Dr. Dianne Coflin
Co-Pastor, River of Life Church
I feel impressed that wisdom will be essential for 2019. There will be many decisions and changes to be made in areas for new direction in your life. These decisions will need to be made regarding health, finances, and spirituality even in times of crisis. When I speak of wisdom, I am describing the God-given ability to make the right decision after attaining knowledge and understanding for the choices you need to make.
In Proverbs 24:3 (AMP) it says, “Through (skillful and godly) wisdom, a house (a life, a home, a family, a business) is built, and by understanding it is established (on a sound and good foundation).”
I like the way the LB translation puts it, “Any enterprise (undertaking, endeavor, venture, pursuit, operation, a life, home, family, deed, action, business, or plan) is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.”
It seems God wanted every area of life governed by His wisdom. In Proverbs 8 it speaks of wisdom being there before the beginning of creation. “It was daily beside God as a master and director of His work and was daily His delight!”
At the end of this chapter, it says we could forfeit heeding wisdom, in any given situation, injuring ourselves and our course in life.
If God so valued wisdom, even before creation, He also knew how needful it would be for us to heed as well. In fact, in James 1:5-8 (Amp), it says this: “If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels or decides.)”
You will notice from these scriptures that the Lord won’t chastise you for asking for His wisdom, but He does ask for us to come believing He will answer, not doubting His willingness to help. Do you know what often happens? People either wait till they are in a crisis, or don’t stop to think that God would graciously grant them help if they would but ask. Thus, their experience is not full of confidence that God will answer but instead they are full of fear.
We know, according to I Timothy 1:7, that “God did not give us a spirit of fear.” We can conclude therefore, that an enemy force tries to tempt us to be fearful, doubting, and double-minded to keep us from hearing and perceiving God’s will for wisdom. Simply put, it’s not God’s fault if we can’t receive. In fact He is more willing to grant you wisdom for your situation than you can imagine. God is always good and His plans are good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you, says the LORD, plans of peace and well being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
The problem is in our believing He will answer!! I don’t know what you may be facing now or in the future, but I do know this: God’s wisdom is available and according to Proverbs 8:34 there is much blessing for the one who watches and listens daily for it!! In fact, the entire book of Proverbs has much insight into wisdom and its blessing. So just ask!!
Food for thought!
Dr. Dianne Coflin, Co-Pastor River of Life Church in Lutz, Florida.
Our services begin Sunday at 10:30, and Wednesday nights at 7:00. We would love to have you!!!
410 E. Chapman Rd. in Lutz, FL.33549, (813) 949-9931, www.roltampa.org