Bible League: Living His Word No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the LORD.— Proverbs 21:30 NLT Human wisdom does not stand up well compared to God's wisdom. Think about the wisdom of the so-called wise men of the world. Think about all the proclamations they have made over the ages on how people should live and what they should do. Their wisdom doesn't stand the test of time, but is constantly changing. It's like the Scripture says, "The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear" (Isaiah 29:14). If our feeble human wisdom is ever going to help us make the right decisions in life, then it must be informed by, and guided by, the perspective provided by God's unchanging wisdom. Our verse also decries human understanding. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." This is good advice, because, as it says elsewhere, "For my thoughts are nothing like your thoughts... And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). To be effective, then, our limited human understanding of things must take its start from what God reveals of His unlimited understanding of things. Lastly, human plans come to nothing apart from God's plans. The Scriptures say, "You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail" (Proverbs 19:21). And this is so because, "The LORDfrustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes" (Psalm 33:10) and "He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted" (Job 5:13). The point is, you can't expect your plans to succeed if they are against God's plans. In order to be effective and have lasting impact, human plans must be in harmony with the plans of God. Given all this, we should stop deceiving ourselves. "If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise" (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). That is, we should stop thinking that our wisdom, understanding, and plans can be effective apart from God. We should become foolish by the world's standards and humble ourselves before Him. Then, and only then, will we become truly wise. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingProverbs 19, 20 Proverbs 19 -- Better is the poor who walks in his integrity NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Proverbs 20 -- Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Corinthians 3 2 Corinthians 3 -- Ministers and Glory of the New Covenant NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.Insight Paul was not ashamed because his message was the gospel of Christ, the Good News. It was a message of salvation, it had life-changing power, and it was for everyone. Challenge When you are tempted to be ashamed, remember what the Good News is all about. If you focus on God and on what God is doing in the world rather than on your own inadequacy, you won't be ashamed or embarrassed. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 2 Corinthians 6:17 Be ye separate.The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live," should be "Christ." Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God's glory. You may lay up treasure; but lay it up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves break not through nor steal. You may strive to be rich; but be it your ambition to be "rich in faith," and good works. You may have pleasure; but when you are merry, sing psalms and make melody in your hearts to the Lord. In your spirit, as well as in your aim, you should differ from the world. Waiting humbly before God, always conscious of his presence, delighting in communion with him, and seeking to know his will, you will prove that you are of heavenly race. And you should be separate from the world in your actions. If a thing be right, though you lose by it, it must be done; if it be wrong, though you would gain by it, you must scorn the sin for your Master's sake. You must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Walk worthy of your high calling and dignity. Remember, O Christian, that thou art a son of the King of kings. Therefore, keep thyself unspotted from the world. Soil not the fingers which are soon to sweep celestial strings; let not these eyes become the windows of lust which are soon to see the King in his beauty--let not those feet be defiled in miry places, which are soon to walk the golden streets--let not those hearts be filled with pride and bitterness which are ere long to be filled with heaven, and to overflow with ecstatic joy. Then rise my soul! and soar away, Above the thoughtless crowd; Above the pleasures of the gay, And splendours of the proud; Up where eternal beauties bloom, And pleasures all divine; Where wealth, that never can consume, And endless glories shine. Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.Exodus 23:2 "You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? • Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? • Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 1 John 2:15,17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. • The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Ephesians 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 4:20,21 But you did not learn Christ in this way, • if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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