"Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding." Pr 3:13

NIV

The wise old adage goes, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Sometimes what people need more than your money is your wisdom. By taking the time to share with them the insights and wisdom you have learned through your life's experiences, you're investing in their future. What a gift!

But that means you must never stop learning.

Sometimes we stop learning because we become complacent. We believe we have grown enough, or we want only to make the most of what we already have in terms of skill and knowledge. That's when we start to plateau and then decline. We lose our innovative spirit. We begin to think about being efficient instead of breaking new ground. We cut costs instead of investing in growth. Our vision becomes very limited. And instead of playing to win, we start playing not to lose. We all love doing what we're good at, but being good at something requires us to keep our skills sharp. Less skill leads to less enthusiasm and eventually to discontent. If we reach this stage, we start looking behind us because that's where our best days are.

We think about the good old days, the glory days. At that point, we're only a few short steps from obsolescence. Nobody wants to learn from a has-been. If you want to give until you have given all you have, you must keep growing until you can grow no more.

"Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding."

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"I pray that the faith you share will make you understand every blessing we have in Christ." Phm 1:6 ERV

If you're struggling with self-worth, the answer is knowing what you have and who you are "in Christ." Paul writes, "I pray that... you understand every blessing we have in Christ." Here are some practical steps you can take to increase your sense of confidence and self-worth: (1) Don't speak negatively about yourself. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses and flaws, start acknowledging and verbalizing every good thing you "have in Christ." Peter writes: "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him...he has given us great and precious promises. These. promises... enable you to share his divine nature" (2Pe

1:3-4 NLT). (2) Avoid comparing yourself to others. One day Peter pointed to John and asked, "Lord, what about him?" (Jn 21:21

NIV). Jesus corrected him by saying, "What is that to you? You must follow me" (v. 22 NIV).

Instead of comparing yourself with others, work on being conformed to the character qualities of Christ. (3) Let God determine your worth. As His redeemed child, God sees you clothed in the righteousness of Christ;

therefore, you are always loved and accepted by Him (See 2Co 5:21). (4) Keep your flaws in perspective. It's okay to see where you need to improve, but make sure you appreciate your progress. (5) Discover the true source of confidence. If you place your confidence in God, you can't help but have a healthy attitude. So, do your best and leave the results to Him.

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"Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. Ge 12:1 NKJV

The two parts to God's "go" are going from and going to. Ur, Abram's home, was considered the place to be. Setting out for ancient Mesopotamia, all the trading wealth from around the Mediterranean had to travel through Ur. It was a place of immense affluence, trade, education, and technology.

One author writes, "The first written legal code that began civilization was there in Ur." So, it would have been a hard place to leave-especially if you were going to Canaan.

Canaan was unsophisticated, unrefined, and underdeveloped. No one who had enough money to live in Ur, the great center of civilization, would move to Canaan. Here is the point: You must trust God with your future when the path He has called you to take doesn't look like the obvious one. But if you're willing to go, you will discover that God has blessings in mind you never dreamed of. He told Abram, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (vv. 2-3 NKJV). The reward God gives you will always be greater than any sacrifice He calls you to make. Has God called you to go, but you want to stay? Is He telling you to stay, but you want to go? Here is the score: If you obey God, you will never regret it. And that's a guarantee!

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"God led the people around by the desert road." Ex 13:18 NIV

The Bible says, "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road" (vv. 17-18 NIV). There is a lesson here for you. God knows where you are on your spiritual journey, and He is directing you accordingly, even when it seems like a roundabout way. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives" (Ps 37:23 NLT). The shortest route from Egypt to the promised land was through enemy territory, and God knew His people were not ready for battle. "God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road." Getting God's people out of Egypt proved to be the easy part; getting Egypt out of God's people proved to be the hard part. After forty generations of depending on Pharaoh, they needed to know God, learn His ways, and trust Him. So, He arranged their journey accordingly. Are you having a wilderness experience at the moment? Be encouraged.

The fulfillment of what God promised you may be taking longer than you thought, but it's not time wasted. And God is not punishing you;

He is training you for your destiny. What should you do? (1) Spend time with Him in prayer and His Word. (2) Lean less on yourself and more on God. (3) Draw on His grace and follow His guidance.

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"I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." Ac 27:25 NIV

Third, anchored by God's promises. The third anchor that gives us confidence in a crisis is found in Paul's words, "I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." If you have ever been betrayed by an unfaithful spouse, you may have lost trust in marriage. If you were a victim of the subprime mortgage crisis, you may have lost your home and your trust in bankers. If you voted for someone you believed had integrity only to discover they were in the pocket of special interest groups, you may have lost your trust in government.

But never ever lose trust in the promises of God! Look in the face of your storm today and sing the words of this famous hymn by Russell Carter: "Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling winds of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God, I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God." You may lose your cargo, you may lose your ship, you may even go overboard-but you're going to prevail because of God's promises to you. As the old saying goes, "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!" If you're in crisis today, here are some Bible promises you can stand on: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Dt 33:27 NIV). "You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great" (Ps 18:35 NLT). "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you" (Isa 46:4 NIV).

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"I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." Mt 16:18 NIV

Gates are defensive devices, and storming those gates requires offensive measures.

Think of the church as a battering ram.

Instead of complaining about the culture, we need to present better options. We must produce higher-caliber movies and compose more extraordinary music, write more notable books, and start superior schools and form better businesses. The old aphorism indicates we should stop cursing the darkness and start lighting some candles. In Roaring Lambs, Robert Briner writes: "Why not believe that one day the most critically acclaimed director in Hollywood could be an active Christian layman in his church? Why not hope that the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting could go to a Christian journalist on staff at a major daily newspaper? Is it really too much of a stretch to think that a major exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art could feature the works of an artist on staff at one of our fine Christian colleges? Am I out of my mind to suggest that your son or daughter could be the principle dancer for the Joffrey Ballet Company, leading a weekly Bible study for other dancers in what was once considered a profession that was morally bankrupt?" Paul didn't criticize the philosophers on Mars Hill and tell them they were going to hell. Pointing to their altar to the unknown God, he indicated, "I've come to tell you who He is, and His name is Jesus." What was the result? "Some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter'" (Ac 17:32 NKJV).

Go ahead; take a faith-based risk and see what happens.

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"In My name they will...lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mk 16:17-18

NKJV

Here is an often overlooked part of the Great Commission Jesus gave us: "In My name they will….. lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Research has revealed that touch has the power to fight viruses, reduce stress, enhance sleep, and assist us in recovering more quickly from injury. One study found that a thirty-minute massage three times a week lowers stress by 34 percent. The power of touch, even on a human level, is an astonishing thing. But when you add the power of God, it opens the way for something supernatural. "And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him" (Ac 28:8 NKJV). Laying hands on the sick or on those called to ministry was a regular practice in the New Testament church. And you don't have to be an ordained minister to do it. Jesus said, "These signs will follow those who believe" (Mk 16:17 NKJV). If you are a believer who has placed your trust in Christ, you're qualified. Could God do it without us? Of course. But He has given us the privilege of being conduits for His power.

By laying hands on someone, you do two things: You identify, and you impart. Who knows how many miraculous moments we have sacrificed because we haven't acted in a bold biblical way by praying for someone who is sick, commissioning someone who is called, or encouraging someone who simply needs a hand on their shoulder.

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"The goodness of God leads you to repentance." Ro 2:4 NKJV

Do you remember the woman who took an alabaster box of fragrant oil and anointed

Jesus with it? The Bible says: "Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, 'This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner'" (Lk 7:39 NKJV). Man-made religion condemned this woman because of her past, but Jesus cleansed her and made her whole. "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little" (v. 47 NKJV). Jesus knew what this woman had done, but He also knew what she could become when His grace touched her life. The more you realize that you have been forgiven much, actually, of all your sins, the more you will love the Lord.

God's forgiveness does not lead to a sinful lifestyle; it leads to a life of glorifying the Lord Jesus. "The goodness of God leads you to repentance." The word "repentance" means to turn around and do the opposite.

Condemnation does not produce righteous living, but the knowledge of God's grace and goodness toward us does. Simon the Pharisee thought that his acceptance by God was based on his performance; hence he became self-righteous. But Jesus set him straight: "To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." When you realize how much and how often God has forgiven you, you fall in love with Him and desire to please Him in all you do.

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