Practice Wisdom

  

Have you ever wondered if being wise is even possible for you? I know I have. And as we learned in the video, it's not enough just to acquire wisdom. Instead, we have to choose to apply wisdom to our daily life. As Lysa TerKeurst writes, we acquire wisdom where wisdom gathers, not where wisdom scatters. We have to practice wisdom in our everyday lives.

We are reading chapters 7-9 this week. If you're a little behind, skip ahead and read chapter 9 and it will be YOUR BEST YES!
I know I like immediate answers. I prefer to know an outcome … like yesterday.  It goes against every instinct in my being to wait, pray, seek and prepare. Wisdom puts in the preparation time. In order to determine our Best Yes, we must have wisdom and wisdom takes work. So, you may be asking, how do we do this? I hear you but how is this even possible?

1. Ask for wisdom.
   

The Bible tells us if we lack wisdom then to ask for it. Ask for it, girlfriends! Side note: God doesn't usually just zap us with a BIG DOSE of wisdom when we ask Him. He often grants wisdom through a process. The process of training and showing up to practice ☺

 "If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who 'worry their prayers' are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open." James 1:5 (MSG)

1. Seek out wisdom.
   

Let's see what the book of Proverbs has to say (I know this is a long verse but hang with me here):
"My son, if you accept what I am telling you
and store my counsel and directives deep within you,
 If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her,
and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you,
you cry out to her for insight
and beg for understanding,
If you sift through the clamor of everything around you
to seek her like some precious prize,
to search for her like buried treasure;
 Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal,
and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God."  Proverbs 2:1-5 {The Voice}

There are those who wander thru life and there are those who ask questions. How? Why? What if? It would be foolish to neglect and not appreciate this life practice.

 "As a dog returns to its vomit …" Proverbs 26:11 {NIV}

1. Show up to "Practice" wisdom with your A game.
   

Have you ever lost something that you dearly loved and treasured? You search and you search until one day you finally find it; you jump for joy and do the happy dance!  Search and rejoice like the woman who found the lost coin in Luke 15:9.

What if, JUST WHAT IF, we were to search for wisdom like you search for your prized possession? Life is our source, the Bible is our map, the Lord is our guide.

I have some searching to do! Leave a comment or post your response on Facebook today and I will be praying with you, friends. We are all in this together.

Search on, sweet sisters!

• What is your prized possession?
  
• Get out your Bibles and read Psalm 62:5-8. Read it. Say it out loud. Read it again. Now turn to God in prayer (yes, right now) and ask Him to help in any places you feel stuck. Where do you feel stuck?
  
• Of the Scripture passages mentioned today, which one speaks the most to you?
  

One last thing – Verse Mapping. It's one of the things I love to do and  I'd like to encourage each of you to do also. It's a way to help scripture come alive, make it personal and see God's Word in fresh new way. Here's a link that I found to be very helpful - http://heatherbleier.com/2012/06/13/a-day-with-jesus/. Check it out and start with one of your favorites or any of the ones we've mentioned in this Study so far.

Here are a couple examples...

 

Keep praying and be blessed,
Cheryl