It was a cool, fall afternoon and we had a couple hours of free time, so we grabbed my phone and decided to find a nearby geocache. The GPS coordinates led us to some greenspace in the back of a neighborhood. Although we were determined to find this geocache, it was hidden well and we started to feel conspicuous hunting behind people’s backyards. It became very awkward when one mom and her son came out of their house, and we were sure they were watching us push through the tall grass and leaves. We were just about to give up when the boy approached us and asked if we were looking for something. We explained and he smiled, waved to his mom, and said “I hid that geocache and you’ll never find it on your own. Let me help you.”
This young geocacher knew exactly what we should do to find the cache. When we followed his wisdom, we successfully found what we’d been seeking. So much of life is that way, too. When we look for wisdom and actually follow it, we’ll make better decisions in life.
Wisdom is finding out what you should do and doing it. When we seek wisdom and ask God for it, He will give it to us. He will help us figure out the wise choice when we need to make a decision. We can find God’s wisdom by reading the Bible and asking trusted Christ-followers.
The monthly memory verse is: “Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold. Wisdom is worth more than rubies. Nothing you want can compare with her,” Proverbs 8:10-11, NIrV. No matter how big or small the decision, God will help you make the wise choice. It might be tempting to compromise wisdom for quick and easy gain, but Solomon teaches us that choosing wisdom first is best.
In Week One’s Bible story, God was pleased with King Solomon and offered to give him whatever he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:4-15) and was rewarded. Our Bottom Line is: God wants to give you wisdom. Anytime we have a decision to make or a situation we aren’t sure how to handle, we can ask God for wisdom.
In Week Two’s biblical principle, Solomon, the wisest person who ever lived, teaches us to choose our words wisely. “Thoughtless words cut like a sword. But the tongue of wise people brings healing,” (Proverbs 12:18). Our Bottom Line is: If you want to be wise, think before you speak. When we’re upset or emotional, we may be tempted to blurt out hurtful words that we might regret after we’ve calmed down. Speaking without thinking can cause damage. But wise words can help.
In Week Three’s Bible story, King Rehoboam needed to make an important decision (1 Kings 12:1-15a). The king decided to follow his buddies’ advice, and his decision led to a split in the nation of Israel. Our Bottom Line is: If you want to be wise, hang out with wise people. Proverbs 13:20 says: “Anyone who walks with wise people grows wise. But a companion of foolish people suffers harm.”
In Week Four’s Bible story, King Josiah was very young when he started ruling (2 Kings 22-23). He could have followed in the footsteps of the kings before him and disobeyed God’s law. But when he found God’s words, he realized this was not wise. Our Bottom Line is: If you want to be wise, look before you leap. Proverbs 22:3 says: “Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep going and suffer for it.”
By Jessica McKee ©2013 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.