Where Does Understanding Dwell?
Good Morning Friends,
I imagine that some of you reading this devotional are troubled this morning. So let’s gather our thoughts squeeze them and ferment them with scripture into a drink. Then let’s knead the makings of our daily bread as a dough that is to rise to awareness and be baked for use. So today we bring our emotions to the table and we muse on what we read in scripture and the writings of the world and seek to make a difference from what we have learned. And hopefully joy will be found in the reading of scripture and perhaps some understanding. Where Does Understanding Dwell?
Scripture: Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? . . . God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells.
Job 28:20, 23 (NIV)
Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your decrees are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn away from your ordinances, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:97-104 (NRSV)
Message: If you want to grow spiritually…to discover your spiritual gifts and begin putting them to use, then you need to go where God is. And one place is in His Word. Here in God’s presence we too can be transformed. Reading and rereading the Bible is a great way to reflect on what we want from our relationship with God and from each other. The point is to become deeply honest about our desires. Secular books and biographies can help too when we do not understand a person or group. The point in reading the Bible and other books is to link God’s wisdom wherever it might be found to our own. The objective here is to deepen our faith as we connect what we feel with what we think and with what God is doing in the world. No it may not be easy, but avoiding the process taps our joy. I imagine that those who come away cold from reading the Word were too impatient to get baked in the fire of meditating on things they might like to avoid. My guess is that most people have no idea what Biblical meditation is all about. Most do not realize that this type of meditation is spoken of and practiced in many places in the Bible. Most people think that meditation is empting the mind and though that too may have its place it is not what I am suggesting here. What I am suggesting is that we fill our minds with the thoughts of God and ponder upon them in the reality of what we must face in the world. And here we find that avoiding a discussion of things that make us feel uncomfortable never quit pans out well when it comes to maintaining joy. Sure we need to think on good, pure things but eventually our joy will be choked out if we do not face reality. And complaining about things over which we have no control taps our strength and taps our joy as well, for we become what we speak. Delaying action makes it worse. Putting things off is a trap. Small step toward the goal will keep the joy in our lives. Manufacturing gossip to tear down the reputation of others saps joy too. Building people up is the way to bring joy but doing so to seek approval out of neediness is overrated. Realize that promises can bring peace and hope but only promises that we can keep. So be careful with your words. Speak in affirmation of what is good. In order to deal with change we are to find joy in the Lord not circumstance. You see we can make the choice to use our imagination to either fuel our faith or fear. So let go of the past and fear of the future. Be hopeful and expectant of all the good things the Lord can do. Read scripture after what you have read of what the world offers then pray.
Pray we realize that a crisis intensifies our need for wisdom. Pray we realize that God is our only source of true wisdom. Pray that Godly wisdom leads directly to godly action. Pray we realize that the words of the Bible never come back void. Pray we always experience a fresh message that applies truth to our daily lives. Pray we thank God for wisdom. Pray that God reveal to us the right application of knowledge. Pray we plumb the depths of our pain and excavate the empty depths of our suffering measured against God. Pray that when well-meaning friends hopelessly fall short of offering any wisdom in dealing with grief and loss that God…our awesome God… help us to cope. Pray that when we read the Bible, this love letter and ponder together the questions it presents we dig deeper into our souls and discover a place of understanding.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 