Ghostbusters ∙∙

Ghostbusters ∙∙

He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected. – Mark 16:1

Luke 24:36-39

 36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?

 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

“Ghostbusters” is an American fantasy comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and released in 1984. It was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred in the film alongside Bill Murray. The story revolves around three eccentric parapsychologists, played by Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis, who start a ghost-catching business called the Ghostbusters in New York City.

“Ghostbusters” was the first comedy film to employ expensive special effects: a combination of practical effects, miniatures, and puppets to deliver the paranormal, macabre visuals. This combination of comedy and impressive visual effects helped make “Ghostbusters” a beloved and successful film, leading to its status as a pop culture icon.

“Ghostbusters” was released on June 8, 1984, to critical acclaim and became a cultural phenomenon. It was well-received for its deft blend of comedy, action, and horror, and Murray’s performance was repeatedly singled out for praise. The film earned $282.2 million during its initial theatrical run, making it the second-highest-grossing film of that year and the highest-grossing comedy of all time up to that point. It was the number-one film in theaters for seven consecutive weeks.

In 2015, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Nagging doubt and feelings of fear and uncertainty often go together. The disciples were already shaken to the core and filled with grief. The Lord Jesus Christ was dead and buried. They had definite abandonment issues and feared for their lives. They were in hiding and awaiting the next shoe to drop. What could be worse?

How about mass hysteria followed by mass insanity? Suddenly, behind closed doors, somehow, there was a presence in their midst. It was speaking and offering them peace and consolation. Rather than breathing a sigh of relief and expressing gratitude, they were deeply unsettled and terrified. Perhaps their imaginations were running wild, or they were losing their minds. They could not believe their eyes or ears. This simply could not be happening. It was just too good to be true. In the natural world, it was impossible.

Faith and fear do not mix well together.

What was their first thought? It must be a ghost or, worse, some manifestation of an evil spirit. How would you react if you were there?

Most likely, they, like us, had never actually seen a ghost, but what they saw must have been what they thought a ghost would have been like.

The Greek word translated as ghost or spirit here is pneuma. In this context, it refers to a disembodied spirit, a ghost. A disembodied spirit traditionally refers to the immaterial essence of a person’s character that departs from the physical body upon death. It is believed to manifest itself to others in a tangible form, resembling the appearance of the individual it represents. However, this notion is human speculation and not explicitly supported by scriptural texts. Truth. The Greek word more frequently translated as ghost is phantasma, which has the sense of an apparition or spirit (Matthew 14:26).

With a bit of ghostbusting, the problem was solved, and their fears were relieved. He had triumphed over death. Indeed, He was risen. He was risen indeed.

REFLECT & PRAY

Sadly, even as children of the King, we, too, are slow to believe.

Father I believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).

INSIGHT

It is natural to be slow to believe. When our minds are made up, it is hard to believe what our eyes and ears may tell us. The disciples were not expecting any miracles. What they thought was happening was being controlled by what they thought could happen. Apparently, their fear prevented them from initially recognizing Jesus.

The disciples are portrayed as slow to accept the resurrection. Although they had heard the prediction numerous times, they did not expect the Lord Jesus to be raised. Nor do they expect Him to appear afterward. As with most people, they had to be persuaded. The disciples were as skeptical as the rest of humanity (Bock)

The Lord Jesus Christ was not a disembodied spirit. Instead, His physical body had been transformed. His new resurrection body was tangible and corporeal. But the evidence of His death on the cross remained. The holes in His hands, feet, and side told His story. Even though His body was healed and strong, His wounded hands and feet remained. For all eternity, our beloved Savior and Lord will bear the marks of His love for us. The marks are not scars. They are open wounds. The wounds remain as they were when the Romans first made them.

“Christianity is not founded on the dreams of disordered minds or the visions of fevered eyes, but on one who in actual historical fact, faced and fought and conquered death and rose again.”

“The cross was not forced on God; it was not an emergency measure when all else had failed and when the scheme of things had gone wrong. It was part of the plan of God, for it is the one place on earth where, in a moment of time, we see His eternal love” (Barclay).

He is risen; He is risen, indeed!

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© Dr. H 2023

Envy and the whack ∙∙

Envy and the whack ∙∙

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. – Galatians 6:4

Genesis 4:2-9

 2 When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.

 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD.

 4 Abel also brought a gift – the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift,

 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

 6 “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected?”

 7 “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

 8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

 9 Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

On January 6, 1994, during a practice session for the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed by an assailant on the right knee with a baton. The man was hired by Tonya Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and his friend, Shawn Eckardt.

The widely publicized incident, referred to as “the whack,” reverberated globally and posed a significant threat to Kerrigan’s chances of making it onto the U.S. Olympic team.

Harding said she and Kerrigan were “competitors, yes. rivals, no.” Uh-huh! Did Tonya Harding have envy issues? Do you think? Just eliminate the competition, and everything will be okay.  

Envy is a form of self-destructive emotional bondage and often damaging to others. If we care to admit it, many of us have an ugly habit of comparing ourselves with others. All too often, making such comparisons often does not turn out well. Rather than counting our own blessings, envy stirs us to jealously look at the blessings of others. When we come up short, displeasure, anger, and hatred are aroused. Things escalate from there. So, it was with Tonya Harding.

Where did this begin? It began with Cain, the very first human baby born on planet Earth. He was envious of his brother Abel; why? Both of the brothers offered gifts to the Father. The Lord accepted Abel’s gift but rejected Cain’s. Why? Genesis does not say; however, Hebrews sheds light.

Hebrews 11:4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Abel offered his gift by faith. His gift demonstrated that he was a righteous man. Cain was not. “Cain wasn’t rejected because of his offering, but his offering was rejected because of Cain: his heart wasn’t right with God. It was ‘by faith’ that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, which means that he had faith in God and was right with God” (Wiersbe). Outward actions motivated by an evil heart are unacceptable. The Father rejected Cain’s offering because of the condition of Cain’s heart. Indeed, Abel speaks to us today as an example of faith lived out.

Cain’s lack of faith got the better of him. Cain’s envy became a lethal rage, and Cain murdered Abel. The Father has a commandment that covers this issue.

Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

When a person covets, an insatiable longing for that which others possess takes root and develops into a deadly fury. Covetousness incentivizes deceit, theft, and even murder. What we desire most, we worship. When we put our coveted things before our devotion to the Father, it is idolatry.

REFLECT & PRAY

Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Father my heart is prone to evil. It is so easy to be deceived by sin, which crouches at the door of my heart. Encourage me to think and do right.

INSIGHT

The Genesis story focuses on Cain’s reaction to the Father accepting Abel’s offering while rejecting his. Cain’s reaction exposes his evil heart. From the darkness of his heart, Cain becomes consumed by anger towards the Father and his brother.

 “Cain was so angry he would not be talked out of his sin – even by God” (Ross).

If we abide wrong heart motives, any efforts to please the Father are, at best wishful thinking, at worse delusional vanity.

1 John 3:12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

The Father explained to Cain that obedience leads to blessings, yet Cain succumbed to his envy and resentment, allowing them to overpower him. His anger escalated to committing murder. Cain chose to disregard what was right and allowed sin to seize control over his actions.

Genesis 4:7 “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

Sin is envisioned as a vicious, relentless beast. It crouches in the shadows waiting to pounce.

The Hebrew word translated as crouching is rabats. It is a word picture of an animal lying in wait to ambush, lurking, and behaving in a sneaky and secretive manner.

The Hebrew word translated as control is teshuqah. Teshuqah frequently means to desire, to crave, to long for, to dominate, of a beast to devour. Here it is ramped up a bit and has the sense to desire to control. Personified sin desires to control Cain. Rather than resist, he gives in, and fratricide is the bloody consequence.

After the evil deed was done, the Father came calling. He asked pointedly about Abel. The Father was not seeking information. He already knew. He was allowing Cain to come clean and confess.

Genesis 4:9 Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Father’s question strikes at the heart of the matter. Cain was curt, cold, uncaring, and sarcastic. He lied and refused to take responsibility.

Cain had a choice. He could allow sin to dominate and control him, or he could take control and master sin. The outcome is totally in his hands.

The same is true for each child of the King.

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© Dr. H 2023

Yada, yada, yada ∙∙

Yada, yada, yada ∙∙

You know me, O LORD; You see me, and You examine my heart’s attitude toward You. – Jeremiah 12:3

Psalms 139:1-7

 1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

On April 24, 1997, the popular TV sitcom “Seinfeld” aired an episode called “The Yada Yada.” In this particular episode, the character George Costanza expresses his frustration with his girlfriend’s habit of abbreviating her stories and omitting important details, simply replacing them with the phrase “Yada, Yada, Yada.”

“Yada, Yada, Yada” has become deeply ingrained in popular American culture and continues to resonate today. It has become a cliché used as a disparaging remark. It is often used to dismiss or belittle something that is perceived as dull, boring, or monotonous. It serves as a contemporary equivalent of saying “blah, blah, blah” or sarcastically rolling one’s eyes. This interjection signifies a predictable, repetitive, or simply common knowledge, providing a shortcut to bypass or gloss over unnecessary details. When something can be skipped over, “Yada, Yada, Yada” is interjected in its place.

There has been much discussion regarding its origin. It is not that difficult to get to the bottom of it. The term, yada, is the transliteration of a Hebrew verb that means “to know.” When something is common knowledge, “Yada, Yada, Yada” is interjected, meaning “You know.” “You know?”

Psalm 139 exudes David’s deep and affectionate bond with the Father, enveloping the reader in a sense of divine intimacy. David eloquently portrays the Father’s complete understanding of all things and all individuals.

This poetic masterpiece can be seen as a heartfelt love letter from David to the Father. It overflows with adoration, love, loyalty, devotion, and awe. This is Theology 101 regarding God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence expressed as a love song, a poem, rather than some cold, abstract theological treatise.

Psalms 139:1-3

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

The Hebrew word translated as examined is chaqar and connotes a deliberate search and thorough exploration to learn people’s sentiments and expose their weaknesses. The Hebrew word translated know is yada. It means to know, observe, realize, care, understand, and express concern.

The Father does not merely know about us; He knows us.

 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

The Hebrew word rendered as know in this verse is bin. It denotes to understand, perceive, comprehend, consider, care for, and bring insight.

You know everything I do.

The Hebrew word translated as scrutinize or search out is zarah. Zarah originally meant to winnow or scatter, disperse. It came to mean to have an explicit knowledge of a person.

The Father’s presence is intimate and all-encompassing, as He actively and intimately envelops us, discerns our innermost being, and explores the depths of our minds and hearts with a depth surpassing our self-awareness. His omniscience extends to every aspect of existence. He never learns new things because He has always known and continually knows everything.

The Father knows each of us deeply and completely. He has pierced all of our defensive fortifications. It is as though, He gets inside our minds and hearts and knows our thoughts, emotions, needs, dreams, aspirations, and fears with unparalleled clarity.

And David loves the intimacy and immediacy of being known. He craves it; he pleads for it. Yet at the same time, such intimate and expansive knowledge overwhelms his mind and confounds him.

“God’s infinite knowledge boggles the mind. Our human brains strain under the weight of the idea. It is too exalted for us to comprehend. But when we come to the frontier of our capacity to understand and can go no farther, we can still bow in worship at the immensity of the knowledge of God!” (MacDonald).

One can easily be frightened and troubled by the Father’s omniscience. Yet the recognition that omniscience is coupled with His lovingkindness alleviates all concerns.

REFLECT & PRAY

The omniscience of God is awe-inspiring and overwhelming; yet, it also brings comfort and assurance to our hearts. It is a short hop from being afraid that we cannot get away from Him to being concerned that we could.

Father thank You that You know me intimately at the deepest level. None of my personal faults are repugnant to You, and Your response to them is even greater love.

INSIGHT

Psalms 139:6-7

 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

In David’s day, the pagans worshiped local and limited gods: the sea, the sky, the harvest, and the underworld. So it is with polytheists. But not with the Father. He had no such limitations. The Father’s presence is everywhere. He is all-seeing and perceives all things in all places.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

David does not wish to hide and evade the Father; instead, he embraces Him. David acknowledges that his ability to comprehend the Father’s omniscience is beyond his grasp. He realizes that the Father’s knowledge and guidance are his protection. The Father keeps him safe.

The Father is truly amazing, awe-inspiring, and wonderful. David knows he can never fully get his arms around it. He is not equal to it. He realizes he can never fully grasp the depths of the Father’s greatness. Trying to comprehend the incomprehensible is hurting his brain. David gives up trying to understand the inscrutable. He shifts his focus instead to adoration and worship. David reveres, honors, and worships the Father for who He is, what He does, and what He has done for him.

Romans 11:33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

Yada!

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© Dr. H 2023

About time to act ∙∙

About time to act ∙∙

God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He saw the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. –  – Exodus 2:24-25

Galatians 4:4-5

 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology showed that the things we remember improve with age. How is that exactly? It is known that older individuals tend to regulate their emotions more effectively than those who are younger.

The participants were divided into three groups by age: 18-29, 41-53, and 65-80. In the study, they were shown three sets of images: positive, negative, and neutral. Then they tested the participants on their recall and recognition of the pictures.

Older adults recalled and recognized fewer negative images than positive and neutral ones. Although both the younger and older participants spent more time viewing the negative images, however only the younger group remembered them better. The conclusion was that while negative things happen to older adults, they don’t dwell on them (Psychology Today, Anne Becker).

When the Father remembers something, what does the word remember mean?

When the Old Testament says that the Father remembers someone or He remembers His promise to someone, it has a different connotation than we might think.

The Father knows all things all the time, He never learns anything, and He never forgets anything. He has not been unaware, forgetful, or unconcerned. He is not suddenly overcome by forgetfulness. Nor does the Father respond impulsively or rashly.

When the Father “remembers,” it’s not about the recollection of something temporarily forgotten, but instead simply recalling it to mind. When He remembers something or someone, He puts it on center stage and focuses on it.

But there’s more!

When the Father remembers someone, it’s not merely a mental activity. He remembers so that He might act on behalf of those remembered. Thus, embedded in the action of remembering is getting ready to act. He is preparing to fulfill His commitments and promises to those remembered.

The Hebrew verb translated as remember is zakar. Zakar is typically translated remember and has the sense to recall knowledge from memory or have a recollection. However, it has a special significance when used regarding the Father. He does not merely remember; remembering implies that He will take the appropriate action. God’s remembrance of his covenant results in delivering his people (Exodus 2:24) or preserving them (Leviticus 26:44-45).

Psalms 105:42 For he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham.

Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children.

Genesis 8:1 God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.

The Scriptures provide a record of the activity of the Father in human history. The Father intervenes at various times to carry out His purposes.

The sequence which is revealed is straightforward. The Father promises, and then the Father waits. At the appropriate time, the Father remembers and acts. Regarding the events of the Exodus, the Father waited for the proper time, and now He is about to take action. He is ready to fulfill His promises.

He spent 80 years preparing Moses for service. “Moses was 40 years in Egypt learning something; he was 40 years in the desert learning to be nothing, and he was 40 years in the wilderness proving God to be everything” (Ryken and Hughes).

Among other things, the Father enrolled Moses in a special anger management program. His classmates were sheep. Graduation day came when Moses saw the burning bush on the mountain. On Mount Sinai, Moses met the Father, and the rest was history.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.

Father it seems that I am frequently in a hurry and rarely on time. This needs to change. Help me recognize that You are controlling all the events in my life. You have both a plan and a timetable.

INSIGHT

The Father promises and then waits. The weave of His design is intricate, comprising numerous individuals, locations, and situations, each of which must be perfectly positioned to establish the backdrop for His irruption into the timeline of human history.

Galatians 4:4 When the right time came, God sent his Son.

The term “the right time” or “the fullness of time” refers to the specific moment determined by the Heavenly Father. “God marks the fact that divine intervention brought hope and freedom to mankind. As a human father chose the time for his child to become an adult son, so the heavenly Father chose the time for the coming of Christ . . .. (Campbell).  

Before the foundation of the world, the Father had appointed a time and a place for His Son to come into the world. At just the right time, the fullness of time, the appointed time, the Lord Jesus Christ came. It could not have come a moment sooner.

During the first century, the Roman Empire controlled the known world. Rome brought stability and relative peace (Pax Romana). Greek had become an international language. An extensive “interstate highway system” had been developed, the Roman Way. It provided safe and rapid travel. Travel by water via the Mediterranean Sea added another layer of the rapid, relatively safe movement of people and information.

As a result, when the gospel was proclaimed, it spread rapidly throughout the known world and beyond. This was not a coincidence. It was planned.

“From the historical point of view, the Roman Empire itself helped prepare the world for the birth of the Savior. Roads connected city with city, and all cities ultimately with Rome. Roman laws protected the rights of citizens, and Roman soldiers guarded the peace. Thanks to both the Greek and Roman conquests, Latin and Greek were known across the empire. Christ’s birth at Bethlehem was not an accident; it was an appointment: Jesus came in ‘the fullness of the time.’ (And, it is worth noting that He will come again when the time is ready).” (Wiersbe).

God is at work all the time. All the time, God is at work. Perhaps it is once again about time for the Father to act.

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© Dr. H 2023

Good decision-making ∙

Good decision-making ∙

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding. – Proverbs 14:33

Proverbs 2:2-11

 2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.

 3 Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.

 4 Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.

 5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God.

 6 For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

 8 He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.

 9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.

 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.

 11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.

Consistently making good decisions is a critical skill we can cultivate. Understanding the factors that lead to poor choices is key to improving this skill. Studies have pinpointed several factors that can hinder effective decision-making: decision fatigue (lack of mental energy, tiredness), distraction and lack of focus, lack of input (often 30% of the people give 70% of input), multitasking (lack of focus), emotions (distractive positive or negative), analysis paralysis (TMI) (Harvard Business Review). 

“How many times have we made bad decisions that cause great agitation and turmoil and cost us deeply? How often have we experienced regret, remorse, humiliation, and embarrassment because of our folly? All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God” (Oswald Chambers).

How can we learn to make better decisions? The Father has a simple, straightforward answer: seek, acquire, and master wisdom.

Solomon set his mind to use wisdom to seek and explore all that has been done under heaven (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

Wisdom begins by coming to respect and know our Father God.

Proverbs 9:10 Respect and awe for the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Proverbs 19:8 The one who acquires wisdom loves himself; the one who preserves understanding will prosper.

Our hearts and minds are to be shaped and ultimately ruled by the wisdom our Father so graciously imparts us (Proverbs 14:29-30, 33).

REFLECT & PRAY

How frequently do we make poor choices that result in significant losses and then experience unintended consequences of frustration, turmoil, or worse?

Father, I seek wisdom that You so generously provide without reproach. Please grant me wisdom so that I might make better decisions, grow in discernment, and live without regret.

INSIGHT

What is wisdom, and how vital is wisdom to a successful and fruitful life? A simple, handy definition of wisdom is skill for living. The Hebrew word translated as wisdom is hokmah. Hokmah originally had a sense of technical skill or aptitude. It was the word used to describe skilled craftspeople (Exodus 35:35). It came to mean the ability to apply knowledge or experience, understanding or common sense, and insight to everyday situations. Wisdom includes knowledge. However, wisdom has more to do with the practical and effective application of knowledge than knowledge itself.

Wisdom is the special capacity to intuitively understand, discern, and make sagacious decisions. Wisdom can be acquired by applying our minds to learning, comprehending, and applying the Word of God. 

Wisdom encompasses far more than mere intellectual knowledge. It transcends the realm of factual understanding and delves into the realm of practical application. Wisdom is not solely about acquiring information; it entails navigating life skillfully. It is a valuable inheritance passed from one generation to another, originating from God, the ultimate source of wisdom (Gary Holloway).

The Father intended for wisdom to reign in our hearts and minds.

 “A growing number of people in our world fail to seek God for His wisdom. Instead, they strive to satisfy their passions and desires without regard to their futures or the consequences of their decisions. This is a spiritually dangerous way to live. When we try to live apart from the counsel of God’s wisdom, we suffer disillusionment, fear, doubt, worry, and frustration. Our lives fall apart . . .” (Stanley).

As we face life’s complex challenges, what is the wisest approach to decision-making? The Scriptures are clear: seek the Father to discover His guidance and direction to fulfill His dream and purpose for our lives.

How do we acquire spiritual insight?

  • Seek Him – ask Him. Take time to pray – but in your times of prayer, don’t do all the talking. Listen for God’s still, small voice.
  • Meditate on God’s Word – You will gain insight into God’s mind and heart. 
  • Obey the principles of Scripture – Set your heart on obeying the Father and He will teach you how to apply His truth in your life. 
  • Remember the faithfulness of God – The Father has never failed to keep a single promise He has made. 
  • Seek godly counsel – share your needs and fears with those who love the Lord and you.
  • Associate with wise people – Choose your friends wisely and include the Father in every relationship (Stanley).

James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

While the Bible does not explicitly answer every intricate problem that emerges in life, it offers general principles to guide us. It doesn’t solve every problem directly with precise instructions, but God’s word equips us with foundational truths. Spiritual wisdom encompasses the practical application of knowledge to navigate everyday situations effectively. “That is why we need wisdom. Spiritual wisdom is the practical application of our Lord’s teachings to everyday situations” (MacDonald).

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© Dr. H 2023