“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 14

This blog entry is another in a series featuring a daily dose of “words to the wise,” poetically expressed from the Book of Proverbs.

In thinking about wisdom this morning, I recognize that wisdom is not a static entity; it is not a trophy to be displayed with pride, but wisdom connotes action, it is something that must be applied. The Psalmist declares in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” and further states, “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when will you come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart (Psalm 101:2).

In the Book of Proverbs we find two references to walking in wisdom or to walk as the wise:

Proverbs 13:20

He who walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Proverbs 28:26

He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walks wisely, he shall be delivered.

Two of the most enlightening scriptures regarding walking in wisdom occur in the New Testament:

Ephesians 5:15

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

To walk circumspectly, means to walk carefully, accurately, “to be watchful on all sides.”

Colossians 4:5 instructs believers to

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

Walking in wisdom involves being intentional and making deliberate choices that determine the direction and ultimate fulfillment of one’s purpose in God.

The following poem composed a number of years ago refers to “walking in wisdom” in the context of renewing the mind and maturing in Christ.

A New Song: Changing the Way We Receive the Word

“Praise prepares us for worship.”

 Jimmy Mitchell

 

To change or remain the same is always a choice:

Either to conform to the world or be transformed,

To act to express our lives in the middle voice.

We face each new day, renewing our minds, reformed

To embrace a new way of receiving the Word.

To rise to another level demands a price:

To follow in the footsteps of Jesus, our Lord,

We must renew our minds and a make a sacrifice

And mature in Christ, as we walk forth in wisdom.

Our apostolic model will thrive and abound

To become a major influence for God’s Kingdom.

We bring forth fruit one hundredfold sown on good ground.

Sing a new song, for praise prepares us for worship:

The ultimate expression of our true sonship.

The accompanying video, while not the usual musical selection, shows the amount of time we have and urges us to “redeem the time” which is part of our walking in wisdom.

“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 11

This blog entry is another in a series featuring a daily dose of “words to the wise,” poetically expressed from the Book of Proverbs.

Each morning as I rise to use the bathroom and refresh myself to start the day, I often recite a statement made by Prophet Kim Clement, as I look in the mirror and wash my hands: “I see myself somewhere in the future, and I’m looking so much better than I look right now. . .” I go on to attach this personal addendum: “But right now, I’m looking good!”

While looking in the mirror, many times I think of my true identity, as I continually attempt to assess who I am and who I desire to be, as I seek to do the will of God. Some time ago, I posted a blog entry entitled “My New Identity Kit” which contained a poem with a reference to wisdom as well as to knowledge. Here are “Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise” for Day 11:

My True Identity

 

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,

are changed into the same image from glory to glory,

even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

II Corinthians 3:18

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see,

Not the man I am but the man I shall become,

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

 

Released from shackles of a slave mentality,

The bondage of Egypt I have now overcome.

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see.

 

I smile as I keep singing of “A Brand New Me.”

In my heart I have prepared for God a new home,

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

 

“I am what I am” is my new reality:

A first-born son, model of the Father’s Kingdom.

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see.

 

God’s blessings in double measure overtake me,

Flowing by the spirit in knowledge and wisdom,

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

 

I live to fulfill my prophetic destiny,

As joys unfold with even greater joys to come.

I  look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

 

As I begin to understand more fully who I am and who God intended for me to be, not only am I looking good, but I am also “feeling good” as this YouTube video by Michael Buble makes known:

 

 

“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 9

This blog entry is another in a series featuring a daily dose of “words to the wise,” poetically expressed from the Book of Proverbs.

Despite the sweet savor of past victories that we desire to linger forever or the bitter aftertaste of former times of seeming defeat that we seek to forget, each day unfolds as a new beginning, an opportunity to make a fresh start. How do we begin? We go back to the beginning.  As we reflect upon wisdom, so brilliantly displayed in the Book of Proverbs, we find that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” poetically expressed in this manner:        

The Beginning of Wisdom

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

Psalm 19:9    

 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:

 and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.   

Proverbs 9:10

 

I begin and stand in absolute awe of You,

Thoroughly washed in the fountain of holiness.

The old has passed away—Behold, You make all things new:

Redeemed and justified by Christ, my righteousness.

As You search the earth, may I find grace in your sight.

I seek to be wise but never in my own eyes.

Here stands a perfect man, one destined to walk upright,

A beloved son, whose heart Your Word purifies.

I am filled with knowledge and wisdom from above

And bound by a covenant no one can sever,

For nothing can separate me from God’s love:

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

I am renewed in strength and upheld by God’s Word,

As I pursue wisdom, growing in the fear of the Lord.

A perfect accompaniment of this poem is the worship song “We Choose the Fear of the Lord”  by the Maranatha Singers, another dose of “Good Medicine” from the shelves of Dr. J’s Apothecary Shoppe.

“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 8

As we go through life, we encounter difficult situations whereby we can grow if we apply the lessons learned.

Many times as I begin my day in a meditative way, a passage of scripture or song lyrics will come to mind to jumpstart my day. This morning I thought of the lyrics to a powerful song performed by Barbra Streisand called “Lessons to be Learned:

Why did that right road take that wrong turn?

Why did our heart break, and why did we get burned?

Just like the seasons there are reasons for the path we take:

There are no mistakes—only lessons to be learned.

I began to think of some of the lessons that God is teaching me this season of my life. As a life-long learner, an ever-eager student in the University of Life, I am continually learning more about God and my relationship with Him, particularly in terms of applying the principles of wisdom, not just this month during this time of sharing “Words of Wisdom” from the Book of Proverbs, but each day abounds with opportunities to learn and grow.

A most valuable lesson that I am learning relates to using wisdom in terms of the words that we speak. An original poem that mentions wisdom in the context of the Spirit of Wisdom is “The Power of the Tongue:”

The Power of the Tongue

But the tongue can no man tame;

it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison

James 3:8

 

We know the tongue has power to generate life,

To produce seeds that will eventually take root

And will bring forth two very different kinds of fruit:

Love, joy and peace or envy, confusion and strife

Can build or destroy a brother, a friend, a wife.

With his hand, the helmsman easily turns great ships,

So I covenant to guard the gates of my lips,

For words can heal or pierce the heart as a sharp knife.

I desire life and long to see good all my days,

So I speak the truth and refrain from speaking lies.

Like Jesus, I want my tongue to speak what God says.

I seek to be wise but never in my own eyes.

Pressing toward the finish, the coming of God’s kingdom,

I seek not just a word but the Spirit of wisdom.

The last line of the poem brings to mind another song that captures the essence of that for which I am seeking: “Seekers of Your Heart” rendered by Steve Green, Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris.

This blog entry is another in a series featuring a daily dose of “words to the wise,” poetically expressed from the Book of Proverbs.

“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 7

This blog entry is another in a series featuring a daily dose of “words to the wise,” poetically expressed from the Book of Proverbs.

This morning as I start to think about wisdom in Proverbs, I recognized that wisdom is portrayed as a woman in the first nine chapters of the book, as the entire message concludes with the 31^st chapter which offers the magnificent portrait of the epitome of wisdom displayed in the “virtuous woman.”

In researching the personification of wisdom as a woman, I discovered a discussion by Bryony Taylor, who asks, “Why is wisdom personified as a woman in the Old Testament book of Proverbs?” The text is an undergraduate essay that she wrote for her BA in Theology & Ministry. One of her references speaks of the image of “Lady Wisdom,” a term that I use in the poetic entry for the daily dose of “words to the wise” for Day 7:

Come, Dine with Lady Wisdom

“Come and dine with me,” Jesus said.      

“Come and dine with me,” Jesus said.

“I’ve prepared a table to set before you. “

“Come and dine with me,” Jesus said.

 Ambassador Academy Blessing

 Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.

[New American Standard Bible] Proverbs 8:18

                              

Come, dine with Lady Wisdom, consummate hostess.

She invites you to partake of her sumptuous feast.

All who eat at her table will know great success.

For Wisdom is principal: the first and not the least.

Come, be satisfied at her banqueting table.

Eat and drink—those who hunger and thirst she will fill

With fruit from above—gentle, pure and peaceable.

To give long life is the pleasure of her perfect will.

Come, buy without money and purchase without price.

The gracious Lady freely gives to those who ask.

From her bounty she has more than enough to suffice.

Your goblet will ever overflow from her flask.

“Come and dine with me, Wisdom calls throughout the lands.

Glory, honor, wealth and favor flow from her hands.

Today’s blog entry concludes with a YouTube video of a tribute for Mother’s Day 2007 from Cornerstone City Church, containing excerpts from the God’s Word Translation of Proverbs 31 with background music.

“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 5

The Book of Proverbs encourages us to pursue wisdom, as one would pursue hidden riches or treasures

Although several days have passed since my last blog entry on wisdom, I have been thinking about the subject nonetheless. Here are “Words of Wisdom” –a daily dose of “words to the wise” for Day 5, mindful that the number 5 represents “God’s grace,” once again so gloriously displayed.  The poem for today is directly related to the previous entry for Day 4 “In Pursuit of Wisdom,” in that I write about the subsequent demonstration that indicates that an individual is serious in terms of pursuing wisdom.

An incident came to mind that occurred while I was in basic training, after having been drafted into the U.S. Army back in 1967. At the end of the training period, we were told to prepare for a thorough inspection of our barracks by the Inspector General. I recall that I had received my first pay which I had placed in the bottom of an empty stationery box that I had hidden underneath some of the clothing items that lined my footlocker. In my haste to prepare for the I.G. inspection, I inadvertently threw what I thought was an empty box into the trash which I later recalled having thrown into the dumpster behind the barracks. We passed the inspection with flying colors and our company performed well on the parade field, being selected as the group with the best formation. As a result, we were given a pass to go into the neighboring town for the day.

As I went to get my pay which I had stashed away, I realized that I had thrown my month’s wages into the trash, as I remembered what I had done in preparing my footlocker for inspection. Without hesitation, I walked swiftly to the back of the barracks and climbed into the dumpster. In pursuing the object, I ignored the strange looks and snide comments and inquiries that asked “Johnson, what are you doing? What are you looking for?” I walked over to the area where I recall that I dumped the trash, and I diligently searched for and finally found the box that contained the money that I was looking for.

The Bible urges us to follow after or to pursue wisdom in the same manner that you would seek to find hidden treasures, such as silver or gold. In a similar manner, the object that I was seeking was more valuable to me that the embarrassment or inconvenience that I had to endure in order to obtain it.  When I jumped into the dumpster without hesitation, I demonstrated the essence of message of the following poem:

The Proof of Desire

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts,

but especially that you may prophesy.

I Corinthians 14:1

The proof of desire is pursuit.

Mike Murdock

 

In each new season may my life abound with fruit,

As I follow after God and seek His favor,

To show that the proof of desire is pursuit.

 

This passion to please is my relentless pursuit,

As I seek to taste His goodness and to savor.

In each new season may my life abound with fruit.

 

As a seasoned tree is strengthened from leaf to root,

I flow with fullness of joy as I labor,

To show that the proof of desire is pursuit.

 

Though I may seek as silver His wisdom and truth,

This life swiftly passes, fleeting as a vapor.

In each new season may my life abound with fruit.

 

I have yearned for God’s presence, even as a youth.

I now forsake all to scale the heights of Mount Tabor,

To show that the proof of desire is pursuit.

 

I ever seek to know God’s will and to do it,

To follow in the steps of Jesus, my Savior.

In each new season may my life abound with fruit,

To show that the proof of desire is pursuit.

 

Recently my thought have so frequently turned toward my experience in the military back in the late Sixties, during which time I experienced a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, and I have never been the same. I continue to pursue wisdom as a demonstration of my desire to please God in all that I say and do.

I conclude this blog entry with a YouTube video of “Words of Wisdom from the Bible—Pursuit of God’s Truth,” a song entitled “Wisdom Calls” by Seven Days, from their album “The Weight of the World.”