Daily Wisdom

“And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jn 1:14

Jesus, the word, 100% God, stepped out of heaven, took the flesh of mankind and entered our world willingly given up certain aspects of His eternal authority.  Jesus did not suffer from any type of divine identity crisis, He was very clear on who He was and is.  In the process He took on the limits of time and space, and in some aspects limitations to knowledge and power, so that He could identify with us.  Now, for us to follow Jesus, to experience God’s work in and through us, we must be willing to give our rights as well.  Be very careful, in refusing to humble yourself, as Jesus did, your rights will create a barrier between you and Jesus.   One great tragedy in American Christianity is that we often allow our blessings from God to hold us back from humbling ourselves and faithfully following Him.  In the Gospels we see Jesus challenging people who wanted to follow Him to give up specific rights and blessings. He asks them to set aside family, occupations, wealth, safety, security and comforts.  His challenge would cost them everything temporal, but gain everything eternal. Jesus was willing to change to serve us, are you willing to change to serve Him? (Phil 3:17-21)

Being a Christian doesn’t change what you deal with; it changes how you deal with it!

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Peter, lovest thou me?” John 21 15-17

Three times consecutively, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him.  Consider the thoughts going through Peter’s mind; one question offers a quick and simple yes, a second question provides a more direct and reconfirming assurance, but a third question requires a self reflection of love and rather or not you have truly offered it. Peter’s encounter with Jesus occurred after his denial of Jesus at His arrest in Jerusalem. Jesus was offering Peter an experience that would remove a cloud of regret and hurt that obviously engulfed his heart and mind.  But, Jesus made it clear, its one thing to say you love Jesus, but the real measure of love is your willingness to serve Him in any situation.  The first two questions concerning “love” Jesus used the Greek word Agape (unconditional) when seeking Peter’s heart, the third time Jesus used the Greek word Phileo (affection, brotherly love).  Jesus does not settle for quick, superficial answers. Jesus has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. Peter had to face his true feelings and motives when confronted by Jesus.  How would you answer the One, who truly knows your heart, when he asked “Do you love me? Do you really love me? Are you even my friend?”  

A love un-shown is a love un-grown; a love un-grown is a love that goes un-known!

HSAY…Todd    

Daily Wisdom

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Heb 13:8

I remember many years ago, will in elementary, we went on a family vacation to California; covering the whole coast line we eventually made it to San Francisco where we got to see the Golden Gate Bridge.  The site was pretty amazing especially at night with the lights shining on it which brings about the golden appearance.   But, I’ll never forget early the next morning looking out to see the bridge was gone.  Unaware of the fog that often rolls into the bay had completely covered the bridge from our view.  Once the fog lifted, it was obvious the bridge was still there. Sometimes it’s like that with God, we experience Him in a awe-inspiring way, but then the clouds roll into our life suffering, disappointment, rejection/loneliness and it appears as if God is nowhere to be seen.  We must remember and find comfort in the promise, he has not moved.  As sure and as near as that bridge was there, so is God in spite of the clouds in your life.  If we would have ventured towards that bridge, even though it appeared to be gone, it would have gotten us over the bay. Often faith is all you have to guide you, don’t let your lack of vision negate the promise of God; he was there yesterday and He’s here today and He promises you He’ll be there tomorrow.

Faith is light in the heart when there is darkness in the eyes!

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Thy word is a lamp into my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Psa 119:105

No book is richer or more timeless than the bible. It is filled with story after story that are not only fascinating to read, but they unfold truths God uses to teach us and guide us, and most of all it reveals for us the heart and mind of God for our lives.  Penned by over forty authors over a 1,600 year period, yet “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for:”  

·         Doctrine – wisdom

·         Reproof – rebuke wrong

·         Correction – make straight again

·         Instruction – teaching, training, tutorage

Scripture shows us how to face every life challenge with wisdom and strength.  Read it with faith knowing God wants to reveal Himself to you through His word.  You have a bible, either it’s worn out or your life is worn out; that’s determined by which one you depend on the most.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:” Jn 4:13

Jesus talking to the Samaritan women encouraged her to drink from the living water He offered to quench her thirst eternally.  Jesus was straight forward in telling her that any man drinking from the physical waters will thirst again.  Remember, Jesus himself was tired and weary as He approached the well as the disciples were in town gathering food.  Yet, in the midst of His own physical thirst Jesus was not going to miss an opportunity to reach out to the women with the only truth that would quench the soul.  Often this is a struggle for Christians in similar situations where they have grown weary and tired.  They are more concerned about their personal thirst and needs that they miss an opportunity to be a blessing of truth to others.  Jesus was not worried about a 700 year feud between Jews and Samaritans; He just wanted the women to know of the eternal life He had to offer her.  Don’t let your personal desire to quench a thirst, that will only come again, interfere with offering someone the greatest gift in life…eternal life in Jesus!  You will always have needs, like a thirst they will return; don’t let life distract you from those who thirst spiritually and don’t know how to quench it. 

In every weakness and desire in life lies an opportunity for God to strengthen you and quench you.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”  Isa 59:1-2

Be cautious when it comes to sin, man is more prone to evaluate the collateral consequences than they are the destruction itself.  Sin always has fallout on those around us, but the greatest destruction that comes about is our relationship with God as the dust of sin settles.  In war there are many examples of soldiers that have been involved in an attack where casualties occur along with collateral damage, and in the aftermath of the commotion never realize they are injured as well.  Point being, as Christians we are prone to overlook our own damage from sin when it comes to our relationship with God.  Refusing to acknowledge the affect sin has in our relationships can become spiritually destructive in our life.  Back to war, sins like fire-fights will continue to occur in our lives, and refusing to acknowledge the wounds it causes creates triage for the soul.  The only thing that can separate you from God is your unwillingness to acknowledge the infliction sin causes in your relationship with the Father.  Psalm 66:18”If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”  Yet there is no sin befallen man that is too great for God to forgive if we would be as quick to acknowledge it as David (2 Sam 12:13).  Sin is destructive in and of itself, but the greatest damage is the separation from God, but “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” 1 Jn 1:9

No egoism is as insufferable in a Christian as one who negates his own sin.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Pilate said unto them, What shall I do with Jesus which is called the Christ?  Mt 27:22

The greatest question ever asked of man! Interesting question because at this time Jesus stood before Pilate to be judged, but a day came when Pilate stood before Jesus to be judged. Pilate had Jesus in his hands and on his hands.  How does this relate to us, we are all Pilate and face the same question; “what shall I do with Jesus?”  Just as Jesus stood before Pilate, He stands before you today and like Pilate you hold Jesus in your hands, but likewise a day will come when Jesus will hold you in His hands.  This is a very personal, present and pertinent question, one that no other can answer or control besides you and it will directly affect your destiny. It’s a question that cannot be avoided, it must be answered and will be answered; now to do so you have three choices, He is either a liar, lunatic or He is Lord (Jn 18:37…I assure you He is Lord) but by refusing or avoiding an answer, you just answered it!  Don’t be as foolish as Pilate thinking you have power to control or release Him (Jn 19:10); such as man’s public opinion (pride) today. Jesus answers such pride; man has no such power “except it were given thee from above.” (vs 11) 

Don’t be like Pilate lost in his pride and so conformed by public opinion that you’re more worried about living and become obstinate toward answering the question and neglect the cost; by doing so the answer will be made for you! (Adrian Rogers)

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”  Lk 12:20

The interesting fact, and yet sad at the same time, is that acquiring enough is rarely acknowledged.  How often do you hear someone say I’ve saved enough, I’ve acquired enough, or I’ve accomplished enough?  Seldom a man who becomes fully content with what he has.  At the same time I’ve never heard anyone facing life’s end who wished they had worked a little more; more so wishing they had appreciated more of what they had been giving.  What is needed for a man to stop looking to build bigger barns and how to fill them?  Planning a life before death is wise, but neglecting life after death is foolish according to Jesus.  Accumulated wealth for the purpose of self enrichment that neglects the eternal is like entering retirement empty handed.  If man would spend as much time planning and investing in their eternal retirement as they do for a 20-30 year temporal retirement they would find true wealth.  Faith, Service and Obedience are the investment tools for the wise; storing up treasures in heaven where nothing can deplete them (Mt 6:20)

Don’t get caught in the cultural trend of amusing yourself to death!

HSAY…Todd  

Daily Wisdom

“…but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Jdg 17:6

We all travel our own road in life, and along the way we search out values and morals that define us – who we are, what we stand for, how we treat others and how we want to be treated in return.  And every one of us establish such values, mafia, drug lords even Hitler established his own set of values. The problem that everyone must be cautious to is the source in which we use to establish them.  The problem arises when man starts at the wrong place, himself!  We’ve grown a society that is seeking “that which is right in their own eyes” and trying to redefine truth which is leading to chaos, spiritually, morally, emotionally and relation-ally.  Chaos steams from the confusion in our choices when trying to define moral truth.  There cannot be multiple definitions of moral truth that would be moral opinions. To avoid confusion, which God is not the author of but instead is scribe by satan (1 Co 14:33), one must have definitive direction, a path that is clear precise and unwavering.  Being unwilling to submit to God’s direction leads one to doing what is right in his own eyes resulting in confusion and destruction.  We all have a natural tendency to see things through our own eyes, but the more we travel that path the more blurry it becomes. “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth to counsel is wise.” Pro 12:15

Don’t try changing the direction of the wind, adjust your sails instead.

HSAY…Todd  

Daily Wisdom

“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” Exo 14:21

We all have times when we feel we’ve run out of options.  Maybe a job crisis and the money is quickly evaporating and a fearful end appears in sight.  Could be a marriage, health, family; whatever the situation or scenario that presents itself the common theme can be the hopeless feeling of being trapped with no way out.  Moses and the Israelite's faced a similar scenario during their exodus from Egypt and the Pharaoh’s army that was giving chase, causing them to cry out unto the Lord and declared unto Moses that he only brought them out to the desert to die because there were no graves in Egypt (vs 11). But Moses knew God was the God that delivers, so much so, that even though their backs were literally against the wall (sea), he didn’t hesitate to turn to God; “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” (vs 13).  This poses the question, where does your hope end?  Some become fearful at the inkling of a dead end in the life, others are prone to journey momentarily until the actual dead-end is in sight.  It’s like driving when lost, we all have a different point of time in which we finally through up our hands in despair.  And like the Israelite's, sometimes our only options are a stormy sea ahead or the pursuing enemy from behind, what an option.  Fear is real, but it can be faced with the strength of God at our disposal, “The Lord shall fight for you…” (vs 14).  God commanded Moses to speak unto the children of Israel that they are to go forward into the sea, on dry ground!  The same God, who stood with Moses and the children of Israel, is the same God you stand with before your own obstacles; but the real options is your response, is it going to be as the children crying out in hopelessness or declare as Moses “Fear not and see the salvation of the Lord.”?  

Hope is the promise of finding a new path while staring at a dead end.

HSAY…Todd  

Daily Wisdom

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive your trespasses.” Mt 6:14

Consider the depth and power that can be projected when one is able to speak with a masterful and eloquent use of words.  Yet, within the vast array of words that can be used to paint a picture some of the most powerful are a simple two letter word.  Most of us have read, heard or spoken the Lord’s Prayer. Consider what Jesus says here in Matthew when instructing the disciples in prayer “For if ye forgive men of their sins the Father will forgive you.” The “if” implies we should not be asking for forgiveness until we ourselves are willing and able to forgive others.  Jesus makes it explicitly clear in the next verse that if we are not willing to forgive, neither will the Father be on His part.  Forgiveness is a commandment many are quick to gloss over in their Christian life.  We play a spiritual game of verbal forgiveness, yet our hearts are still hardened towards those individuals who have hurt us.  Some of us have been deeply wounded by others, but the depth does not compare to the wounds Jesus endured for our on sins.  We must be as quick to offer forgiveness as we are to ask for it.  Jesus would never ask us to do something He has not already offered and given us the ability to do.  Unforgiveness is the symptom that leads to bitterness which will eventually kill the soul.

Bitterness is the poison we swallow, hoping the other person dies.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“I said in my heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.”  Ecc 2:1

Easily stated Solomon says, go enjoy your pleasures it will prove to be vanity.  Solomon, in his time, explored every pleasure man could obtain.  With his endless wealth he acquired every modern pleasure life offered at the time, only proving to be of no lasting value and stating in vs 11 “Then I looked at all the works my hands had wrought, vanity and vexation of spirit, there was no profit.” Vexation means grasping, a desperate attempt, to find value and worth.  Our society today is looking for good sex, good food and good laugh, because they are little islands of relief in what’s often a very painful existence.  Society approaches pleasure as a coping drug as it relates to reality of life.  And just as medication wears off, so do pleasures causing those in need of relief to search for more. You can contrast Solomon’s fruitless grasp at worth with the parable of the “Rich Fool” in Lk 12 and his self-indulgence.  One must look beyond their pursuits and towards the reason and purpose they fulfill; is your goal in life to search for meaning or to pursue God, who gives meaning?

Seeking pleasure for worth is like chasing the wind with a net.

HSAY…Todd       

Daily Wisdom

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7

God compares our faith to a most precious and beautiful metal gold.  But when mined, gold does not appear beautiful, it’s dirty and black.  The beauty is revealed through the refining of the melting pot.  It’s this process of melting away the impurities that brings out its true beauty and worth.   The slow process of applying heat, not boiling, causes the impurities to rise to the surface allowing the refiner to scoop away the dross thus leaving a beautiful pot of refined gold.  The refiner knows his job is complete when he can see his reflection in the remaining gold.  I’m confident you can see the analogy for your life. The question is can Christ see His reflection in your life or is He still having to deal with the dross that surface in your life every time the heat is turned up a little? Can others see Christ’s reflection in your life when the heat gets turned up?

As a mirror reflects an image of our appearance, so does our faith reflect the image of Christ.

HSAY…Todd 

Daily Wisdom

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things…” Mt 25:21

In the parable of “the talents”, Jesus illustrates the heavenly truth of investing in the eternal with an earthly example.  Three servants where given three different amounts of talents.  A single talent was approximately 20 years worth of wages; one man was given five another three and the last man received one.  Their responsibility was to increase/multiply what they were given stewardship over.  While the first two invested well with their talents that brought forth gain for their master, the one man hides his blessing and offered no return with his talent.  This was of such great disappointment to his master, that he removed the man’s talent and gave it to the first man who was faithful with his.  Our blessings from The Father are not ours to hoard, but instead require great stewardship on our part to invest wisely in the eternal so that others may reap the blessings God has for them as well.  What have/are you doing with your talents?

But the greatest of truths is the fact: while all men are not literally created equal, all have equal responsibility to make the most of what God has entrusted them with.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“…the scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim 3:15

Its common knowledge, that if we don’t continue to practice or use our abilities, we are prone to lose them.  Acquiring anything new in life requires practice and patience to grow in it.  A new language is difficult to learn and maintain if you don’t continue to practice it.  We’ve heard the cliché “use it or lose it” there is great truth in such a statement.  Always a common practice is health and conditioning.  People will exert great effort and time in a physical strength and conditioning program, only to see what they achieved return to an unhealthy status as soon as they fail at continuing in their program that brought them success.  The principle applies to our spiritual health as well.  Faith in God is like a spiritual muscle, the more you use it the more conditioned and strong it becomes.  And just like a physical program it requires two aspects; a great program and a great trainer.  It just so happens, God offers the best of both; the program is detailed out in the Bible and the greatest of trainers is Jesus Christ.  If one would be as committed to their spiritual health as their physical, their faith would reach great success.  But, like all programs it’s only as good as one is willing to work it.

Obtaining something of great worth requires the great effort.

HSAY…Todd