience.

Today, God still sets the pace of our journey, though not in the form of a physical cloud. His protection comes in the form of a friend telling us we need to slow down, in jobs appearing when we need them most, in anxiety attacks telling our bodies enough is enough.

The next steps of God’s plan for us, whether shrouded in thick, dense fog or clear for miles and miles, come when we sit in God’s presence. In this place of rest, we can find assurance and can ask for wisdom to separate his plan from our own.

For sure, God’s plan is a mystery whose revelation unfolds in his timing. While we wait though, he provides a cloud of comfort, peace, and protection.

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Anchoring Our Faith

Matthew 8:24–27 (ESV)—And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

A snorkeling excursion—my first—on my honeymoon took my husband and I off the coast of Barbados. The sunshine shimmered on the turquoise sea, goggles complete with snorkel tube perched on top of my head, and a life jacket wrapped around my upper body.

I edged toward the back of the boat, behind others from our tour. Deep breath in, I jumped. Salt water splashed my face; I spluttered and swayed my feet.

All the while, a hint of panic set in and I snatched my husband’s arm. “Hubby, I can’t touch the bottom.”

The guide, hearing my panicked whispers, swam to us and handed me the more substantial, bright-orange life preserver. I bear-hugged the flotation device until I felt calm.

Why was I so afraid in that moment? Perhaps because I sink like a rock in the water. Maybe because I’d never ventured into water so deep, always before having the anchor of sand beneath my feet. Or, just a thought, fear settled in like a shark sinking it teeth into its dinner.

Indeed, fear caused me to falter even though I wore a life jacket. My fear overwhelmed my sense of safety because I did not understand the enormous effect on my mind of my feet being anchored to the sandy floor.

Another anchor, fear, can drown us if we don’t have knowledge of the magnitude of God’s might. The disciples learned this lesson from their fear of drowning in a storm, even though Jesus lay on the boat with them, having performed miracles in sight of the disciples that very day.

In the midst of the gales rocking the boat and waves filling it like a bathtub, the disciples needed more understanding of Jesus when fear rocked up and sank in its teeth—and did Jesus provide a showstopper. He calmed the sea, and the disciples stood in awe. Their knowledge of God’s power grew and that moment likely stayed with them as they did God’s work and faced hardship in the future.

It is understanding of God’s might that anchors our faith and helps us to trust God with one-hundred-percent confidence. Wisdom gained from God’s Word helps us to fight and defeat fear and to hear God speak over the cacophony of the storm.

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Words of Affirmation: Wisdom

I sometimes become obsessed with the idea of writing a devotional based on a particular verse. My fingers fly over the keyboard for a minute or two before freezing, the well of words running dry all because I didn’t bother to inject wisdom into my writing. Instead, I tried to produce words to publish a post or to submit to a publisher.

Devotional writing is more than putting well-constructed sentences with a clear theme to the page. Discerning God’s Word through the use of commentaries and other resources helps us produce well-thought-out ideas. Our prayers during writing and before posting guide us to biblical connection and sureness. After publication, these thoughts speak to others and encourage further contemplation of God’s Word.

God has entrusted us with the power to wield words to spread his Word. This thought makes me want to put my words in his hands. How about you?

Ecclesiastes 9:17 (ESV)—The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
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Words of Affirmation: Spiritual Truths

I am blessed to interpret spiritual truths

With God’s call to write and edit comes the powerful tool of words. Words that touch lives. Words that spark interest in God. Words that build up. For sure, we are blessed that the Spirit fills our words with the “hidden wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7). Our call, then, becomes interpreting spiritual truths for others.

I pray you embrace this calling with all your heart!

1 Corinthians 2:13 (ESV)—And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
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Wisdom and Waterfalls

James 1:6 (NIV)—But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

My husband and I walked the trail to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains, unsure of the exact location of the waterfall. We crossed a bridge at a smaller waterfall, but, for some reason, we didn’t believe this to be the waterfall we sought. We trudged farther along the trail. Our legs grew tired, the trail seemed to go on and on, and we wanted nothing more than to see this waterfall. Soon, we met with other hikers, who pointed us in the direction from which we’d come.

It’s funny the things we doubt for no particular reason. We wear ourselves out, and it’s as if we’ve been bowled over by a wave while trying to figure out the situation.

If only we’d asked God for wisdom before we began our task. Surely this would save us some stress.

But when we don’t believe at first, we can learn from the situation, find the joy our trial, and still seek wisdom from God. We may be tired, confused, or exasperated, but we can rest easy knowing we’ve put the situation into God’s hands.