SEEK DIVINE WISDOM

Text: Proverbs 2:6, 4:7, 14:1

A wise person is someone who applies God's word appropriately to situations; takes good decisions and gives good counsel to others. He has knowledge and increases in learning. He is a man of understanding. He keeps his heart with diligence.

Prov 4:7 says "wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom". Get it so that you can be wise. Wisdom is supreme. God, being wiser than the wiset, gives wisdom to people.

This is the beginning of a new year, let your decisions and resolutions be made with wisdom.

To be wise is to:

• Put God first in all things
  
• Fear Him and keep His commandments
  
• Do His will
  
• Do whatever you are doing as unto the Lord
  
• Turn from evil and do what is right
  
• Build your home on the solid rock of Christ
  
• Accept God's word and store it
  
• Love God and be faithful to Him
  
• Is not to give in to sin
  
• Listen to your father's instructions and do not forsake your mother's teachings
  
• Open all corners of your life to God's direction and guidance
  
• Acknowledge God in all your ways
  
• Pay your tithes and offering to avoid devourers
  
• Help the spiritually weak to be strong
  
• Care about heavenly things and get involved in kingdom activities
  
• Guide your salvation with fear and trembling
  
• Be able to control your tongue and put your body under subjection
  
• Win souls for God and preach the gospel to all nations
  
• Be merciful to yourself and others
  
• Be a builder and not a destroyer
  

Do not forget that I had earlier written that God gives wisdom, ask Him to give you and He will surely do.

Let us consider people like David, Daniel, Joseph, The Magi and the five virgins as examples of wise people in the Bible.

In Prov 4:4, king David encouraged Solomon, his son to seek wisdom so that he could be wise. In 1Kings 3:9, Solomon asked for wisdom above all things when he became the king so that he could successfully rule His people. God gave him wisdom and his reign was peaceful. I pray our worldly leaders and people in authority would ask God for wisdom so that they would rule better and peace will reign all over the world.

In Daniel 1:8, Daniel was wise hence he did not defile himself with the king's food and wine. He stood for God. I hope you will stand for God at all times and will not allow worldly pleasures to distract you.

In Gen 39:9, Joseph was wise not to allow Potiphar's wife to make him sin against God. Despite the temptation and seduction, Joseph did not yield. When you are being seduced by today's Potiphar's wife, remember sin is a reproach. Be wise not to fall into it.

In Matt 2:1, "The Magi" called the "Wise Men" sought Jesus out by following the star. They sought out Jesus, worshipped Him and in addition gave Him presents. Wisdom enables you to 'hunger and thirst after righteousness' and thus to seek him. Matt 5:6.

In Matt 25:1-7, out of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom, that is Jesus, only five were wise. They got everything ready to meet the bridegroom and they were able to enter with Him. Do not allow the cares of the world to prevent you from getting ready for the second coming of Christ. Nobody knows the time. Run your christian race to a successful end. Do not be lukewarm. Be hot for God. Will you be ready when He comes? Better be wise and be ready like the five virgins. You will not miss it in Jesus name. Amen

Prov 14:1 says "every wise woman buildeth her house but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands". Woman, please build your house the way the wise builds hers. Encourage your household to be heaven bound. May you be counted among the wise in Jesus name. Amen

Benefits of Divine Wisdom

• Enables you to take wise decisions - Prov 2:16
  
• Make you to know the right from wrong - Prov 2:9
  
• Enables you to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God - Prov 2:5
  
• Enables you to store up knowledge - Prov 2:1
  
• Enables you to be thirsty for God and to seek Him
  
• Makes you to be a builder - Prov 14:1
  

Prayer

1. Lord, you said whatever we ask in your name you will give, I ask for divine wisdom so that I can be wise
   
2. Lord, guide me in this new year to take wise decisions and resolutions
   
3. Open my eyes to see all needs, in particular spiritual needs and grant me the grace to follow your foot-steps
   
4. Guide me O Lord so that I will not stumble. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN
   

THANKSGIVING

Text: Luke 17:11-19, 1 Thess 5:18

Thanksgiving is giving something in appreciation or showing gratitude. Thanksgiving is part of what God created us for. It should be a way of life. We must have a heart of gratitude.

1 Thess. 5:18 says; "give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".

Our Lord Jesus expects us to give thanks, hence in Luke 17:17-18 Jesus asked; "Were not ten lepers cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no-one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? Then He said to him; "Rise and go, your faith has made you whole". This shows that by being grateful, this only leper has got more than healing but in addition wholeness and salvation. This shows that Jesus expects you to give thanks and when you even give it, you get something extra for doing so.

In Matt 14:19, Jesus gave thanks before feeding the multitude. "Taking the five loaves and two fishes and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Here the resources were multiplied after giving thanks.

Thanksgiving is a command as given in Col. 3:15b "and be thankful". Also in Ps. 106, "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his love endures forever".


Why do we give thanks? There are many reasons why you have to give thanks to God:

• For creating you in His own image.
• He forgives your sins and heals your diseases.
• He crowns you with love and compassion.
• He is good to you and His love for you endures forever.
• He fights your battles.
• He meets all your needs.
• He gives you life.
• He is faithful.
• He make your journey to be safe and secure.
• He loads you daily with benefits.
• He keeps and preserves you.
• He took you out of darkness into His marvellous light.
• He choose you as His child.

Also thank Him for what He has done, what He is doing and for what He is yet to do. So you have uncountable and numerous things to thank God for. You should even thank God for the challenges you are going through, because He will empower you to overcome.

In the bible, people like Abraham, David, Hannah and Noah gave thanks.
In Gen 12:7, 13:18 Abraham built altars for God as a means of showing gratitude to Him.
In 2 Sam 24:25, David also built an altar for the Lord and danced before the Lord as a means of showing gratitude.
In 1 Sam 2:2, Hannah sang a song to the Lord as a means of showing gratitude after she was blessed with a baby.
In Gen 8:20, Noah after he was saved with his family and his breathing animals from flood built an altar to the Lord.
Abraham, David, Hannah and Noah got more blessings from God because they were thankful.

You can emulate them. Give thanks unto the Lord in everything and wait for what He will still do. I am sure God will always do more. Live a life of gratitude. Show gratitude always even to fellow human beings. Learn to appreciate people and God.

How do we give thanks?

• By making a joyful noise. That is singing spiritual songs unto Him.
• By clapping and dancing.
• By offering your substance.
• By using your time and talents for the Lord.
• By sharing testimonies, so that others can know how good your God is.
• By counting your blessings.

When you do all these, thanksgiving will become an internal part of your life. Your attitude towards life will change.

Advantages of thanksgiving

• You will be fulfilled
• It is an investment into your future and to those of your children
• You will receive more blessings from God
• Whenever you give thanks to God, the devil is shamed. So you are shaming the devil.
• You are also obedient to the command: "give thanks in all things".

As long as you are alive, thank God and live a life of gratitude. Thanksgiving can be in advance. You should thank God for what He is yet to do and for what you are yet to receive. As you give thanks in advance you are building up your faith.

Prayer
Lord, give me a grateful heart and let my life be full of gratitude in Jesus' name I pray. AMEN.