Do you ever find yourself stunned by the circumstances of your life? Perhaps you’ve been genuinely surprised by the negative consequences you experience as the result of unwise decisions. When things go wrong, it’s common to wonder, What happened? and What did I do to deserve this?

Many times, people don’t ask the Lord to reveal wisdom on a matter before they act. Or they fail to take positive, precautionary measures. Still others choose to associate with individuals who are an influence for evil rather than good.

Foolish choices often lead to a snowballing effect of worsening circumstances. One bad decision leads to another, and the end result is costly. The sad news is that we suffer the consequences of our unwise actions whether we recognize our foolishness or not.

The apostle Paul wrote this challenge to the Ephesians:

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:15-17).

In these two verses, God makes three things clear:

We must choose to pursue wisdom. It’s up to each of us to determine how we will walk through this life. Wisdom is not something a person stumbles into or acquires automatically. It must be sought out and pursued.

We must seek God’s plan. The person who walks in wisdom is aware of how he affects the world and how the world affects him. He recognizes that every person faces three enemies in life: the world system, the Devil, and the flesh. He seeks to know God’s plans and purpose—not only for his personal life, but also for every situation involving the people around him.

Those who love and search for wisdom have God’s promise that they will find it. Personified as a woman in the book of Proverbs, Wisdom says, “I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me” (8:17). Jesus affirmed Solomon’s counsel when He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).

We must take responsibility for applying wisdom to our lives. The person who walks in wisdom feels a responsibility for his actions and use of time. He knows that he has been given a limited quantity of minutes, hours, days, months, and years. He is aware that that those hours must be spent in a way that produces the largest amount of good. God has entrusted him with certain resources that must be used to further His kingdom.

The Christian who walks wisely is acutely aware of the Enemy of his soul who seeks to ensnare him through temptations and enslave him through the world’s system. He lives with soberness and caution, saying “no” to anything that undermines God’s will.

Wisdom is something we choose to live out, not a vague entity. It is related to the concrete, material world and is applicable to every life circumstance.

God calls us to be wise in every decision of our lives. We need His wisdom in our business dealings, health choices, relationships, parenting, finances, and our walks with Him. No area of life is beyond need, ignored by God’s Word, or off-limits to His wisdom.

Not everyone can become famous, wealthy, or educated. But the good news is, anyone can become wise. No matter who you are or where you live, you can reverence God, receive Jesus Christ as Savior, and submit your life to the Lord on a daily basis. Will you accept God’s challenge to become wise and walk in His wisdom daily?

Adapted from “Walking Wisely” by Charles F. Stanley, 2002.

Psalm 62:1-8

One of the most difficult things we’re to do as Christians is to “[wait] in silence for God only” (Ps. 62:1). We tend to think of waiting as passively sitting back until something happens. However, in the midst of a stormy life event, we don’t like inactivity. Our instinct is to react quickly and force things to change.

But in this psalm, the word wait has a different meaning—it connotes “pause for further instructions.” Instead of opting for passivity, we must choose to stop our actions and listen for God’s directive. Sometimes the Lord is silent for a season, but He always has a purpose. He knows the perfect time for us to act, and until that moment, we need to wait. It takes more strength and character to be still in the midst of a storm than to frantically seek our own solution.

I can tell you that I, too, at times wait impatiently. When that happens, I can become nervous and question God or complain. But those reactions do not fit who we are as Christians. Paul tells us plainly to “be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:6); he instructs us instead to pray to the Lord, who offers peace. We’re to wait in silence without complaining, which means we must have patience. In order for that to happen, we must trust in God’s wisdom, love, power, and timing. We can’t go wrong when we rely on Him.

The key to finding peace in the storm is waiting for God only. When we refuse to do so, we are more likely to make bad decisions. He hears our every prayer, but we must be willing to wait in silence and listen for His reply.

1 Peter 4:12-19

What is your usual response when you face times of trouble? Are you inclined to stand and fight? Perhaps you are convinced that you’re strong enough to handle any obstacle. Or maybe you do what so many others do: run as far and as fast as you can.

Trials are unavoidable in life. Instead of deciding how best to avoid them, we should instead focus on the way to respond to them. There are several things for the Christian to do when confronted with conflict.

First, we should trust God, based on His holy Word. Scripture assures us that the Lord knows our limits and will therefore never allow us to be pushed or tempted beyond our ability to persevere (1 Cor. 10:13).

Second, we must trust in His faithfulness. In times of trouble, take time to reflect on previous hardships. Did God help you then? What was the result of that trial? How has He shown Himself to be faithful at other times? (See Ps. 37:23-24.)

Third, we must make a conscious decision to persevere. Romans 5:3-5 reveals that persistence is a vital part of a healthy growing Christian life. Our encouragement is that perseverance in the face of trials leads to the hope which “does not disappoint” (v. 5).

Finally, it is important to acknowledge the sovereignty of almighty God. Our heavenly Father is never surprised by the tragedies in our lives. Rather, He stands ready to work in us (Phil. 2:13), through us (1 John 4:4), and for us (Rom. 8:31) to bring us to the point of victory in His Son Jesus Christ.

 1 Peter 1:3-9

Obviously, we don’t enjoy times of trial or conflict. Despite the assurance we have that God will always be by our side through any and every circumstance (Heb. 13:5), it is still natural to fear and bemoan such occurrences.

In hardships, however, we often forget the very words Christ spoke in John 16:33. We hear and certainly relate to the first part of His instruction: “In the world you have tribulation.” We’ve all faced enough problems to know that it is not possible to avoid them altogether. In fact, Jesus takes it a step further by asserting that our faith in Him will actually lead to even more attacks and criticism (15:18-20). Truly it is impossible for a devoted Christian to live trouble-free in a world that is hostile toward God.

What we tend to miss in Jesus’ statement, however, is the second half of the verse. After delivering the “bad” news that we would have tribulation in our life, He offers a word of hope: “But take courage! I have overcome the world.” Notice that He didn’t say, “I will overcome,” but rather, “I have overcome.” In Christ, the victory has already been won. He has victory over all things. Even the world’s greatest threat, death itself, has already been defeated by Jesus Christ.

Life certainly isn’t easy. However, we have a loving God who not only understands our suffering but also chose to experience it Himself. Because He did, we can now claim participation in the ultimate victory over every trial of life.

Do you feel as though God is distant? Sometimes, when we can’t sense His presence, we wonder if He has forgotten us. Some people even believe God is merely a third-party observer and is no longer involved in the world. To them, He set the earth in motion long ago but is now uninterested in our daily lives. 

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep (John 10). He promised to protect and provide for us, and we misunderstand Him if we think He doesn’t care.

Our spiritual lives are full of highs and lows, valleys and mountaintops. But some people panic, or grow bitter and angry, when they face a disappointing situation. They ask, Where is God? Why hasn’t He answered my prayer? Why is He silent while I’m hurting? Many believers become disillusioned and hopeless. And instead of seeing a valley, they see an endless tunnel with no light at the end.

This is a dangerous mindset, because it causes a person to lose confidence in the Lord. With such an attitude, trusting that the pain will end becomes increasingly difficult.

But there is a reason to trust in God.

If you are at a low point and feeling hopeless, be encouraged. The Good Shepherd, who is the Sovereign of this universe, is with you. You may not always sense His presence or see how He’s working, but He’s there. The Lord loves you unconditionally and is ready and willing to help. All you need to do is turn to Him.

God does not send anyone into a valley, but He may allow us to enter one to teach dependence upon Him. One day, perhaps you’ll look back and think, Thank you, God, for never leaving me, and for carrying me through the low place. You’ll never be able to thank Him enough.

So why do we get discouraged in dark times? I believe there are four reasons.

1. We don’t have a solid belief system.

What do you believe about God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the whole spiritual world? Many people accept a little of this or that, but not the whole witness of God’s Word. You could say that their theology is “all over the place.” If we don’t have a clear understanding of the truth, we won’t be able to live an authentic Christian life and will have a difficult time making wise choices.

Some people may say, “This is over my head.” But we don’t need to be intimidated by theology. It simply helps us know Who God is and how to understand the Scriptures.

Knowing God’s character is a must. Failing to do so can cause us to panic in difficult times, and could lead us to make destructive choices.

2. We don’t understand the ways of God.

Evidence of confusion about God is everywhere. For instance, some people think God shouldn’t allow His followers to suffer. They believe that if a person experiences pain or illness, it is because of sin or a lack of faith. They think that if you trust and obey God, you won’t get sick and will never be in want of anything.

But the Word of God doesn’t teach this. Not all suffering is punishment for sinful actions. Take a look at the life of the apostle Paul. God saved him on the road to Damascus and called him to preach the gospel. And yet he experienced much suffering in his life as a believer. Paul wasn’t living in sin when he was stoned in the streets or imprisoned. Because he persevered through each hardship, we are blessed with the epistles he wrote during those times.

3. Our faith is based on emotion.

Sometimes we think, I can trust Him as long as everything’s going my way. But this leaves us feeling hopeless when things go wrong. We cannot base our faith on emotion, personal judgment, or perception—it must be grounded in the Word of God. When we feel discouraged, we need to ask, What is the clear teaching of Scripture? You won’t come across any kind of valley experience for which God doesn’t provide an answer in His Word.

4. We don’t know God’s promises.

How can we feel hopeless when the Father promises to love, protect, and guide us throughout our lives? If we commit the Scriptures to memory, He will bring them to mind whenever we need encouragement.

Closing Thoughts

There are many things that happen in a valley, and God allows us to experience them for a number of reasons. The truth is, we tend to learn far more from the low points in our lives than we do from the high. When do you learn the most about trusting God? Too often we take the good things for granted. It’s in times of trial that we learn how to lean on the Lord.

If you haven’t discovered who God is and how He operates, then start now. Spend time reading the Bible each day, learning his promises and committing them to memory. Remember to trust Him with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understandings—or emotions (Prov. 3:5). Follow Him, and He will walk you—and you will never be alone again.

Ezekiel 36:25-28

The Lord wants to give each of us a “heart of flesh” so that we will be pliable and responsive to Him. When touched by the finger of God, a tender heart yields to the pressure and assumes the form He desires, much like a lump of clay that allows the potter to determine the shape of the vessel.

To aid in this process, God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer and awaken responsiveness in him or her. By yielding to the Spirit’s promptings with ready obedience, the heart becomes increasingly tender and sensitive to His leading. The Lord is able to impart greater understanding of His Word to a soft heart because it has faithfully accepted and obeyed previous teachings.

Any resistance to God will result in hardening. But those who are accustomed to intimacy with Christ—which is the result of submission to Him—will be quick to deal with sin and return to the place of obedience and blessing.

People with tender hearts stay closely connected to the body of Christ, seeking to build up and encourage others in their walk of faith. Such individuals are not only receptive to what God wants to tell them; they are also teachable, in that they are willing to listen and are open to being corrected by others.

This week when you read your Bible and pray, let your heart be soft toward the words of God. As He pokes His finger into each hard area, listen to His instructions, and rely on the Spirit’s power to help you yield and obey. Let Him shape you into a beautiful and useful vessel.