And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’ (NIV) Job 28:28
Did you ever stick your foot in your mouth? All of us do –even famous people. That was true for actress Billie Burke, the lady who played the ‘good witch’ in The Wizard of Oz. She was on a transatlantic ocean trip, when she noticed the gentleman at the next table had a bad cold. "I'll tell you what to do," she said, "Go back to your stateroom and drink lots of orange juice; take two aspirin; cover yourself with all the blankets you can find and sweat the cold out. I know what I'm talking about. I'm Billie Burke from Hollywood." The man smiled and introduced himself. "Thanks," he said, "I'm Dr. Mayo from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota."
Almost all of us like to think we have something worthwhile to say on almost every subject. It is a rare person who doesn’t believe he is an expert on everything.
We’re not.
Indeed, the only Person who says the right thing all the time is the Lord. You might expect nothing less from the Triune God whose power and wisdom called this universe into being with a word. You might also expect that people, having seen the intensity of the Lord’s love as shown in the life, death, and the life-giving resurrection of His Son, would trust Him.
Many don’t.
And that’s a mistake. Although we sinful humans with our limited vision may not always understand the ways and wisdom of the Lord, it is a Spirit-led child who trusts Him. Today, I encourage you to listen to His Word and be placed into His hands. As the book of Job reminds us, trusting the Lord is wisdom, and the avoidance of evil is real understanding.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I rejoice in the knowledge that You are trustworthy. You made me, love me, and gave Your Son to save me. Now, I ask that You will also give me a faith to trust You with complete understanding. In Your Son’s Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 6, 11-12 Acts 27:27-44
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