If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5

 Recommended Reading: Proverbs 9:9-12

What do the following have in common in the Old Testament: weavers, embroiderers, craftsmen, a shrewd man, a caster of spells, ants, idol makers, and ship captains? They were all said to possess wisdom—actually skill, since the word for wisdom meant skill. We could call biblical wisdom “skill for living.” 

Who doesn’t need skill for living? When it comes to raising children, managing money, solving health emergencies, planning for the future—there is no end to our need for skill or wisdom. There is also no end of sources to which we can turn. But we must be careful, for the Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom [or skill]” (Proverbs 9:10). That suggests God should be the first Person we turn to for advice and wisdom in life. The apostle James wrote the same thing: Whenever we are in need of wisdom, “ask of God, who gives to all liberally.” 

Think about where you need wisdom and skill in your life today, and turn to God first with your request. He promises to give wisdom liberally.

The heav’ns declare Thy glory, Lord, in ev’ry star Thy wisdom shines.
Isaac Watts

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

 Recommended Reading: Proverbs 3:1-10

Most Jesus followers understand something about trusting the Lord, acknowledging Him, and seeking His paths. But what does it mean to “lean not on your own understanding”? It means we shouldn’t try to do anything on our own. We shouldn’t try to figure things out on our own without consulting God, giving Him every aspect of the decision and letting Him guide our thoughts. When we live independently of God, it’s impossible to exercise wisdom. The Lord wants us to use our brains and to ponder our decisions, but not on our own! He wants us to use our sanctified minds.

Making decisions is an integral part of life. As Christians, we seek to make wise decisions that honor God. It’s through seeking His guidance that we are able to do just that. We make decisions prayerfully. We make decisions that don’t go against Scripture. We make decisions with the inner peace of sensing His guidance.

Whatever decisions you face today, ask God to lead and direct you.

His faithful follower I would be, for by His hand He leadeth me.
J. H. Gilmore

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Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Psalm 36:5

 Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Samaritan’s Purse recently told of Dr. Russ White who was trying to help a three-year-old girl at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. The child was in severe respiratory distress due to a red bean she had aspirated. Dr. White put a scope down the child’s throat three times, trying to remove the bean. As he prepared to open the girl’s chest in a last-ditch effort to save her life, the Lord seemed to whisper in his ear, “Try again. Let Me do this with you.” The scope went down once more and this time—success!¹

When we work simply with our own skills, abilities, strength, and personalities, we face limitations. But when the Lord comes alongside us and does it with us—indeed, He does it through us—we have success. We cannot solve problems on our own, but we do have a Friend who can!

He is faithful to us, even when we are fearful and try to solve our problems in our own strength. Instead of acting in fear, trust in the faithfulness of our Almighty God to act on your behalf. 

If we do not understand and trust God’s faithfulness, we will not trust the rest of his character either.
Chip Ingram

¹ “Standing for Christ No Matter the Cost,” Samaritan’s Purse, September 19, 2022.

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Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1

 Recommended Reading: 1 John 3:1-3

A recent movie about the life of actress Marilyn Monroe portrays her as an emotionally starved woman whose story was filled with trauma, who craved acceptance but who received only abuse and exploitation. That’s the sad condition of so many people. Everyone—even those who haven’t been traumatized in life—wants acceptance. We want to be liked, to be loved, to be included.

If you feel undervalued today, two prayers will help. First, ask God to give you a heart of friendship for someone else and to show you who it is. He will lead you to someone to befriend, and it’s in helping others that we ourselves find help.

Second, ask God to reassure you of His loving presence in your life. He has already accepted you. He sought you, saved you through the blood of Jesus, and longs to draw closer to you each day.

Live each day confident in the knowledge that God has accepted you as His child, and let His healing love bring fresh joy and reassurance to your personality.

[God] has made and keeps a covenant of personal commitment and love to His people.
Sinclair Ferguson

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For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!
1 Chronicles 22:13, NLT

 Recommended Reading: 1 Chronicles 22:6-13

David Balogun recently graduated from high school—at age nine! He’s a young prodigy who’s also working on his black belt in karate. David has already finished a semester in college, and his goal is to become an astrophysicist who studies black holes and supernovas.¹ At about the same time in another school, Pearl Neumann received her high school diploma—at age one hundred.²

Whether young or old, we have dreams, plans, and goals. We feel exuberance when they come true, and we’re often discouraged when they don’t.

Give all your dreams, plans, and goals to God. Ask Him to guide you. Be sensitive to His leadership in your life, and He will give you the best kind of success—that of fulfilling His perfect will for you. Worldly success can change people for the worse. Godly success brings rest to the heart.

Success is the continuing achievement of becoming the person God wants you to be.
Charles Stanley

¹ Ramon Antonio Vargas, “Pennsylvania Boy, Nine, Becomes One of the Youngest Ever High School Graduates,” The Guardian, February 5, 2023.

² “Pearl Neumann, 100 Years Old, Graduates Spencerport High School,” Westside News, January 8, 2023.

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But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
1 Samuel 18:16

 Recommended Reading: Luke 14:1, 7-11

“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Those words have been misattributed to the pop artist Andy Warhol who gained fame during the 1960s. During that decade especially, people gained and lost notoriety quickly. In fact, many sought fame, hoping it would last.

God often blesses people with success even when they aren’t seeking it. Men like Joseph, David, and Daniel were blessed and promoted by God because of their faithfulness. And each of them maintained a sense of humility in spite of their success. When Jesus was invited to a banquet, He observed some guests maneuvering to get the seats of honor at the table—and told a parable about a banquet in response. The point of the parable was this: If you promote and exalt yourself, the host may embarrass you by asking you to give up your seat for another. Better to take the lowest seat and be the one that the host invites to move higher (Luke 14:1, 7-11). 

If God grants you prominence, give Him thanks! But don’t seek it. Instead, seek faithfulness and humility, and let God bless you in His time and way.

The surest mark of true conversion is humility.
J.C. Ryle

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For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4

 Recommended Reading: Hebrews 11:24-28

Warren Wiersbe admitted he never recalled many chapel messages from his student years, but Vance Havner gave a message he never forgot and frequently recalled for encouragement. Havner was speaking about Moses in Hebrews 11, who “forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (verse 27).

Havner said Moses lived in victory because he “chose the imperishable, saw the invisible, and did the impossible.”¹

This is still true for us today. Because we serve the Almighty God, we can be confident in Him to strengthen us and give us the victory. Life is full of problems, but that’s when we have to look upward, exercise faith, see Him who is invisible, and claim the victory. The Bible tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart—and we can also say with all our trials, tribulations, problems, and opportunities. 

Today ask God to help you choose the imperishable, see the invisible, and do the impossible.

Christians are either overcome because of their unbelief or overcomers because of their faith. 
Warren Wiersbe

¹ Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007), 836.

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You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Matthew 25:21

 Recommended Reading: Matthew 25:14-23

Booker T. Washington said, “Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the everyday things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.”¹

The Lord assigns our daily tasks, and sometimes they’re as simple as washing a child’s face, picking up a piece of litter, showing up at a worship service, or taking chicken soup to a sick friend. Small acts of kindness catch the attention of heaven, and faithfulness in small things pleases the Lord. Somehow in His providence, the accumulation of small things, done faithfully, becomes a pathway of purpose and fulfillment in life.

In the middle of the mundane routines of the week, it can be difficult to remain faithful in our responsibilities. Yet God often uses our faithfulness in these small tasks to prepare us for bigger ones. Thank God today that He is always preparing you for what He has in store for you next. As the Lord sees us faithful in the small, He will assign more work to be rendered with joy and done for His glory.

Faithfulness is faithfulness, on whatsoever scale it be set forth!
Alexander Maclaren

¹ Robert L. Caslen Jr and Michael D. Matthews, The Character Edge (New York, NY: St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 2020).

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But one and the same Spirit works all these [spiritual gifts], distributing to each one individually as He wills. . . . But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
1 Corinthians 12:11, 18

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 139:13-14

Identical twins share many of the same physical traits: hair and eye color, height, facial characteristics, and others. Research suggests that 25 percent of identical twins can be said to be mirror images of one another except in one specific area: Identical twins have different fingerprints.

That fact confirms the biblical testimony that we were knit together in our mother’s womb, that we were “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV). We are not only made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), but we are also uniquely made in God’s image. We are all different, unique, and special in God’s sight. The apostle Paul extends the idea of uniqueness by saying that God gives each Christian spiritual gifts “individually as He wills” and puts us in the Body of Christ “as He please[s].” When we compare who we are with others, we stand on the precipice of succumbing to envy, pride, or jealousy (2 Corinthians 10:12). 

Cultivate contentment as you seek God’s will for your life. Look for every opportunity to serve God and others as only you can.

God gives gifts where He gives a calling.
Henry Wilkinson

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For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45

 Recommended Reading: Philippians 2:5-9

Robert K. Greenleaf, born in 1904, spent four decades working in corporate management for one of America’s largest telecommunications companies. Toward the end of his tenure there, he became disenfranchised with corporate management philosophy. He saw it as a top-down, authoritarian, and power-based approach. So he resigned and founded a non-profit to research the idea of servant leadership. His work planted seeds of change that continue bearing fruit to this day.

The style of leadership Greenleaf reacted to—authoritarian, top-down—was the style Jesus identified in His day among Gentile rulers: They “lord it over” and “exercise authority over” their subjects (Mark 10:42). But Jesus demonstrated a different style: He came not to be served by others but to serve those He came to save. And His style was evident throughout His life and ministry. His service was sacrificial, costly, and humble—but it changed the world. And God “highly exalted Him” and lifted up His Name (Philippians 2:9). 

Look for ways today to lead by serving. It’s a simple but powerful way to show Jesus to the world.

Our humility serves us falsely, when it leads us to shrink from any duty.
J. R. Miller

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Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
1 Samuel 16:13

 Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

On the day of His ascension to heaven, Jesus prepared His disciples for the task that was before them. He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to them (Luke 24:45), He outlined their mission (Luke 24:47), and He told them they would receive “power from on high” (Luke 24:49) from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Thus, He revealed the two dynamics that would equip all who would follow Him: Word and Spirit.

The equipping of believers by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit became the hallmarks of Christian discipleship. By the Spirit, we are given gifts, abilities, and traits to manifest the ministry of Christ in the world (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 5). And by the Word of God we are taught, challenged, corrected, and trained so we “may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Do you want to be useful to God in ministry? Yield to the Spirit of God and live in the Word of God, and you will be thoroughly equipped.

Every man who is divinely called to the ministry is divinely equipped.
A. W. Pink

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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

 Recommended Reading: Acts 13:22

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In his speech, he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”¹

That dream has not yet been realized. But God does not see people based on their race, nationality, or social background. When Samuel was choosing Israel’s next king from among Jesse’s sons, God specifically told him not to look at external qualities. Instead, he was to choose as God chooses—on the basis of the heart (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

When we look at people, let us view them as God does, not as the world does. Let us appreciate their heart above all. 

When we begin to see people through God’s eyes, our focus will change from looks to life. 
David C. McCasland

¹ “Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream,” American Rhetoric.

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A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

 Recommended Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-8

When the pilot of a Cessna 208 traveling from the Bahamas to Florida became incoherent and fell against the controls, one of the passengers, Darren Harrison, radioed traffic control for help. Darren wasn’t a pilot, but suddenly he was responsible for flying and landing the plane. Thankfully, one of the air traffic controllers was also a flight instructor and calmly helped him safely land the plane.¹

I’m certain the air traffic controller didn’t anticipate walking someone through how to land a plane when he arrived at work that day, but he was “in the right place at the right time” to help.

Whatever God has for you today, whether it’s teaching children or running errands, He has placed you exactly where He wants you to be. You are “in the right place at the right time” to make a difference for Him through your words and actions. You never know how or when He will use you to encourage or help those around you. Be ready to be used by Him today!

God’s plans for you are better than any plans you have for yourself.
Greg Laurie

¹ “Untrained Passenger Lands Florida Plane After Pilot Falls Ill,” BBC News, May 12, 2022.

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This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 1:15

 Recommended Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-16

Before Semere came to Christ, he was a leader in the Muslim community in his Ethiopian village. Semere was adamantly opposed to Christianity and “since [he] was a young man, [he] wanted to persecute and even kill Christians.” But after burning the house of a Christian woman in another village, God crushed him and drew him to Himself. Since his conversion, Semere has been used by God to bring more than one hundred people to a saving knowledge of Christ.¹

Like the apostle Paul, Semere’s story is just one of countless stories of how God uses those who were opposed to Him before they became Christians to bring many to Him after they accept Christ as Savior. 

In His sovereignty and goodness God uses our past mistakes and failures to bring glory to Himself. Don’t disqualify yourself from serving your Heavenly Father because of what you have done in the past. Remember: He uses us in spite of us.

The greatness of sin is no bar to our acceptance with God… nor to our being employed for him, if it be truly repented of.
Matthew Henry

¹ “Former Ethiopian Sheikh Burned Houses; Own House Burned After Conversion,” The Voice of the Martyrs, September 6, 2022.

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2

 Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-17

On a regular basis we hear about athletes, students, teachers, small business owners, and others taking a stand for Christ. Sadly, they are often ridiculed and at times punished for their actions. In a world that is increasingly anti-Christian, it is not easy to stand up for one’s biblical beliefs.

In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul exhorted the believers to live their lives as a sacrifice to God. He also challenged them not to conform to the anti-Christian culture of their day.

Why are we to live boldly for Christ? Because of God’s mercy. Think about all God has done for you—the gift of salvation, spiritual blessings, the certain hope of eternity in heaven with Him. When we remember His mercy and what He has saved us from, how can we not live boldly for Him?

As you go about your day, remember God’s mercy and choose to live a life of boldness for Him.

Stop assuming an outward expression which is patterned after this world.
Kenneth Wuest

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

 Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Years after the Budik people in Senegal heard the Gospel, the Budik believers showed little evidence of spiritual growth, and the church itself wasn’t growing. But one event changed everything. “The Budik believers received the New Testament in their own language.” As one believer said, “Because [of] the Word of God that was brought to us… now the Word is available to everyone…. Now when we have meetings, everyone brings their Bibles, and they’re using the meetings to learn and grow more than they were able to before.”¹

The transforming power of God’s Word is the same no matter the language or the culture of the person studying it. When we read and study God’s Word, our life is changed. We begin to grow in our Christian walk, and we are equipped to live a life that is different from the world.

Take a few minutes today to thank God for the gift of His life-changing Word!

Bible study has torn my life apart and remade it. That is to say that God, through his Word, has done so.
John White

¹Ian Fallis, “The Importance of the Book,” Ethnos360, March 13, 2018.

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The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
1 Peter 1:24-25

 Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 1:22-25

Last year during the World Cup, businessman Karl Baxter was convinced England would win. He printed eighteen thousand beautiful shirts with the words: “ENGLAND / CUP WINNERS / 2022 / It’s Finally Home.” But England lost to France, and Baxter sold the shirts at a steep discount, suggesting people use them to clean their windows.¹

The world seems certain of its opinions, and pundits think they can guess what’s coming next. They’re almost always wrong, for no one except God knows tomorrow. We can’t trust the media, but we can trust the Master. His Word never fails.

Rely on God’s truth, realizing that the Scriptures speak louder than the latest scoops by the reporters. Regardless of the trends of our culture, we must stand firm in God’s truth, never wavering. Regardless of the threats by our enemies, we must never back down from our biblical worldview. Its pages are powerful. It’s God’s personal message to His children. Let’s grasp the Bible firmly in our hands—until we are finally Home.

Christians should be grateful to God for the gift of his written Word, and conscientious in basing their faith and life entirely and exclusively on it.
J. I. Packer

¹ Jess Sharp, “Firm Left With 18,000 England ‘World Cup Winners’ T-Shirts After Gamble Backfires,” Sky News, December 13, 2022.

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For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2

 Recommended Reading: 2 Peter 3:11-12

A boss assigns a young worker a task in the warehouse. Later the boss stops by unexpectedly to find his employee scrolling through his phone. The worker hops up and points to his completed task. But the boss says, “You could have looked for other things to do or at least asked for your next assignment. Don’t be satisfied with doing the bare minimum; there are always things to be done.”

The Bible says that Jesus’ return for His Church—the beginning of the Day of the Lord—will come like “a thief in the night.” That is, it will come unexpectedly, which raises the apostle Peter’s question: “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” in light of Christ’s unexpected return (2 Peter 3:11-12)? As we wait for the return of Christ and the end of the age, are we content to do “the bare minimum” as believers? Or are we looking and asking for ways in which to serve Him as faithful disciples until He returns (Luke 12:35-38)?

Look and ask today for ways to serve Jesus as you watch for His appearing.

The highest honor in the church is not government but service.
John Calvin

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Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.
Revelation 1:3, NIV

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 119:33-40

Tom Meyer is known as the “Bible Memory Man.” He has memorized much of the Scripture and quotes it often. According to Fox News, Meyer suggests people spend more time reading the Bible aloud during their devotions. “We live in a world where nobody reads aloud,” he said. “Originally, the Bible was meant more for the ears than the eyes…. Just listen to a chapter again over and over.”¹

It’s wonderful to discover various ways of studying God’s Word. We can read it silently and aloud, in small bits or large sections; we can copy it in our notebooks. We can study it, pray it, sing it, quote it, convert it into teaching, and share it with others.

As we do so, we’re learning more and more of the mind of God, growing in wisdom and maturity. Diligent study of God’s Word helps us grow spiritually, becoming more like Christ. Thank God for the gift of His Word and spend time learning from it today. You might even read it to yourself aloud!

How can you afford not to be in God’s Word?
Howard Hendricks

¹ Brittany Kasko, “New Year’s Resolution: ‘Bible Memory Man’ Shares Tips for Memorizing the Bible in 2023,” Fox News, December 27, 2022.

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Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
Psalm 103:2

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 103:1-5

We live in a world that is both material and spiritual. On the material side, we access our world through our five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. It is no wonder the apostle John warned about “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”—“all that is in the world” (1 John 2:16). It is easy to be enticed by the things of this world, to think they will bless our life.

But the Bible says that God’s blessings are both material and spiritual. He forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from destruction, loves us, shows compassion to us, satisfies our life with good things, and renews our youth (Psalm 103:3-5). The world cannot offer anything to compare with the dual dimensions of God’s blessings—spiritual and material. When we are tempted to seek blessing and contentment in the things of this world, we need to look to God’s promised blessings.

Look around you today and count your blessings. Thank God for His provision and commit all your needs to Him.

The vast majority of mankind never gives a thought of gratitude towards God for all His care and blessings.
Donald Grey Barnhouse

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