Meditate On
Discernment and Wisdom
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as
wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:15–17, NIV
We talked about how we stay safe and protected when we
don’t act presumptuously or irresponsibly but lean in to God’s wisdom. The Lord
Jesus demonstrated this to us Himself. When the devil tried to tempt Him to
jump off the pinnacle of the temple, quoting Scripture to say that angels were
supposed to bear Him up, our Lord Jesus responded by saying, “The Scriptures
also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God’” (Matt. 4:7, NLT). Likewise,
let us not test the Lord by making irresponsible and unwise decisions that
ignore the written Word of God or the godly counsel spoken over our lives.
When you are led by His wisdom, the Lord can protect you
from making unwise decisions. For example, someone may offer you “the
investment opportunity of a lifetime.” On the surface, everything might seem to
check out and it may appear to be a legitimate opportunity that is not to be
missed. But before you rush to commit to anything, can I encourage you to first
ask the Lord for His wisdom and leading?
There is a principle we can learn from in Isaiah 11,
where it says of the Lord that “the spirit of wisdom and understanding” will
rest on Him, and “He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision
by what His ears hear” (Isa. 11:2–3, NASB). You see, there is a discernment and
wisdom from the Lord that goes beyond looking at the outward appearance of a
matter. When you call on Him, He will answer you and give you an answer of
peace. If you don’t feel a peace to proceed, don’t allow anyone to pressure you
into making a decision you will regret!
BLESSINGS
JOSEPH PRINCE
