Thoughts for Life: BE WISER

Be Wiser

Amira Emmanual "Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: For they are ever with me. Psalm 119:98 KJV. Photo

My best friend once tried to convince me that a mutual friend had said something wrong about me. This hurt me. I wanted to go to this friend and fight with her, but I prayed, opened my Bible, and changed my mind.

The following day, at a birthday party for one of our mutual friends, I saw the friend who had said something about me. A wave of bitter emotions rushed through me, but I prayed and put a smile on my face. I talked to her and did not show resentment. After some time, she asked if there was something wrong. I shared everything with her, and she was utterly shocked. She had no idea why our friend had told me such a thing.

It became clear that this friend tried to break up my friendship with our mutual friend. She sowed a bitter seed that God helped me to uproot with His goodness and love. The Word of God helped me to react wisely.

Our enemy can be clever, tactful, and intelligent. Tackling those who oppose or want to harm us is never easy. But believers are better than a thousand adversaries who are more powerful or shrewd. But what makes us stronger and wiser?

As David declared, we are stronger and wiser because we believe the commandments and precepts of the Lord. God is ever with us. But there is more involved than just knowing the commands. When David said this, he meant that he had the law of his Lord before his eyes, and he obeyed every commandment.

The Word of God urges us to do good deeds and guides us to the right path. When we fulfill God's will, God blesses us, including making us wiser and even wiser than our enemies. God does not let the enemies overcome the righteous but makes the wicked surrender.

The condition, however, is our complete obedience to God. God does not want us to be weak and timid. His people are mighty, like David. David obeyed the Lord and triumphed over his adversaries. To overcome your enemies and Satan, you must follow God's Word. Then you will be stronger and wiser than your enemies.

Let's pray-

Father, when a friend has said that a mutual friend has said something wrong about us, it will hurt. If we consider what the Bible says about this, we can pray for guidance as to how to handle it.

It may become clear that this friend tried to break up our friendship, but by asking You to help us, You'll uproot the hurt feeling with Your goodness and love, and enable us to react wisely.

Your word urges us to do good deeds and guides us in the right paths so we can fulfil your will, and not let the enemy overcome us, the condition being complete obedience to Your leadership. With Your help we will be stronger and wiser than the enemy of our souls!

We're praying about this in and through the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!

#106 Testimony- Those who are identified with Christ

In the mind of God, every believer shares complete identification with Christ from the cross to the throne. According to God's Word, we are crucified with Christ, buried with Him, raised with Him, exalted with Him, and seated on His throne with Him (Rom.6, Eph. 2).

The combined sin of the world could not be laid upon Him by itself, without the sinner himself. There is no such thing as abstract sin—sin with no sinner. Not only was the sinner's sin placed on Christ, but the person of the sinner was also placed upon Him. Therefore, when He went to the cross He carried the entire human race with Him.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died" (2 Cor. 5:14, NIV) "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20, NASV). "It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him" (2 Tim. 2:11, KJV).

All mankind was identified with Him in death, but only those who believe are identified with Him in His resurrection and in His place of honor and glory.

1566-1570 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

1566- Neh. 13:14 "Remember me, O God, concerning this and wipe not out of my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God."

1567- Pro. 21:20a "There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise."

1568- Is. 44:2a "Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee. Fear not."

1569- Ps. 118:27a "God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light."

1570- Is. 41:20 "That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this."

#106 Hymn- Take Time To Be Holy

The information about this song, is taken from the book by Robert J. Morgan, THEN SINGS MY SOUL (p. 209)

"The words to "Take Time to Be Holy" were written about 1882 by William Longstaff, a wealthy Englishman who served as treasurer of the Bethesda Free Chapel in Sunderland, a port city in Northeast England. His church hosted the first meetings held by D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey in that area, and Longstaff became a great supporter of the two.

In his book of hymn stories, Ira Sankey said that "Take Time to Be Holy" was prompted by a sermon William heard in New Brighton on the text "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).

George C. Stebbins, who composed the music, said Longstaff was inspired to write this poem after hearing a missionary to China quoted as saying "Take time to be holy."

Some encouraging words-

"Paul prayed unceasingly and teaches us to pray unceasingly, too, for the wisdom of the Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our heart. Just as a child needs education, the believer who has the Spirit within him needs divine illumination daily to know God and the spiritual life He bestows. Without spiritual wisdom and understanding, we can never comprehend it." Andrew Murray

"The Knowledge of the Holy" notes of A. W. Tozer:

"If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is. We can never know who and what we are till we know at least something of what God is. No creature has life in itself; all life is a gift from God. We are made for eternity as certainly as we are made for time, and as responsible moral beings, we must deal with both. This is life eternal: to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent."

Upcoming posts:

10/11th- JOY FOR THE JOURNEY- Mary Southerland

18th- CHOICES- Radice Banks

25th- PROMPTED TO PRAY- Katara Patton