“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4
You may have heard that in 2024, Bible sales rose by 22% over the previous year. That is certainly very encouraging! At our “Hope for America” livestream event, we gave away 40 Bibles. There definitely seems to be a growing hunger for God’s Word.
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“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” — Proverbs 22:3 (NLT)
This proverb is very clear. Wisdom isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about being aware. The prudent person sees trouble coming and then makes adjustments. They aren’t so wise that they can see into the future. Instead, they stop to think. “What are the outcomes ahead?” The simpleton certainly doesn’t stop to think. They assume everything will work itself out. And then they just keep walking straight into their decision. Not knowing if it will be a problem or not. It’s not about assuming things will work out. Instead, it’s about having the courage to pause, think about what’s ahead, and have the humility to course correct.
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In the midst of day-to-day life, it’s so easy to get caught up in our complaining and disputing world. At least for me, anyway. I’m as guilty as anyone. On the side, I prowl the headlines in an effort to get the scoop. As a pastor, I feel as though I ought to know (at least a little) of what’s going on. Then perhaps I won’t be caught off guard.
But, I can too easily enter the wormholes of bad information. And it influences my soul. Of course, this has probably never happened to any of you. However, on occasion, I’ve looked up from my phone, gasping for clarity. Then I ask myself, “Why am I even reading this?”
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Ever since I became a follower of Christ, I’ve prayed that God would use me and others in mighty ways. There’s nothing wrong with this prayer. It’s a prayer that applies faith to a “Here am I, send me!” boldness. That is certainly not bad at all. However, I’ve prayed this prayer for over two decades. And a quick Google search of my name proves that God hasn’t used me in any of the “mighty ways” this broken world would recognize. I’m actually thankful for that.
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“Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” — Proverbs 3:13-15
We find joy and understanding in wisdom. It’s also more profitable than gold and silver. And it’s more precious than rubies — NOTHING compares.
But where do we find this wisdom (spoken about in these proverbs)?
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As we start the new year, many of us reflect on the past and naturally make plans for the future. It’s for sure a season of resolutions and fresh starts. Reading in Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist gives us a piece of timeless wisdom that can always guide us. It guides us not just at the start of the year but every single day: “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Repentance isn’t just about feeling bad or saying sorry. It’s also about a life transformed by God’s grace.
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Many factors contribute to messing up a person’s life. Lack of self-control is a significant one. You might be on top of your finances and then wreck them by buying things you don’t need. Not to mention, you could excel at controlling your temper until something gets under your skin and you snap. Without a doubt, self-control is an essential and crucial characteristic of a Christian.
Put very simply, having self-control is sort of like driving a car. If you let go of the wheel, there’s a good chance you will run into another vehicle (or possibly off a bridge). But holding onto the wheel gives you the ability to drive defensively. Along with that, holding the wheel allows you to reach your destination. Paul certainly drove this point home (pardon the pun) when he wrote to Titus; he told him to teach everyone self-control. In fact, his instruction wasn’t just for pastors. It was for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. Indeed, he wrote about it five times in both chapters one and two.
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A few Sunday evenings ago, we gathered together and heard Paul’s entire letter to the Romans publicly read out loud. For over an hour, sixteen different people read sixteen different chapters of a two-thousand-year-old text. After the reading, people weren’t falling asleep or bored. On the contrary, they were excited and encouraged! Imagine sitting down after a long weekend, listening to people read for an hour out of any other book. Before long, people would no doubt fall asleep and be ready to go home. They certainly wouldn’t be smiling ear to ear and talking about how amazing God is.
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“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” — Isaiah 55:11
If you’re like my family and me, you take in and process a lot of words throughout the week. These words come to us through various means, whether reading books, watching the news, or listening to podcasts or sermons. We certainly live in a time when we hear words constantly.
For all of this reading and listening, God promises that only His Word will fulfill His purpose in authentic spiritual growth.
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“Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.” — Psalm 113:2
I recently read this verse in my quiet time, and one word stuck out to me more than the others. The word was “now.”
It’s always easy to “bless the name of the Lord” when things are going well, but “now” implies the moment. Regardless of what this moment holds in your life, whatever situation “now” finds you in, bless the name of the Lord.
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