Wed 28 Jul, 2010
Click here to download a printable version of the Daily Bible Study for 7.28.10.
WEDNESDAY — God or Magic Genie?
Today’s Big Point: One way for God to meet many of our needs is to provide us with His knowledge so that we have the opportunity to act wisely.
Sitting around the dinner table, three young college students and their parents engaged in a rare family dinner experience. As the middle child prayed she chose to thank God for giving her the wisdom she so desperately needed for this season of her life. As “amen” was muttered, the family looked up at each other, curious about her prayer. The middle child shared that when she was ten years old her Dad read to her the story of Solomon before bed. A piece of Solomon’s story stood out to her that particular evening that she believes impacted her life to this day. Solomon asked for wisdom from God. That night she chose to do the same.
Over the years she began to understand that wisdom and intelligence were not the same (she would admit she hoped for both in her prayer). She didn’t become magically smarter. Her test scores didn’t all of a sudden reveal genius levels. What did happen was that the Holy Spirit placed a hunger in her heart to pursue the knowledge of God. Through this learning as well as many experiences, she realized God was helping her becoming wise. This wisdom has become priceless to her.
READ…What does the Bible say?
1 Kings 3:7-14 (New International Version)
7 “Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies, but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for — both riches and honor — so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”
THINK…Find the answers
Out of all the things that Solomon could have asked for from God, he asked for wisdom. Why was asking for wisdom a better choice than asking for riches?
Since Solomon asked for wisdom, why do you think God was more willing to give him what he didn’t ask for — wealth and power?
LIVE…What will you do now?
How wise are you? Read on and see…
Just like an apple tree produces apples (fruit), so a good person will produce good “stuff” (fruit) because it is their nature. Our success and failures in life (fruits of our labor) can be proof of our wisdom or lack thereof. What fruit are you producing?
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PRAY…God, What do you want me to know & do?
God, give me a spirit of wisdom like Solomon. Help me to make wise choices for myself and the people that you have entrusted to me to care for during my life here on earth. I am currently not making wise choices is my life concerning ________________. I recognize that I have not been using your wisdom. Today, I will abandon my own limited knowledge and wisdom and instead, rely upon Your wisdom alone. Amen.
DAILY BIBLE READING: Luke 23
Luke 23:1-2 The Jewish leaders were not able to issue capital punishment, so they took him before Pilate with trumped up political charges in order to get a death sentence.
Luke 23:3 “Are you the king of the Jews?” While “Christ” (Greek) or “Messiah” (Hebrew) would have been insignificant to Pilate, he would have considered Jesus’ claim to be a king as a threat.
Luke 23:4 While Jesus affirms Pilate’s question in verse 3, it seems Pilate decides Jesus is not a political threat.
Luke 23:9 “Jesus refused to answer.” Isaiah 53:7 predicts Jesus’ silence while he was being accused.
Luke 23:29 In ancient culture, childlessness was the cause of great shame, therefore Jesus’ words represented a shocking reversal. Jesus infers that the childless will not have to watch their children suffer before their eyes.
Luke 23:31 “For if men do these things when the tree is green…when it is dry” Dry wood burns more easily than fresh cut wood. This saying probably means that if the Romans would crucify an innocent man in peaceful times (green wood), how much worse will they do during revolutionary times (dry wood).
Luke 23:50-56 Jewish people sought to bury a crucified body before nightfall, especially if the Sabbath was beginning the next day. However, the Romans wanted crucified bodies to be displayed to invoke fear. So Jews were often denied the right to remove the body.
