Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”
Our Bible verse for today: “…they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.” 1 Kings 3:29 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Playing by the Biblical rules enables us to make smart decisions.”
This morning I want to pick-up King Solomon’s story from yesterday’s devotional. The primary thing Solomon is remembered for is his great wisdom. Solomon was the wisest man in the world in his day and his wisdom came to him as a gift from God. The reason God gave Solomon that wisdom was because he was determined to honor God with the decisions he made.
There’s an important lesson in this for us. As the people of God we need godly wisdom in order to make good decisions. And, God wants us to have that wisdom. The Bible itself is one long testimony to the fact that God wants to be heard and understood by His people so that they can then behave in a way that pleases Him. Therefore He does communicate with us in ways we can understand. Our job is to place ourselves in a position before God whereby He can communicate with us. Here are some basic guidelines that will help:
- Cultivate a heart for God. This is crucial. You must have a heart that is yearning to hear from God and which is then both willing and committed to do whatever it is God instructs you to do.
- Be honest about what you can do and what you cannot do, then be sure to do your part. The burden is not all on God. Way too often we pray, asking God to help us with a situation, but we then act as if the burden is all on Him to work the situation out. It’s as if we’re expecting a magic solution that will require no effort on our parts. It doesn’t happen that way. God works in partnership with us. The answer to the prayer usually includes us actively taking part in bringing about the answer.
- Ask God for the wisdom to make good decisions. Actually ask Him. Talk to Him about it. Have a discussion with Him about this issue you need to figure out. James 1:5 tells us “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
- Actually follow God’s guidance. Don’t ask God what you should do but then go do something different from what He tells you! Solomon asked God to give him the wisdom he needed in order to make smart decisions and God gave him that wisdom. But then as his life unfolded Solomon proceeded to involve himself in all the things God had specifically told him not to do. Don’t be that guy. Don’t ask God what you should do but then go and do something different.
- Trust Him to guide you. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Playing by the Biblical rules enables us to make smart decisions. All that’s required is a heart that is truly devoted to God and a commitment that you will do what He tells you to do.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 