Daily Devotional
Do You Have Real Wisdom?
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
December 17, 2020
Ponder This
Not all “wise men” are wise men. You may be a great entrepreneur, businessman, engineer, or nuclear physicist. You may be a physician, lawyer, a gifted artist. But if you don’t know Jesus, you’re not truly wise. There’s a kind of wisdom that’s not wisdom at all—the wisdom of this world. “Ph.D.” may stand for “Phenomenal Dud” if you don’t know Jesus.
Omar Bradley, a great American 5-star general, once said,
We’re living in a time when our achievement, our knowledge of science, has gone far beyond our power to control it. We have too many men of science and too few men of God. We’ve brought about brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. We’re living in a time of nuclear giants and spiritual pigmies.
Well said. What is real wisdom? First, wise men will seek Jesus. Tell me what motivates you, tell me the consummate ambition of your life, and I can tell you clearly whether you’re wise or not just by what you seek.
The apostle Paul summed up his life in one sentence: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). The source, the substance, the subject, the satisfaction of his life was Christ.
Practice This
Put your life in a sentence like this—“For me to live is Christ.” Honestly consider that. Is it true of your life?
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
