True Knowledge

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 ESV

Have you ever heard the expression, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing?" It is knowing just enough about something to do harm. Without understanding the fullness of something, the subtleties, and nuances, it is easy for us to draw wrong conclusions and make uninformed decisions. Does this sound familiar? I admit I am guilty.

We do not consciously mean to harm others. Sometimes though, we allow our biases to get in the way of making better choices. We settle for snap judgments and easy answers instead of making informed, deliberate, and reasoned decisions. Our baser human instinct is to react like the foolish person in today's verse.

Thankfully there is an alternative. The knowledge that is given freely by our Creator and cannot be obtained by human means. The first step is to admit God is in charge and then seek his will. In our conversations with God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our wrong thinking becomes right.

Have you ever gone to the optometrist? The doctor has you read the eye chart and presents you with different lens options. "Which is better, A or B?" The process is repeated until the best possible prescription is determined. The Holy Spirit is like that; in prayer and discernment, those blurry and unclear things in our life are made clear.

God, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit that brings clarity. We freely admit we can be foolish. We are too quick to make decisions based on what we like instead of understanding what you want. Please help us as we search for the wisdom that comes from you. Let the decisions we make be for good, not harm. In the name of Jesus' Christ, we pray. Amen.

What can God help you with today? What decisions are you facing where you need his guidance?

Blessings!

Pastor Tim