By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Saturday, Jan 17, 2009

SCRIPTURE:
^“Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!” (Mark 6:1-2, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself what the actions of Jesus were?

Interpretations:
I asked myself why Jesus began to teach in the synagogue when the Sabbath came?
Jesus wanted them to hear the message of God and apply it in their lives. Not only that, but Jesus wanted to make an impact for those around him in a positive way. Jesus accomplished that because those that heard him were so amazed that they had two questions in mind:

I asked myself the significance of those questions?
Those that heard him knew He had wisdom that they had not seen before and also the power to do miracles. That made them want to know more about where Jesus got these things. What stuck out to me was wisdom.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life here. Jesus was given wisdom from the Father even as He lived His life perfectly in humanity and yet had the qualities of divinity. So, in His teachings in the synagogue, people saw that wisdom being manifested.

Since, those that accept Jesus into their heart have the Holy Spirit living in them, it was exciting for me to know that God can manifest His wisdom through the Spirit in our lives as we seek Him diligently. That is exciting to know!

I believe the Lord Jesus  has been working in my life prompting me to come out of my comfort zone for the sake of other people.

Just yesterday on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has used Pastor Hugo from Pittsburgh Chinese Church-Oakland to speak to me firmly in no uncertain terms regarding an issue in my life that I have brought to his attention. Just being able to meet with Pastor Hugo was amazing because I don't usually like to meet one hour before work if I think that won't be enough for what I want to discuss and talk about. But, I believe through the Lord's wisdom, Pastor Hugo convinced me to meet even just for 45 minutes to talk and pray. I decided to go ahead and was tremendously blessed and convicted about a situation in my life.

If I had not met with Pastor Hugo then I may not have been convicted of a situation I need to act upon. It is amazing how the Lord Jesus uses the right people at the right time to give us counsel and wisdom. The Lord knows who will impact us and make us move according to His timing and will.

This interaction with Pastor Hugo yesterday put certain fears and questions to rest while prompting me to share an important prayer request with my Living Acts family (we are one of the small groups that meet on Fridays for Bible study, community time, prayer, worship, etc).

Amazingly, when I was sharing with Living Acts, last night certain members of the group spoke the same things to me that Pastor Hugo spoke. I feel it is the Lord's wisdom spoken through different people who did not even interact with each other. None of them knew that I met with Pastor Hugo and what I talked to Pastor Hugo about until I told them. Their words of wisdom however were similar to Pastor Hugo's. Conclusion: The Lord's wisdom can speak to different people at different places with the same message. I saw that as confirmation about what I needed to do.

We make a lot of bad decisions in the flesh because we have not sought the wisdom of the Holy One as we ought to. When we seek and receive the wisdom of the Lord Jesus and ask for it, He will speak to us through different means such as through His people with His wisdom.

For others, it is the wisdom of peace that He instills in their lives as they seek Him for important decisions in their lives. As the peace comes they can know beyond a shadow of doubt that it is from the Lord as He confirms it to others sometimes too.

For others, He can speak through circumstances that keep amazingly lining up. For still others, it is directly through His Word giving answers to the questions they are seeking through prayer. There are others that hear directly from the nudging of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

For me wisdom to make a decision or to hold on to a decision or belief has been through different means as I have sought after the Lord. The answers have come through circumstances lining up where the Hand of the Lord is seen upon them in amazing ways that cannot always be explained; it has been through direct Word of God coming at the right time, place, and situation; it has been through the nudging of the Holy Spirit to act upon something but not having peace if I refrain from it. Finally, it has been through powerful dreams that have always come when I questioned if something was really God’s will. It is amazing how our Lord can speak to us through dreams too. Then again, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What Jesus did in those days, I believe Jesus can still do now as we seek Him. I test all decisions with Scripture in faith for we ought to test everything with the Word of God.

It is so exciting that we have our Lord who we can turn to for decisions in our lives and when they involve other people, He will confirm His decision to them too. The people who heard Jesus were amazed because the wisdom that came from Jesus was not confusing, for God is not the Author of confusion but the Author of Abundant Life giving a message for our lives!

It is so amazing that God uses His Word to speak to us in the circumstances we face. It becomes that much more exciting when you have a schedule you adhere to in the Bible and the answers to the questions you currently face are addressed in a particular passage/s of the day as it is being studied. Praise the Lord!

I am reminded true wisdom comes from following the Word so we are not confused with man’s wisdom. So, I decided to focus on some of the wisdom verses in the Bible for the Lord knows I need His wisdom!

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13, NIV)

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, NIV)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” (Psalm 111:10, NIV)

“For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” (Proverbs 2:6,10 NIV)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, NIV)

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!” (Proverbs 16:16, NIV)

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:30, NIV)

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;” (Proverbs 24:3, NIV)

“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2, NIV)

“For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:15, NIV)

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5, NIV)

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Ephesians 1:17, NIV)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5, NIV)

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17, NIV)

I ask you now dear friend, where do you seek wisdom this New Year of 2009?
Dear friend, people try to seek wisdom in different places and some even go into fortune-telling, horoscopes, etc but true wisdom is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit imparted in our lives by God's abundant grace. Wisdom was given to the people by Jesus as He taught them in the synagogue. This same Jesus can give you wisdom too! Yes, He can friend. No matter what you have done, where you have been, or what you are faced with, Jesus is the Answer! He wants you to seek wisdom from Him. Man’s wisdom only confuses but God’s wisdom will give peace of mind and heart. Yes, friend it will!

Remember our Lord promises to give us wisdom for any situation when we ask of Him. When the decision we want to make involves other people too, I believe our Lord will give them wisdom too to confirm the situation if it is His will and wisdom we have been adhering too! Praise the Lord!

The best One to seek wisdom about any situation is Jesus Christ to whom you can talk to any time of the day or night. As you talk to Him, wait upon Him for the decision, for whatever decision is of the Lord, you will have peace for our Lord is not an Author of confusion.

Sometimes people could get hurt in the process but it is so important friend to seek after God’s wisdom than man’s wisdom. If you are seeking the Lord’s wisdom and He shows you something that you feel may hurt someone else, go with God still in prayer for He can make crooked situations straight in His loving kindness. The important thing is you will have peace if it is from the Lord and the Lord will work in the other person/s lives too!

As we seek wisdom it is also very pertinent that the answers we get from the Lord through prayer or nudging of the Holy Spirit is tested with Scripture because our Lord will not contradict His Word. His Word will give us the wisdom we seek! Even when it involves the church, we need to test the answers with the Word of God. I believe the Word of God stands the test of time and when we seek His Word, if it is of God, we will have peace! Amen!

Miracles can happen in our lives because of the wisdom Lord has showered upon us as we seek His will for every facet of our lives. For what good is living a life on man/women's wisdom when the Lord is ready to give us His wisdom generously to all who ask of Him.

Friend, how can we seek this wisdom if it were not for what Jesus Christ did for you and me on the cross. All of Jesus' teachings were pointing us to the Salvation we can receive in Him. Yes, friend, there is no other Name in Heaven whereby we must be saved except the Name of Jesus Christ. Jesus wants to save you in His perfect wisdom. You may not know all the answers but come to Jesus as you are in your sin and ask Him to cleanse you of all your sin with His precious cleansing blood.

Friend, whether we are rich or poor, have everything together or our lives seem to be crumbling, etc, Christ died on the cross to give us life so we can live in His wisdom. We need to confess and repent of our sin and receive the forgiveness for the remission of sin that Jesus offers when He died for you and me shedding His blood. Only in Christ can we find true wisdom for man's wisdom will fail but the wisdom that comes from the Lord is Eternal and will bear much fruit.

May you seek the wisdom of the Lord always over man or women's wisdom for in His wisdom alone can you have Eternal Peace! Amen!

May the background song, "More Power to Ya" uplift you as you read this devotional the Lord put upon my heart to share with you all. For it has helped me tremendously as I wait upon the Lord.

“Wonderfully Immanuel’s Scripture Delivers Omnipotent Message!” (W.I.S.D.O.M)/”Where do you seek wisdom this New Year of 2009?”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, the people who heard about you were amazed to hear your teachings because you spoke with so much wisdom. Lord, we need your wisdom to be imparted in our lives. There are decisions we make or are seeking that we need your wisdom to give us peace for every situation. Lord, no matter what we feel so strongly about if it is not according to your wisdom, we thank you that you will not let it come to pass. When we make mistakes thinking something is of your wisdom and is not, please let our pain be short and sweet and direct us on the right path. For when we desire to love you with our whole heart and put you above all else, it is your will for our life that matters. I want that Lord and those who love you want it. If it involves other people in our life, we thank you that you will confirm your will to them too with peace. Help us to seek you always and not give up! Thank you so much Jesus! Thank you for hearing us and answering our prayers. Your Word is so relevant even in the 21^st century as I study it. Thank you Jesus! Be with those right now who have important decisions to make whether it is in their career, academics, relationships, family life, etc. Let them find your peace for the decisions they need an answer for whatever way the decision goes, your wisdom and peace are what counts and will get us through. Thank you for teaching me so much through the situations I have been in and reminding me, “Do not be afraid, just believe.” I do believe for your wisdom to be imparted in all of our lives, for you say if we lack wisdom and ask you of it believing we will receive! I believe Jesus! I believe! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much that we are never out of your love. No matter what is tormenting us, you are there for us. When there are days we cannot get through and loneliness has gotten the best of us because we are isolated in our torment and sin, you are still there. Just as the demon-possessed man saw you, ran to you, and fell before you for healing, we can come to you too. Thank you Jesus! You made yourself available to the man with the evil spirit. Thank you Jesus for making yourself available to us now when we call your Name for we are never out of your love and never out of your reach. You Oh Lord know what we have done; you know what we will do. You know what Satan will do to entice us and torment us. We come to you Lord and ask you for your healing presence in our lives. Take any addiction and torment that people face and fill them with your power to live for you. We know you can do it Jesus. Only you have the power to deliver us from any torment and find peace in you. Thank you so much Jesus. We come to you now Jesus and ask you to forgive us of all our sin. Deliver us Oh Lord and cleanse us with your cleansing blood. We believe in you Jesus; we believe you are the Son of God, we believe that you died and rose again; we believe you are here right now standing in our presence with the power to heal now and the grace to forgive. Help us Oh Lord as we turn this song “I Believe” into a prayer to you Oh Lord. Thank you so much for coming into our heart and making our heart your home as we ask you in. Take us in Oh Lord and be our Lord and Personal Savior as you lead us and guide us. Help us to help others as you help us! Thank you so much Jesus you are in our heart making our heart your home. Thank you for living in us. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard our prayers and answered us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!