TODAY’S DEVOTION (FRIDAY 25TH NOVEMBER 2022)
“I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.” Job 36:3-5 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 329TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE!
The LORD God has been so good to us having kept us for 329 days of this year. Each day was an investment into our lives. We are alive today because of that investment.
Yes, God invested His mercies, Kindness, goodness, favor, beauty, living word, Holy Spirit, wisdom, forgiveness for sins, and much more than human words can capture. Every one of us are pieces of His investment. With less than 37 days to go, we owe Him so much gratitude.
A people who will not remember what He has done will always complain for what He is yet to do. You may have had great expectations for this year that were not met, do not worry. If a man’s expectations do not align with God’s, there is no way they will be met. The Bible says,
“Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.” Proverbs 19:20-21 AMPC
There is a counsel, instruction or maybe correction in this scripture that we just read. It clearly states that if none of what you expected this year happened, it is because it was not aligned with God’s purpose for your life. It may be good for your life but does not fall into His plan for your life this year.
The Bible is clear that only the LORD ‘s purpose for our lives will stand not our own purposes. Do not expect any dream you wanted to achieve this year to materialize if it was not an offshoot of God’s immediate plan and purpose for your life this year. Let the failure of that expectation correct you so that next year will be different.
SEEK THE LORD FOR HIS PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE FOR THE COMING YEAR AND ROOT YOUR EXPECTATIONS ON IT
We have been on a 30-day journey of faith with the Cry of the Spirit on practical wisdom, and the LORD has opened our hearts to so much. We have seen things that will never happen if there is no practical wisdom within us. Things that even prayer cannot make Happen, except prayers that reveals to us what to do.
Yes, there are prayers that can unlock the wisdom of what to do. Which brings us to the second source of practical wisdom. But before we get there let me first remind those who maybe joining us for the first time that we began looking at the sources of practical wisdom yesterday.
We have seen education as a major source of practical wisdom. Our hearts were opened through this platform on the same, and we saw why the message of the cross should form the foundation of our education systems. We discovered that we will keep having intelligent fools as educated fellows, so long as real-life situations are concerned, if we keep having education systems that are not founded in God.
We also spoke about education not being limited to the four walls of a class room. Every exposure is education. It should result in practical wisdom.
But one of the major things we did not state yesterday is the power of quality education in developing our minds. If you look at people who are thoroughly educated and those who are not, you will find out that their reasoning is not the same.
There is always a dichotomy in reasoning.
Now, am not referring to people who went to school and came out with certificates and degrees but school did not go through them. No! Am referring to those who went through the process of schooling and learning.
A thoroughly educated person (either one who was educated in a classroom or one who was educated by exposure), is usually broad in the mind and always have an open mind. They are not primitive in their thinking. You will not find them looking down on others because the weight of their exposure makes them humble and kind. They appreciate everyone and relates with everyone at their level.
YOU WILL NEVER FEEL SMALL STANDING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SMALL OR INSIGNIFICANT.
Any educated fellow, therefore, who makes people feel small around them was not thoroughly educated. They could have degrees or certificates, by their character they are semi-literate. They could be very polished with excellent grammatical expressions, they are still not educated.
We must understand that we are not literate or educated because we went to school. We are literate and educated because school went through us. School refined us and developed our character. If a man’s education did not refine his character, it was a waste.
I reiterate again that if your education did not refine your character, it was a waste. If it did not increase your value for fellow human beings and your respect for others, it was a waste. A thoroughly educated person will respect people at their own level. He will recognize his limitations and other people’s ability to compensate for them, and humble himself.
That is why if your education is making you proud, you are still an illiterate. If you are truly knowledgeable, you will humble yourself. You will see the reason why you must not over estimate yourself. You will allow people to sense your value and give you the respect or honor it evokes.
Our devotional text is about the character of God that should be in every one of us. For lack of better terms, permit me to say, the most knowledgeable person in existence is God. In fact, He is not knowledgeable, He is knowledge. The Bible calls Him the God of knowledge.
Our devotional text says;
“I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.” Job 36:3-5 NKJV
The last verse is our point of reference.
IT SAYS, “BEHOLD GOD IS MIGHTY BUT DESPISES NO ONE.”
Now, let us look at this GOD who despises no one despite His exalted position. He does not need an education, He is EDUCATION. The wisdom of the most celebrated scholar is still foolishness compared to what He has and who He is.
In fact, we are going to spend eternity studying under His glory and absorbing high dimensions of revelation of who He is. When this life will be over, education in glory matters is what we will spend our eternal lives pursuing. Yet, in His eternally exalted power and unmatched understanding our devotional text says He despises no one.
Yet someone will acquire just a littler degree or certificate and begin to despise others. True knowledge will not make one despise others it will rather make them value them. Only illiterates who went to school and remain illiterates despise people and make them feel small or insignificant before or around them.
I believe enough have been shared for the day. This is a call to be like our God because we were originally created in His image and likeness. Our education should develop our minds and refine our character, and not leave us the way we are. It should not make us proud but humble.
May God use these words to keep building us up and giving us an inheritance among they that are sanctified. When we return tomorrow, we will look at Prayer as a source of practical wisdom.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:5-8 NKJV