Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The Dawning of Wisdom

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised.  I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge.  I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word.  You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees.  Arrogant people smear me with lies, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.  Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your instructions.  My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.  Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.                    Psalm 119:65-72

King David is thought to have written this longest of the Psalms.  The context of his life certainly fits the main thoughts of obedience to God’s Word.  David recounts the kind way God dealt with him after he “wandered-off” with Bathsheba, disciplining him to bring him to obediently seek God’s ways, and keeping his selfish ways in check.  He seeks good judgment and knowledge, hallmarks of a forgiven man who wants to get it right this time.  The marriage of knowledge with good judgment is what we would call wisdom.  Knowledge is knowing…good judgment is the “doing of the knowing”.

Mark Twain’s sharp humor was always laced with sound and worthwhile reasoning.  Among sayings attributed to him:[1]

One of the prime examples of the lessons David learned in being disciplined (and which all of us can benefit by adopting) is his confession that his suffering through God’s discipline was GOOD.  David realized the benefit of God’s rebuke, the correction of his life’s pathway, which had strayed from God’s will.  He didn’t see the pain of being corrected as “unfair” or “too hurtful” – he cherished the love God showed him by not destroying him for his sins, but helping David change.  This only comes about by the beginning of wisdom.

For You Today 

Have you had the experience of God taking you to the woodshed?  Did you reject His discipline?  If so, you’re also aware how unfruitful it is to remain in that stubborn petulance.  God wants the best for you; that involves giving Him the worst of you to correct.  Let the good judgment of God’s wisdom begin!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Images:  Wikimedia.org   Images without citation are in public domain. Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT©  



[1] 1950 August 11, The Newark Advocate, Sunday School Lesson for Sunday August 13: Spiritual Illiterates by Roy L. Smith, Quote Page 18, Column 2, Newark, Ohio. (Newspapers_com)

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