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May Wisdom Prevail!
Andrea Lende • March 2, 2021
Luke 20:20
May Wisdom Prevail
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/May-Wisdom-Prevail-erbl74
Luke 20:20
"So, they watched [for an opportunity to ensnare] Him and sent spies who pretended to be upright (honest and sincere), that they might lay hold of something He might say, so as to turn Him over to the control and authority of the governor.”
Jesus is Wisdom.
He demonstrated so many wise things to us when He walked this earth.
As I read our passage this morning, the Lord whispered gently.
He caused me to pause.
Pause and look at the hearts of the men who were the scribes and chief priests.
The religious leaders of the day were trying to find a way to destroy Jesus.
They were the people who should have been great followers of the Lord.
For they attempted to demonstrate their allegiance to God by their acts, but their hearts were hardened against the Lord.
They couldn’t even see it.
They could not see the hardness of their own hearts nor could they see the Light in Jesus.
So, what should have been – wasn’t.
Again, the Lord caused me to pause at this verse.
There are some things we see in life that look like they are one way but aren’t.
Similarly, there are people who look like they are trustworthy but aren’t.
We must be vigilant in our determination of the people we step into relationship with.
Jesus operated in Wisdom.
We have access to that Wisdom.
We just need to pray for it.
As the Lord puts Wisdom into our hearts, we are better at discerning the world around us.
As we gain Wisdom, we see there is always more Wisdom to gain.
So, I continue to pray for more.
And the Lord grants it.
Today I pray the Lord will grant me more Wisdom so I may better discern the world about me, the people around me, and make better decisions.
May you find the Lord will pour His Wisdom into your heart and mind as you continue to ask for it.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son to this earth to teach us all the things He came to teach. Thank You for slowing me down and showing me why I need to use Wisdom in all that I do. I pray You will give me more Wisdom, Lord, as much as You will give me. Help me discern better the world about me. He me see the hearts of those around me so I learn who I should trust and who I should not. Help me deal properly with those who have only betrayal on their minds. Keep me in Your care, Lord, and lead me in all Wisdom to You and Your perfect plan for my life. Light the path I should follow and keep deceit away from me. Help me see clearly, Father, and deal with difficult situations with integrity and Wisdom. Help me bless those You want to bless. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and will impart My Wisdom in your heart.
Response: Thank you, God of all Wisdom and Creator of the universe.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.