Pastor Mary Haley

Intro: Human beings crave influence and power, but rarely wear it in humility or use it wisely. According to Scripture, leaders are elected into positions and allowed to have power, but are actually used to further God’s purposes rather than the human agenda (Ro 13:1). Sin is the root of humanity’s pride problem that will one day lead to destruction (Pro 16:18). Righteousness is the eternal solution that will lead to life (Pro 11:19). Biblical history reveals God uses prideful control-driven leaders to demonstrate what is true and must be fixed: this sinful world needs a divine Lord who is perfect in love, righteousness, and rules in justice [giving people what they deserve]. Jesus is the perfect One.

In our passage today, Jesus is mentoring leaders for the future. His eternal Word reaches our hearts with the lesson. The disciples get into an argument about who is the greatest among them; pride is leading their thoughts and conversation. This must have grieved Jesus, because he arranges a public object lesson to humble them. Jesus uses a child as an example of greatness for his disciples. As if to say, “You want to know who is the greatest leader in the Kingdom among you? It’s this child, because she listens to my correction and humbly obeys. Be like her!” God exalts the humble (Phil 2:8).

Pride will always seek to block a person from learning to listen to the Spirit; but, humility opens the heart and brings a person honor. God’s Spirit-led leaders are servants. Pride has dominion over too many leaders in our world, today. So, be a servant-leader in your sphere of influence and reveal the lesson of humility. If we are wise, we will humbly bend our knee now, because one day…every knee will be commanded to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! (Phil 2:9-11).

Luke 9:46-48 NLT The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf [in my name] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson today on leadership. To be great in the Kingdom is to be like Jesus. So, Holy Spirit please recreate us in humility as your servant sons and daughters. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Yesterday, I read a quote by educator and author Edith Hamilton, “Love cannot live where there is no trust.” I found the quote remarkably interesting because I talk to people every day who find themselves with trust issues—living in the present, but focused on negative experiences that happened in the past. In our personal relationships, it is very difficult to move beyond trust issues when someone we respect or love betrays our trust. We can be afraid to trust, again. When we face those times, we need the love of God in order to heal and move forward.

Human beings are flawed; we can have an ugly side that is very selfish. However, God is pure love and he can always be trusted (1 John 4:7-21). It is the love of God that leads believers to place their trust in him (John 3:16). Every challenge we face in life is an opportunity to grow in our trust of God; within those challenges God reveals even then the ways he is loving us. There is a huge difference in how God loves and how flawed humans love. Oh, that we would be more like Jesus! God’s love is holy and stedfast; we can always trust his promises. Human love is fleshy and faltering that’s why God made a way of salvation for us. We can have an expectation for the love of God, but there will be plenty of times we will need to be merciful with everyone else…and everyone else will need to be merciful with us. Love keeps no record of being wronged (1 Cor 13:4-7).

In our passage from the Psalter today, we are reminded to trust God, because he is our Shelter when we are afraid to trust—we trade our fears for faith in his love for us. God has promised to protect us and keep us safe even in the midst of great stress and challenging situations. Yes, even in the midst of injustice. He has promised to restore us when we find ourselves wounded. You can trust God wholeheartedly; let him be your safe place of love, today.

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 NLT
1 
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 
This I declare about the Lord:He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;    he is my God, and I trust him.
3 
For he will rescue you from every trap    and protect you from deadly disease.
4 
He will cover you with his feathers.    He will shelter you with his wings.    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

14
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 
When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 
I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our promised place of safety. Shelter us with the wings of your Spirit and fill us with pure love, trust, and strength today. Thank you for always being with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: If we want to know God’s purpose for our lives, we must have a relationship with the eternal Father—believe Father exists and gain an understanding of God’s nature so we can use our faith to please him (Heb. 11:6). To know the salvation that is essential for eternal life with Father, we must have a relationship by faith in his Son, Jesus, who teaches us the will of God for human life (John 14:6). To be able to serve the Father and the Son, as well as bring the revelation of eternal salvation to others, we must have a relationship with the Spirit of Truth, because God’s divine power accompanied by faith is essential to overshadow our human weakness toward sin [unbelief and the guilt of disobedience to God’s Word] (Ro 8:26-27).

Most organized religions remind people they must believe in a higher power, but that is just a speck of God’s purpose to bring wholeness to his creation. Divine correction is the travel companion of God’s redeeming salvation (Heb 12:6). God desires to destroy the sin that tries to rob us and restore righteousness through repentance and obedience. Believers understand the way of Christ is the way of the cross (Mat 16:24). We must teach the Truth that God’s purpose is to make human beings holy, so he can enjoy a relationship with his fallen creation.

In our passage today, the religious leaders are so off track from the purpose of God Jesus has to correct them. They appear holy, but they reek with unrepentant pride and hypocrisy. They say they care about God’s people, but they exploit them and enable sin, heresy, and idolatry. They expect to be treated with honor even though they are void of integrity in their example. The words and long prayers of these leaders sound pious, but they are void of the Truth and Jesus knows every heart. We should never forget the judgment of God begins in the house of God (Rev 2-3). So to express God’s displeasure with these religious leaders in our passage, Jesus humbles and humiliates them and instead exalts a poor woman who understands the purpose of God, the heart that honors him, and the relationship he desires. Jesus calls for complete devotion to the will and purpose of God.

Luke 20:45–21:4 NLT
45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes [sign of their devotion] and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

The Widow’s Offering
21:1 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

Prayer: Lord, may your sons and daughters understand your purpose and heart for salvation and may we remain devoted to you with our whole lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The other day John and I were able to enjoy brunch with some new members of our spiritual family. It was a wonderful time of sharing good food and fellowship. When we got home, John mentioned he was blessed to find he shared a lot of common ground with the one gentleman. Common ground is a pathway to meaningful communication in forming relationships. Common ground is also a pathway for the gospel of Christ.

In a culture that is ever-changing and people’s views of life can be extremely different, we must work at finding common ground with one another. Unbelievers and believers need this discipline. People tend to focus on personal differences, but God leads in a way that helps us actually see some similarities (2 Cor 1:4). For example, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God with our lives (Romans 3:23). We have had different experiences in life, so it is best to humbly acknowledge the reality of that fact. We do not have to agree on everything; we are simply looking for some mutual interests or a place agreement.

When we are talking with someone new, we must be fully present and willing to listen to his or her life-story. Start by asking open-ended questions in order to explore and gain more information in a non-judgmental manner. Keep looking for points of agreement. When a conversation reveals some common ground, park there and talk about what you share that is similar. Jesus will be parked with you.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul tells us one of the ways he shares the Christian life is by giving up his personal rights for the sake of other people. He allows us to understand that Christian freedom is connected to Christian responsibility; we are examples of Christ to others, so we must be careful. Paul’s goal is to glorify God and tell others about the strength and salvation of Jesus for human life. To fulfill his goal, he basically tells the believers at Corinth [and us] to find common ground with others, avoid being a religious know-it-all, make others feel valued and accepted, be sensitive to the needs of others, and look for God to open opportunities to talk more about Christ our Living Hope.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NLT
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for keeping us mindful of our Christian responsibility to love, seek to help, and restore others in a right relationship with you. Please guide me and help me find common ground with those who need you, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: What is the first thing you think of when I use the word “inheritance?” Because we live in a physical world, we will more than likely think about the passing on of property or possessions from one generation to another following a death. It is a legal process that is typically linked to family blood lines. This concept of inheritance is true and evident between many biblical patriarchs and their descendants. However, in our reading this concept of inheritance takes things way beyond the things of this world.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul wants us to know the inheritance Father God has for his children is irrevocable and includes the acquisition of spiritual blessings and promises; however, our Benefactor does not die. Jesus—the Living Christ—is the unique Son of God and this qualifies him as God’s heir of all things (Hebrews 1:1-2). Believers are co-heirs with Christ! (Ro 8:17).

We have already begun to inherit some things: Christ has come to save us, wash away our sins, free us from death, offer us new life in the Holy Spirit, provide strength so we can be victorious over our unredeemed flesh, and declare us righteous so we have the confidence that we will inherit eternity as his sons and daughters (Heb 1:14; Titus 3:5-7). The inheritance for the believer is eternal and joyful existence in the glorious love of God! Let’s remember something crucial to our understanding; it is not our love for Christ that has been demonstrated in the salvation that brings us victory and this inheritance; rather, it is Christ’s love for us…and nothing can separate us from his love. Have a wonderful weekend. Hope to see you in worship!

Romans 8:31-39 Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If [since] God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [rulers] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the inheritance you have created for us as your sons and daughters. Thank you for loving us in such a perfect and eternal way. We know nothing we encounter on our path of life—from beginning to end—can separate us from your love. Thank you for walking with us every single day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Social uniformity has become all too important in this world. This kind of uniformity in attitude and behavior to the norms of culture is basically conformity. Conformity to the world’s standard is the enemy of true transformation. The Apostle Paul teaches, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Ro 12:2). People who say they know God but they reveal no public likeness of Him in attitude and behavior have a flesh that has simply conformed to the world.

When human beings experience the transformation made available through the blood of Jesus, those who have been far away from God are brought near and begin to live by faith in His righteousness; attitudes, words, and behaviors change even though personalities remain unique. I realize people would like to believe being a good person is all that is necessary to know God, but there is no righteousness apart from Christ and there is no Truth apart from God (2 Cor 5:21). God will continue to be truth even if every person is false (Ro 3:4). If we align with the standard of the world when it opposes the standard of God we are speaking and living a lie—God is not in it.

In his letter to the Roman Jews, the Apostle Paul wants people to know God judges every human being the same; He shows no favoritism when it comes to salvation (2:11). One is not a believer because of nationality and the practice of circumcision (Jews) and no one (Jews or Non-Jews) is given salvation and eternal life except through faith in Jesus Christ—the Lord. Christ came to call sinners into repentance; he wants to bring us into transformation before judgment (Luke 5:32).

Transformation is an internal reorientation toward God that comes through faith and by God’s gift of grace (Eph 2:8). Charles Spurgeon once said, “Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness not the apologist for sin.” Our outward behavior beings to change and reflect the inward transformation brought about by grace. God is flawlessly faithful in his act of salvation. Therefore, the deeper our relationships with God grows, the greater our understanding. The more understanding we have the greater our responsibility of walking in obedience. We have heard the Truth and it is time to follow.

Romans 3:1-8 New Life Version
1 Do the Jews have anything that those who are not Jews do not have? What good does it do to go through the religious act of becoming a Jew? 2 Yes, the Jews have much more in every way. First of all, God gave the Jews His Law. 3 If some of them were not faithful, does it mean that God will not be faithful? 4 No, not at all! God is always true even if every man lies. The Holy Writings say, “Speak the truth and you will not be proven guilty.”

5 If our sins show how right God is, what can we say? Is it wrong for God to punish us for it? (I am speaking as men do.) 6 No, not at all! If it were wrong for God to punish us, how could He judge the world? 7 If my lies honor God by showing how true He is, why am I still being judged as a sinner? 8 Why not say, “Let us sin that good will come from it.” (Some people have said I talk like this!) They will be punished as they should be.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit to keep us faithful and obedient. We need you Holy Spirit. You help to groom us in righteousness and bring transformation to our lives. Please be near your children, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Do you believe Satan is real? If so, who is he and how does he affect the lives of human beings? Scripture defines Satan as an angelic being—a cherub—whom God permanently threw down from heaven to earth due to his sin of arrogance (Isa 14:13-14). As a cherub, Satan was to serve and worship God, but instead he wanted the worship for himself. By God’s action of throwing Satan out of heaven, he became the ruler of this world (John 12:31). Satan is an accuser, tempter, and slanderer of God’s people and he is very good at twisting the truth (Rev 12:10, Mat 4:31, 1 Thes 3:5). He works with the goal of setting his throne above God; but that will never happen. Scripture reminds us Satan can only counterfeit the work of Creator God and he uses his deception and evil to oppose God, as well as rob people of God’s blessings. God has created the perfect eternal home for Satan, the false prophet and the beast, as well as those who reject Christ—hell or the lake of fire [judgment] (Rev 20:10). Hell is a place of torment and separation from God’s goodness.

In our first three verses for today, Jesus knows Satan’s plan to sift or test Peter and the apostles. Wheat was sifted to separate the grain from the chaff. Not only does Jesus know about this sifting or testing from Satan that will take place, he knows how Peter will respond. Peter thinks he knows himself; however, he cannot see his own weaknesses. In our humanity, we too may be blind to our own weaknesses, but Jesus sees it all. For this reason, Christ comes to restore us and to become the vision and strength we so desperately need in order to remain faithful to God. We all fail, but Christ is merciful to restore us when we repent.

Even when God permits times of testing, it is always to fulfill his own purpose. Remember when Jesus was led out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan? (Mat 4:1). We must never forget Satan’s greatest purpose is to rob, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). God cannot be connected with evil, but sometimes he allows the work of evil in order to accomplish his purpose of making us more like Jesus.

Luke 22:31-33, 54-62 NLT
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

Luke 22:54-62 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance.
55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.
56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.
59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the strength you bring my life. Even in times of testing, I sense your presence with me. Keep me focused and faithful in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During certain seasons in my life I have noticed I can experience two very different responses regarding my sense of time to the circumstances before me: 1) some things in life I treasure and greatly enjoy so I want to slow time down, and 2) some things in life are so difficult I want to speed up time because I am looking forward to better days ahead. I am sure with your experiences you have felt this way about life and time.

For example, our granddaughter, Amana, just turned one month old. With each day, she is much more responsive and aware of voices and sounds. She smiles and even giggles a bit. I love this progression of her development, but could we just slow things down a bit so we have more time to enjoy each day and celebrate every bit of her growth? I don’t want to miss anything! Conversely, there is that overwhelming desire within me for Jesus to come and rescue his Church from this world; today would be a great day and time to leave sin and evil permanently behind! Since I cannot control time, creation, or other people, I am going to do the wise thing of inviting God to guide me in making the best use of my time and days as I also honor his timeline and stand ready. I know God wants me to enjoy my life (John 16:24).

In our passage today, the Apostle Peter speaks to the Church. Peter reminds his readers about God’s timeline vs. humanity’s timeline. God is patient and he wants the world to repent and return to him as King, so God gives more time for this to take place. Conversely, God sees people heading further toward destruction: a self-centered worldview, false faith perspectives, as well as declining values and He knows many of his children are trying to live within the cultural storms, so God tells us to be ready because he may come back any moment. God is not slow, he is just watching for different things. Did it ever dawn on you that believers could hurry things along by allowing Christ to form us in greater godliness each day? God’s purpose for humanity is not destruction; rather his purpose is restoration and recreation in Christ.

2 Peter 3:8-13 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment [everything will appear before the Judge].

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the reminder about your timeline from Peter today. Your timing is perfect and your grace is sufficient. Thank you for your plan to recreate a new world without sin. May all your children—believers far and near—press in for more of you and your beautiful and godly character, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Over the past two months in our LIFE Lessons Bible Study Class, we have been looking at Jesus’ prophetic predictions found in Matthew 24—his Olivet Discourse. In fact, in this passage from Matthew, Jesus sets out a warning about false prophets rising up in the future. Now, false prophets have always been around, but the power of deception they will be able to bring in the future will become intense. Their corrupt teaching will result in great judgment. Believers will need spiritual discernment in order to identify false teaching and/or false prophets and stand against their message of twisted Word. We must guard our hearts against their slander of the Truth.

Believers can identify false prophets by the teaching they share about Christ—the Living Word of God. Jesus loves the world and died for it, but he calls believers to live in the new righteous fruit-bearing life he has promised in the Spirit (John 15:5-8). He bought us with the price of his life. We are welcomed into the life of the Spirit, who molds us in godliness. Godliness calls for repentance. False prophets twist the Word of God, so people believe there is no need to repent—to leave what God has prohibited/condemned and return to the Word/commands of the Lord.

From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mat 4:17). He proclaimed, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Rev 3:3). We must be ready when Christ returns for the Church (John 14:1-3).

In our passage today, Peter wants people to know the evil false teachers bring to the way of Truth. God will judge these false leaders. He will also judge those who choose to listen to their immoral and corrupt message because it is what they want to hear and believe. We must stay the course by following the core beliefs of faith found in Scripture; the Word teaches we must repent from sin or face judgment. Only through repentance will God rescue godly people from the floodwaters of evil and the impending judgment.

2 Peter 2:1-10 NLT The Danger of False Teachers

1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.

4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.

6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for promising to rescue and deliver believers from evil. While we wait for your return, help us to repent from any sin that causes rebellion against you and lead us by your Spirit into the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Humanity could use a big dose of wisdom and the true way of wisdom is the way of God! Scripture teaches about worldly wisdom vs. godly wisdom; both will impact a person’s perspective on life. The world’s wisdom is always self-centered; motivated by pride, pleasure, and is focused solely on the human point of view. In Scripture, Satan tries to tempt Jesus [through Peter] to embrace worldly wisdom over godly wisdom when Peter reprimands Jesus for saying he must “go to Jerusalem and suffer many things…be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Mat 16:21). When Peter hears Jesus speak of suffering, all he can think of is a way to stop it. Peter knows if Jesus suffers and dies it means similar things for himself. Jesus responds to Peter, “Get away from me Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s” (Mat 16:23). Jesus loves Peter, but he knows worldly wisdom when he hears it and identifies the source—Satan.

Godly wisdom is striving to see life from God’s holy perspective and act accordingly; it is foreign to human flesh. Therefore, godly wisdom leads human beings into living righteously before him and treating others the way God would treat them. Holy wisdom is pure, peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17). When we lack wisdom, we are to ask God for it! (James 1:5a).

In our passage today, David shares a psalm of wisdom. He has suffered from his disobedience and foolishness; David has learned the value of godly wisdom. Fools—those who practice wickedness but think they have all the answers—actually have no revelation of God; therefore, no divine understanding. Jeremiah writes, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (17:9). Because of sin, we are not innately good people. However, hallelujah for Good News! God connects believers with Christ; for our benefit God has made Jesus to be godly wisdom itself (1 Cor 1:30). In our obedience to Christ, we can extend the wisdom and goodness of God to others. Godly wisdom is a result of God with us! Let’s live with an awareness of God’s presence and wisdom with us, today!

Psalm 14:1-5 NLT A psalm of David.
1 
Only fools say in their hearts,    “There is no God.”They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;    not one of them does good!
2 
The Lord looks down from heaven    on the entire human race;he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,    if anyone seeks God.
3 
But no, all have turned away;    all have become corrupt.No one does good,    not a single one!
4 
Will those who do evil never learn?    They eat up my people like bread    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
5 
Terror will grip them,    for God is with those who obey him.

Prayer: Lord, please remind me today of your presence with me and help me live in your holy revelation and wisdom. May your goodness and wisdom flow from me into others for your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.