Daily Wisdom

“ARISE, SHINE; for thy light is come, and glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Isa 60:1

Isaiah’s reference to the light was a vision of Christ and the gospel (Isa 58:8; 10 & 9:2); that delivers a soul from its darkness. Isaiah’s encouragement is just as called for today and even more so with the fulfillment of Christ. Man was not made to mourn; he was made to rejoice in the Lord. The worlds view calls one to sit in the midst of life’s joys, looking for the coming sorrow; Christianity empowers the believer to arise and shine in the midst of the world’s sorrows, foreseeing the coming joy.  Understand that happiness is not found in perfection, but in the ability to look beyond the imperfections. Don’t live in the shadows of yesterday, walk in the light of today and its promised hope of tomorrow; not for the purpose of everyone hearing you say you’re a Christian, but rather for everyone to see Christ SHINE in you.

It’s not happy people who are thankful, its thankful people who are happy!

HSAY… Todd

Daily Wisdom

“The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Isa 59:1

It’s not an issue of inability; it’s a matter of severability that hinders God’s blessings (vs 2); by way of our sin. We’ve lost our ability to even blush over our sin, much less to weep over it. One’s inability to separate himself from sin will soon discover that sin will separate him from God, and all that is good. But know this, no one can out-sin the work of Christ on the cross; thus victory can never be separated from him who chooses to stand with humility and righteousness on the promise of the cross.

“Be cautious in thinking little of sin, you may fall little by little.”

HSAY… Todd

Daily Wisdom

“…for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.” Isa 57:8

The subtle seduction that leads to spiritual adultery; a man who allows himself to indulge in inquisitive tastes will eventually find a flavor he can’t resist. Yet vs 10 states that whatever perceived greatness was found still leads to weariness and vs 12 declares such works will offer no profit. The bible warns us repeatedly concerning the worlds temptations; Pro 5:3 warns us that the lips of a strange woman are like drops from a honeycomb. In the same light the bed of the world is inviting and can appear comfortable. But, realize satan could never lure you away with bitterness. That which brought you the appealing comforts and caress of your desires will be as vanity which carried away with the winds leaving you with only a cry for the desires lost (vs 13).  

That which leads you away will eventually lead you astray.

HSAY… Todd

“… David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” 1 Sam 30:6

Faced with the tragedy of losing their families, David's soldiers began to turn against him and even talked about killing him. Instead of looking to God for an answer, they looked for someone to blame. But David found his strength in God and began looking for a solution instead of a scapegoat. Often the problem is not the problem, but rather your attitude towards it. The greatest purpose of blame is the avoidance of accountability. Blaming others only robs you of the opportunity for great change; and eventually leads to the problem of running out of people to blame. You are not defeated because you lose, you’re defeated because you quit on God. Remember the guy who gave up? Neither does anyone else. Your greatest test of faith is when you’re able to find your encouragement in God and in doing so encourage others while going through your own storm.  

Don’t blame others to make yourself better; the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

HSAY … Todd 

Daily Wisdom

“… knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance?” Rom 2:4

A confrontational/judgmental approach to one’s sin leads only to an argumentative response.  The same sin when approached in the goodness/love of God allows one’s spirit to weigh its actions.  In other words, the more attractive we find God, the less our hearts desire ungodliness. Finding Him as our pleasure changes our hearts/minds (repentance), turning our affections from sin and onto God.  And the more we pursue after Him in love the more our love is perfected through Him (1 Jn 4:18), the greater victory we have over our sin and our hearts change; Repentance.  In fact, how can we keep the greatest commandment unless we are being spurred on by God’s love?  Yes, we love because He first loved us (i.e. a response – a change of heart).  Therefore, a change of heart is what is required to follow after God in love – with all your heart, soul and mind (Mt. 22:37-38).  The greatest destruction permeating our society today is man’s inability to see God’s love; as a Christian that alone is your greatest responsibility, to show a love that leads one to repentance.

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Cor 11:3

Chaos creates confusion, which satan is the author of. We have mass shootings, political agendas, cultural collapse, moral decay, wars and rumors of, societal division, technological treason of privacy and self proclaimed elitist and their narcissistic thoughts of ultimate truth.  In all of this man has grown confused, hopeless and lost in his direction. And yet in spite of what’s occurring around us, the answer is and has always been and always will be, Christ! Don’t allow the temporal life around you persuade you from the only truth in all situations. Like satan, man’s persuasion begins with a bias towards his own will; and upon that bias he uses every circumstance to build upon it. It occurs by a lack of foundation on God’s truth allowing erosion to take place by outside influence.  Don’t let man’s opinion be weighed in consideration with the truth in Christ; one is factual while the other is motivated by self desire.

The greatest enemy of truth is often not the lie, but rather a persistent and persuasive myth.

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psa 34:18-19

Life is usually defined and revealed by either prosperity or affliction.  But, often affliction leads you to prayer; prosperity seldom. The furnace of affliction can be a good place; your endurance makes you more like Christ, preparing you for heaven.  When it comes, don’t let it sadden you know it brings with it assurance through the promise of God... 2Co 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” One’s first thought is the desirable release from affliction, but on second thought nothing should be more frightening than to be without such a need of dependence on God. Without affliction we may be prone, in our narcissistic thoughts to think we’ve already achieved paradise. It’s said the testimony of one’s life can never pen a more encouraging, hopeful and promised assurance than when it’s dipped in affliction. Often we are better in affliction than in prosperity, in prosperity we often forget God.

Rejoice in your hope, patient in your affliction and be instant in prayer. Rom 12:12

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.” Isa 10:33

The humble win! We know pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall (Pro 16:18). The problem with pride is its blindness to weakness and the inability to anticipate stumbling blocks; as it did the angels who sinned, and through pride fell into condemnation. Adam and Eve who were not content in their lot and desiring to be more and in need of more fell in their desired prosperity; as with many after them. Pride is like an unfulfilled appetite, always consuming contentment, wisdom and sacrifice. It leads one far away from God’s judgments, and yet they’re never closer to it; pride should be a great fear for one and all. Pride is the great separator between God and man; we can’t let go of self to grasp what we need.

Humility may hurt, but not as bad as a fall!

HSAY …Todd

Daily Wisdom

“And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this? For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him?” Lk 8:25

Tell a man there are over 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch it to be sure. God understands our doubts and fears in responding to His truth, but He does require our faith in order to work in us and through us. Never be fearful to trust an unknown future to a knowing Father; He’ll either calm the storm or He’ll calm you. Faith and fear are formable opponents, feed our faith and fear will starve to death. To do so you have to see it as a mountain, focus on the summit and you’ll never get there. Focus on one step of faith in that direction at a time and you’ll be there before you know it. Like the disciples who set forth on the calm of the sea at Christ’s word, must be prepared to face peril the sea brings forth with faith in the same word. Hold your course in Christ; don’t let the fear of the circumstances before you cause you to choose an alternate route.

Fear can keep you up all night, but faith makes a fine pillow.

HSAY …Todd

Daily Wisdom

“For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Cor 7:22-23

The principles of Christianity reach every condition; and in every state a man should live so as to be a credit to it. It’s the duty of every Christian to be content with his lot, and to conduct himself as becomes a Christian, Christ likeness. Our joy and peace depends on what we are in Christ, not what we are in the world. It matters not where society ranks us, we’re all servants to the One who saved us. Therefore as God has called every one so let him walk and abide in the Father’s will (vs 17). Otherwise it would be as foolish as being employed by Google and showing up at IBM for work. As Christians we should quietly and contently abide in and where the Father’s Divine Providence has placed us and labor in our faith for the One who saved us. “For one to abide in the morality of man/society without abiding in Christ through the indwelling and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, will do nothing more than provide a morale heathen.”

The adherence of one’s faith is achieved in one’s abidance in Christ.

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the poser of God.” 1 Cor 2:5

Impoverished Faith … Man is quick to acknowledge acts of courage or stories of overcoming life obstacles as means of defining faithfulness and character.  Biblical stories such as David/Goliath, Daniel/Lions, Gideon/Jericho; and you have testimonies that fill multi-media sources today of individuals that triumph over life, drawing the applause and inspiration of others.  But what about faith that appears impoverished, offering no worldly rewards or even the acknowledgment of man? Often such faith provides the opposite in ways of ridicule and abandonment. Think of Mary, the mother of Jesus; though chosen by God to deliver the Saviour of man by way of the virgin birth, and yet lived her life in ridicule and attacks of man; seen as unclean and labeled a whore, and yet her faith was monumental, but without merit of man. Faith without worldly reward is so often seen as futile by man. But, faith’s value lies not in the acknowledgment of man, but rather hangs on the power of the One who truly defines it. Faith starts with a backwards look at the cross, but lives looking forward to the promises that lie ahead. Don’t let man measure your faith by the results; faith can only be measured by God who calls you to walk in it.

Faith is not about everything turning out ok; it’s about everything being ok no matter how it turns out.

HSAY…Todd