Grow Strong in Wisdom
Devotional Contributor: Joe Haddad
Scripture:
Proverbs 24:5 “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.”
Observation:
The source of true strength is found in wisdom; by implication, strength and might apart from wisdom will be ineffective. This is from a group of sayings called the “wise”, written by Solomon. Proverbs 1:7 states that the quest for wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. “Knowledge” and “wisdom” are closely tied together in Proverbs. “Knowledge” tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God. “Wisdom” is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or “skill in the art of godly living”. The moral life begins with reverence and humility before God.
Application:
An ISI (Iron Sharpens Iron) man or woman lives his life with Faith at the center. With Faith at the center, we are putting Jesus on the thrown of our heart, and living a Christ-centered life, not a self-centered life. The implications of that mean that the other four areas in the ISI Big 5 (Family, Fitness, Finance & Faculty) look different BECAUSE Faith is at the center.
Being Strong in the Lord is impossible without having wisdom. Wisdom or the search for truth will be futile apart from the Bible, which is God-Breathed and the source of ultimate truth. This is how we can grow strong in wisdom. As an ISI man or woman who continues to spend time in the Bible, understanding both the knowledge and wisdom found within it, and then applying it to their lives (ISI Big 5), they will be Strong in the Lord.
Request:
Dear Christ Jesus, thank you for the knowledge and wisdom that is found in the Bible. Thank you that we live in a country where we can access that knowledge and wisdom at any time, without fear of persecution. Thank you that you allow to be strengthened and enhance our might by studying and applying scripture to our daily lives. My prayer is that for the ISI Men and ISI Women reading this, that they can find their strength in you. Please help us continue to grow strong in wisdom, and to live the ISI Life with you at the center of our lives, strengthening us. Amen.