Thinking and Beliefs – Page 4 – Hope for Complete Healing

HOW TO BE FREE – Introduction

Because this topic is massive, I will break it up into several posts. Today I am introducing the two types of bondages and what freedom looks like. Do you know your hidden bondages? Are you aware of controlling behaviors? Many of us, including me, are not conscious of our unhealthy beliefs and vows that control our actions and reactions. The good news is that God knows all our bondages and wants to set us free. So, what does freedom look like?

The Hidden Internal Bondage in our Lives.

So, what are the hidden bondages that keep us imprisoned? You can find them in your sinful desires and unhealthy beliefs that control your thoughts and emotions. I wrote a short book that I made available on this website that lists possible bondages and unhealthy beliefs about yourself, others, and God. Because we have unique experiences, our hidden bondages will be different, which is why I encourage you to seek the Lord to show them to you. Some bondages are obvious, but you may need a good counselor to identify the less obvious ones. Two common bondages between everyone are self-centered pride and resentment from unforgiven offenses. I am still uncovering resentments from past painful experiences that developed self-centered pride that now control my sinful reactions. I wrote the following example in my last post, but it is a good example, so I want to share it again. God has shown me new unhealthy beliefs He wanted to set me free from.

Example of Becoming Free from Emotional Bondage

This story is an example of how I became free from emotional bondage that controlled my sinful reaction. I became offended by an inconsiderate comment my husband had made, and I said nasty words in return. To cope with the emotional distress, I began cleaning and sweeping the deck, etc. I asked God why his comment triggered my harmful response. God showed me resentment from past hurt when my mother disregarded me. I wanted her praise that she never gave, which caused resentment I did not know existed until it was triggered. I wanted my husband’s praise, so when he criticized me, I got angry. I forgave my mother and my husband, then asked God to take my desire for praise and approval from me. I had the unhealthy belief that if I worked hard, I could win people’s approval. The Bible says that everything we do should be from love and for God’s glory. Love expects nothing in return. I also asked Him to take my self-centered pride. I then repented and asked God for forgiveness for my sinful reaction, and then I asked for my husband’s forgiveness. He did not apologize for his hurtful words, but I forgave him because I wanted to be free from the control of resentment. I asked God to remove the unhealthy belief that I need people’s approval and the prideful desire for praise.

External bondages

Many external bondages develop to cover up internal emotional bondage in our lives. Some of us turn to food, sugar, chocolate, shopping, gaming, TV/movies, music, social media, exercise, etc. when we are emotionally triggered. Sugar is addictive and will cause many problems in your health. Some people turn to alcohol and drugs. I was a workaholic to cope with my mental and emotional bondage. As God heals my emotional bondages, I am becoming free to feel and express love, compassion, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and so on.

What Does Freedom Look Like?

Freedom is loving ourselves and people from a pure heart. To love yourself may sound prideful, but the fact is, we can’t love others if we can’t love ourselves. We are our worst critics. We beat ourselves up over mistakes we make or things we said that we thought were dumb, etc. The Bible says in Galatians 5:14, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” And James 2:8 states, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” If you are critical of yourself, then you will be critical of others. The goal of my website is to help you love from a pure heart. Purifying your heart requires asking Jesus Christ to uncover your unhealthy beliefs and vows and then transform them using His Word.

About 400 years before the Messiah was born, Isaiah prophesied the following about Jesus Christ. Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted [those who are deeply afflicted and distressed], to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Jesus read those words in the Jewish synagogue and said in Luke 4:21, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” I will delve into this verse and others in the next post.

Conclusion

Because I strive to keep my posts short and quick to read, I will delve deeper into different emotional bondages and how to be free in subsequent posts. If you haven’t read my testimony in “Hope for Complete Healing” click on the title link. Reading my book will help you understand what unhealthy beliefs are, emotional bondages, and the truth that sets you free.

Next, read the rest of the posts on getting free.

Hope for Lasting Peace, Love, and Victory

HOW PRIDE DESTROYS

Why Some Believers May Not Go to Heaven

Why doesn’t every believer go to Heaven? This is a tough question because the Bible is clear that everyone who believes will spend eternity with God in heaven (John 3:16, 1 Timothy 1:16, and 1 John 5:13). So why does Jesus say in His first sermon, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21-23” Woe! If you consider the verses before these verses to beware of false prophets, then verses 21-23 make sense because they refer to false prophets who often preach on TV and in our churches. If you haven’t read the previous post, read it now, How the Wise Recognize False Teachers and Teachings.

False teachers have a belief in Jesus, but they distort God’s truth and do not submit their minds to the Holy Spirit’s renewal to be righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24). We are renewed in our minds by reading God’s Word every day, and meditate on the truth, and apply it to memory. Each one of us could be guilty of having false beliefs and being a false prophet. As a Christian blogger, I am very concerned that I may misrepresent God’s truth, which is why I rely on Scripture to do the teaching. You may call me out if you feel I am not representing the truth of God’s Word. I noted in my last post that not all Bibles are equal, and many versions misrepresent the truth, especially the paraphrased versions.

What is a prophet? It says in 1 Corinthians 14:3, “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding [not tearing down] and encouragement and consolation [comfort, support].” If you don’t know the truth of God’s Word, you can be a false prophet. For example, your friend is unhappy with their marriage. If you comfort and encourage them by saying, “God wants us to be happy, so it is okay to divorce your spouse.” That is a false teaching. Instead, speak the truth explained in 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, which is “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ^16-18Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” And Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Changing our thinking and doing the will of God is difficult, but when we obey, we will be rewarded with joy and peace even in difficult circumstances. If you have misrepresented the truth of God, repent, and ask His forgiveness, and He will forgive and restore you. Next, read your Bible every day and meditate on the truth. Then you will do well (Ps. 1:2-3).

What do you want God to say to you when you stand before Him? What if God says, ‘I never knew you; depart from me.’ (Matt. 7:23)? The subject of this post is heavy, but necessary to ponder because we all will stand before Him someday, maybe today. Will He say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matt 25:21,23)?

What is The Will of God?

Jesus said in His first sermon in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” The condition is doing the will of God, though our assurance is by grace. So, what is the will of God? The Bible says that the will of God is to obey His instructions and do what we know He has called us to do, which I will write about in the next post. I wrote extensively about what the will of God is in Unanswered Prayer. Asking For God’s Will or Your Will?

Disclaimer: Our salvation and eternal destiny with God are not because of what we do or by our works, but by the grace of God. Ephesians 2:8-10 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Once we have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit seals us, and then we must work out our salvation by renewing our minds and doing His will. See the blog posts called Forgiven and Saved? Now Renew Your Mind (Part One) and Three Steps to Renew Your Mind (Part Two).

How can I be assured God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”

The Apostle Peter’s instructions in the next passage give us hope. Peter tells us to be diligent, which means to apply ourselves to accomplish something. Meditate on the words o f2Peter 1:3-11:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,

through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,

by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises,

so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (lusts).

⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, virtue (moral excellence; right action and thinking; goodness of character), knowledge, self-control, steadfastness (perseverance), godliness, brotherly affection (kindness), and love. (My paraphrase in parentheses.)

⁸For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

¹⁰Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.

¹¹For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A promise is an assurance we depend on. Verse 10 promises we will never fall if we seek and practice faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, kindness, and love. Then, verse 11 promises we will enter the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ. And verse 8 promises if we have these qualities, we will not be ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. How fantastic is this!

Conclusion:

Our life on earth is but a blink or breath compared to eternity (Ps. 144:4). So, be mindful of the day of judgment and what God will say to you. In this post, you learned that you are eternally secure when you do the will of God, fear Him, and diligently seek to add to your faith: moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In the end times, there will be a great falling away because of deception and suffering. Resolve in your heart today that you will not fall away and begin today to do the will of God found in the Word of God. Hebrews 3:12 states, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”

RELATED POSTS:

What Is Required to Stand Before God?

Posts About Godliness

Example of Suffering Well and God’s Response: Part 2 of Suffering Well

All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

Why the Wise People Are Not Anxious

In Jesus’s first sermon, He goes into great detail explaining why we should not be anxious. So why are we naturally anxious and worried? Jesus says it is because we don’t have enough faith. Remember, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). George Muller, the German missionary to England during the black plague, showed great faith in God’s provision. He started orphanages to take care of all the children whose parents died during the plague. Then he prayed and believed that God would provide food and necessities for the orphanages, and He did. This is an encouraging testimony; I recommend everyone read his story. All the missionary stories involve faith in God and how God came through for them.

The Wise Knows God Cares.

I must admit that I have a stock of food and necessities in the event of a disaster, or another quarantine like during Covid. So, having at least three months of food and water to get through an unforeseen disaster is wise. But we should not be consumed with worry about a disaster that may never happen. Dictionary.com (2023) says that being anxious is being full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune, or greatly worried. Jesus explains in Matthew 6:25-26, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Jesus does not want us to be anxious but trust that He is our provider. To build your faith, read in the book of Deuteronomy about how God provided everything for one million people for forty years, plus their clothing and sandals did not wear out.

This concept is hard because it defies our fleshly nature to not trust God. We work so we can buy food and clothing and keep a roof over our heads. What does Jesus mean when He says, “Is not life more than food?” Maybe we should be more concerned about living our lives for our heavenly Father and not be mentally consumed with our daily or future necessities. ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Jesus is saying, our heavenly Father will provide what we need because He cares for us. Does this mean we don’t have to work? No, the Bible says, if we don’t work then we should not eat (2Thes. 3:10). I am pondering what Jesus possibly means, and I don’t really know. Maybe we are to trust our heavenly Father for everything, even what we need in the future, knowing He cares for us even more than the birds. This principle goes beyond food and clothing. One time, I needed a cheap place to live with my two toddlers, because I had no actual job and just started an alterations business. I trusted God to provide, and He did a miracle. Read my story in the post called Trust God to Keep His Promises.

The Wise Have Faith

Jesus further explains in Matthew 6:27-32 “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Anxiety and worry cause stress in our bodies, which weakens it. Read this article to learn how. We need to keep in mind that in Jesus’s time, they did not have shopping centers and grocery stores everywhere or clothing factories, so this was a legitimate concern. We may not worry about not having clothing, but we may worry about other things, like our family, finances, jobs, and so on.

²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

God is all-knowing and all-powerful, so why don’t we trust Him to provide what we need, now and in the future? The answer is that we are sinful and would rather trust in worldly institutions, even ourselves and others, to meet our needs. The remedy is to stay in constant prayer and expectation of how our heavenly Father will meet our needs. Philippians 4:19 states, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” And the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

The Wise Are Kingdom Minded

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33-34, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Seek means to look for. The kingdom of God is an actual place and a place where our faith dwells. Romans 14:17 states, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” We must first look for God’s presence and purpose in our lives. I wrote a post about this. Read, How do you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness?

Conclusion

The Apostle Paul told the Philippian church in Philippians 4:6-7,“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So never be anxious, stay in constant prayer and expectation and you will live in peace.

Other posts on the Sermon on the mount.

Posts about God’s promises.

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family; hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my latest book Breaking Mental Strongholds, which you can order on Amazon. To learn more about it, read my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

The Wise Person Helps the Poor

The goal of my blog is to help you recognize unhealthy beliefs or non-biblical thinking that keeps you from receiving God’s blessing in your life. The last two posts challenged me to evaluate how I think about the poor in my community. One struggling single mother in my church always seemed down on her luck. A woman in my church didn’t feel she deserved her help and didn’t feel compassion for her. I pondered that comment and told her that God would want us to help her.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Mercy is giving something to someone who may not deserve it, or we don’t think deserve it. We do not deserve the kingdom of heaven, yet Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit [humble], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” People interpret this verse in many ways, but God wants everyone to humbly see their need for Him and seek His help and salvation. It is not for us to judge why someone is poor and how they could make better decisions.

I was one of those poor when I was a child because of poor decisions my father made, and when I became a single mother because of my husband’s decision to divorce. It was very humbling to receive help from others, yet I was thankful. I had to wear hand-me-down clothes that were not the latest style, yet I was clothed, and it was okay. My children wore hand-me-down clothes and what I could find at yard sales. The church helped me with grocery gift cards, so thankful. As a single mother, I claimed Philippians 4:19 and trusted God to provide all that I was in need of, and He provided all the finances I needed each month. He did a miracle and provided a mortgage for me to buy a fixer-upper home for me and my children when the only job I had was a small seamstress business. When my kids started elementary school, I became a substitute teacher to help make ends meet. God is good.

In the last post, we learned in Isaiah 58:6-7 that true fasting was having a heart of compassion for the oppressed. Verse 6 says, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Fasting is seeking freedom from the control of sinful actions and thoughts in our lives.) ^7”Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” Many of us have no problem giving food to the hungry or clothing to those in need, but many of us resist the command to “bring the homeless poor into your house.”

Some people say well, the culture was different in 800 BC when Isaiah wrote those words. It may have been safe to bring the homeless into their home, besides, they became servants. You may think, the homeless can receive a housing allowance to help with renting a place to stay. It is true that the homeless poor in 800 BC most likely was NOT violent, addicted to drugs, alcohol, or mentally ill. God knew there would be a homeless problem because some people lack the spiritual, mental, and financial means to care for themselves. The Bible also says we are to be wise and obey God, so pray and ask Him to help you know His will and wisely do His will concerning the homeless. It may not be wise to bring a homeless person into your home. We all have heard horror stories. One man I know is in jail because he had compassion and brought a homeless man into his home, who then molested his daughters and one of them got pregnant. So sad, but a reality.

I find it hard to help those I think could help themselves, who seek others to care for them. God does not differentiate who deserves His help and who does not. We are all poor compared to God, and we all need His help and blessing. As His image bearers, we are to do the same to other poor souls regardless of why they are poor or even if they choose to be poor for whatever reason. We know the government does not lift anyone out of poverty but keeps them in bondage. Only God can lift us out of poverty and provide all we need according to His riches (Phil 4:19).

How should we treat the poor immigrants flooding our country? They are looking for a better life, so how can we help them? And they are ripe to hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus. This is not the time to shun the incoming immigrants. Ask yourself, “What if I was an immigrant or poor, how would I want people to help me?”

James 2:13 states, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” God wants us to show compassion and mercy. This post is my reflection on God’s view of the poor and how we should think. Take your time as you read each passage to understand the heart of God towards the poor.

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ –Deuteronomy 15:11

Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. –Deuteronomy 15:9

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” –Leviticus 23:22

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. –Proverbs 14:21

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. —Proverbs 14:31

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. –Proverbs 19:17

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. -–-Proverbs 21:13

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. –Proverbs 22:9

Conclusion

We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The poor are our neighbors. James 2:8-9 exhorts us, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” Also, James 4:17 states, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

You may say, “But the Word of God also says in” 2Thesalonians 3:10-12, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. ¹²Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” These verses are in the middle of a discourse about people who are idle (2Thes. 3:6-15). Paul set an example for believers concerning the importance of work. Yet, we can still show mercy and encourage such a person to work and even help them find work. Pray and ask God to give you His wisdom and compassion for the poor, only Jesus can lift them up, share Jesus as you show them compassion.

I would love to hear how you help the poor in your area.

RELATED POSTS

SERMON ON THE MOUNT page

Check out my latest book Breaking Mental Strongholds which you can order on Amazon. To learn more about it, read my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

How Wise People Fast

What is fasting and how do wise people fast? How often should we fast? People fast differently and for different reasons. It is popular now to do intermittent fasting to lose weight and improve your health. Some churches do the Daniel fast. Some people do juice fasts. There are many kinds of fasts. The people in the Old Testament fasted when they wanted a message from God (Judges 20:26-27; 2Chronicles 20:3). They also fasted in repentance when they sinned against God (1 Samuel 7:6 and Jonah 3:4-8). Most of the fasting accounts in the Old Testament were out of sorrow and to hear from God. Biblical fasting is humbling yourself before God. This is the fasting Jesus is referring to. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 6:16-18 not to be noticed by others when we fast.

¹⁶“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Why do you think Jesus wants us to fast in secret? Do you think it was because the religious people fasted to show a piousness that was not authentic? If biblical fasting is humbly coming before God, then fasting to be noticed is motivated by pride. Since humility is an attribute of a wise person, then a wise person does not display they are fasting.

Jesus is the Word in the flesh, and He knew what Isaiah wrote, and so did the Pharisees. Isaiah defines what true fasting is NOT in Isaiah 58:3-4, he says, “‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. ⁴Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.”

Isaiah 58:6-10 defines true fasting:

⁶“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Fasting is seeking freedom from the control of sinful actions in our lives.)

^7”Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (True fasting is humbly laying your fleshly, selfish desires aside and being compassionate with the poor and meeting their needs.)

^8”Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.” (When we humble ourselves before God and repent of our sins and put away our fleshly, selfish desires, then God will reward us.)

^9”Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, ¹⁰if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” (Does your fasting reflect this kind of fasting? Do you really want to hear from God and have His joy?)

Conclusion

When we fast in repentance and show compassion for the oppressed, then Isaiah 58:11 tells us, “And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Do you want God’s continual guidance, healing, and prosperity in your life? Then biblical fasting needs to be done in secret and as described above. This type of fasting is beneficial when you read the short transformation book posted on my website, to seek God to show you areas He wants to transform in your life. 1–Healing Begins by Transforming Painful Memories.

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Read the other posts in this series on the SERMON ON THE MOUNT

What Kind of Heart do You Have?

Do you have a heart that desires to fear God and keep His commandments? I have been pondering the following scripture and wondered if I had a heart that wanted to fear God and keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:29 (ESV) states, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” (NKJV) states, “Oh that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (NIV) “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all My commands always…”

How do you know your heart?

The first step to finding out what kind of heart you have is to ask God to show you but be ready to hear the answer. Psalm 139:23-24 states, “Search me, Oh God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Also, Jeremiah 17:9-10 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick [wicked; KJV]; who can understand [know] it? ¹⁰’I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.’”

What does it mean to have a heart that fears God?

The fear of the Lord is to have deep respect, love, and awe, which we demonstrate in our obedience to God’s Word (Deuteronomy 6:2, 10:12; 1 Samuel 12:14). The following verses describe how we are to fear God and in fact is the demonstration that you do have a heart that fears God:

Do you Praise Him always? You who fear the Lord, praise Him! …glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, … ̶̶ Psalms 22:23

Do you faithfully serve Him? Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. ̶1 Samuel 12:24

Do you turn from evil and desire to do what is right? Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8) It will be healing to your flesh (body; NAS) and refreshment to your bones. ̶ Proverbs 3:7-8

Do you hate evil, pride, and disobedience? The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. ̶ Proverbs 8:13 (Froward means not willing to yield or comply with what is required or is reasonable; perverse; or disobedient.)

Do you have a submissive, humble heart? Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (the pit). ̶ Proverbs 28:14

Do you trust the Lord? You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. ̶ Psalms 115:11

Why Should We Fear God and Keep His Commandments?

The Bible tells us that if we do fear God and keep His commandments that things/life might go well for us and for our children. Do you want that for your life? This does not mean that you will not have to go through trials to strengthen your faith and patience. Or suffer troubles because of the sinful world we live in, but life will go well in general. You will have peace and joy despite your circumstances. The following are five reasons why fearing God benefits us.

1. God’s angel protects you, and you will be blessed and lack nothing. Psalms 34:7-9 states, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8) Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9) Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”

2. God will help you and shield you from all harm. Psalm 115:11 states, “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.” Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”

3. You will have confidence and you will feel safe. Proverb 14:26 states, “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”

4. You will have wisdom and know what to do. Psalms 111:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” See my post about why the fear of the Lord gives wisdom. THE MYSTERY OF WISDOM—PART 2

5. You will have a long life. Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.”

Why don’t Christians fear God and obey Him?

This question is a hard question but after pondering it for several days, I think the parable of the soils explains it well. Let’s look at Jesus’s explanation of this parable in Matthew 13:18-23. Where is your heart in this parable?

vs18 “Hear then the parable of the sower:

vs19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

vs20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

vs22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

vs 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Four Heart Conditions. What kind of heart do you have?

1) Prideful heart: A person who lacks understanding and is a fool. This person is more interested in being self-centered and following the desires of their flesh.

2) Cluttered heart: This person believes but doesn’t do the hard work to remove the rocks of offenses by forgiving and repenting of the sins in their heart. So that when the hard times and persecution come, they don’t have the depth of faith to endure and overcome.

3) Distracted heart: This person knows the truth, but is distracted by all they must do or want to do in the world that they don’t have time for God and kingdom living. Or they are distracted by materialism, and they become focused on acquiring wealth instead of obeying God.

4) Fruitful heart: This person understands and believes the truth. They desire to obey God and fear Him by repenting of sin and self-centered pride; putting off their old, sinful nature and putting on a new, regenerated self; forgiving offenses; and setting their minds on God to love and serve Him instead of being distracted by the concerns and materialism of this world.

Conclusion:

What kind of heart do you have? Even if you have a hard, cluttered, or distracted heart, you can change it with God’s help. You can break a hard heart by breaking up the hard ground using God’s Word and seeking God to remove your pride and sinful nature. You can restore a cluttered heart by forgiving all offenses and repenting of all sins. You can refocus a distracted heart by putting off the desires of the world and desiring instead to worship, love, and serve God only. The only motivation necessary to have a fruitful heart is a desire to fear God and obey His commands. Do you want the benefits of fearing God or the destruction of your self-centered, sinful desires, worry, and greed?

At the end of King Solomon’s life, he said in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14) For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” King Solomon did not always fear God or keep God’s commandments because he married foreign wives who distracted him and led him to worship their foreign gods. In the end, King Solomon realized his error. Where is your heart? I would love to hear your thoughts.

RELATED POSTS:

What Is Required to Stand Before God?

How to Embrace the Challenge of Change with Grace

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What Controls Your Thoughts?

Identify and Replace False Beliefs

TRUST Leads to PEACE

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

The Mystery of Wisdom—Part 7

So why is wisdom more important than gold and riches? What are the benefits of having wisdom? For advertisers to get us to buy their product, they must show how it will benefit us. In this post, I will share Scripture passages written by King Solomon, the wisest and richest man to ever live, that show wisdom’s benefits. So far, we learned in the past six posts:

Part 1: Overview and the difference between godly and worldly wisdom.

Part 2: Wisdom begins with fearing God and what that means.

Part 3: Where we get wisdom.

Part 4: Those who get wisdom.

Part 5: Why a person or nation is considered wise when they obey God.

Part 6: How to cultivate wisdom.

First benefit: Wisdom will add years to your life.

Who doesn’t want years added to their life? When we follow sound wisdom, we will know the right path to avoid pitfalls and setbacks. Proverbs 4:10-14 states, “Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. ¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. ¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. ¹³Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. ¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.” Entering the path of the wicked and walking in evil looks different for each person. When I think of evil paths, I think of drugs and alcohol, which have destroyed many lives. I have worked with many inmates, and I have a son whose life has been destroyed by drugs and alcohol. I taught him to follow Jesus and to fear God. He knew how harmful drugs and alcohol were, yet he foolishly pursued this destructive path and did not keep hold of wise instructions. Life is not going well for him or the inmates I have worked with. A sinful path could be committing crimes, lying, gambling, adultery, idolatry, and so on.

Second benefit: You will have hope.

When you make wise choices, you will have hope, expecting something good to happen. Proverbs 24:14 states, “Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” For example, if you wisely save or invest your money and don’t spend every penny on foolish desires, then you will have hope for a comfortable retirement, and so on. Also, when you do not walk in wisdom, you will walk in wickedness, which destroys your future. Jeremiah 29:11-13 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹²Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” The key to wisdom is to seek God and trust Him by obeying Him.

Third benefit: You will be delivered from trouble.

The kinds of troubles we will be delivered from vary from person to person. I was delivered from a life of pain and suffering by making wise choices in what I ate. Because I wisely tithe and live on a budget, I am delivered from the stress of not being able to pay my insurance or heating bills when they come due. Proverbs 28:26 states, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” Proverbs 3:5-10 states, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil [sin, wickedness]. ⁸It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. ⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; ¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Tithing is wise, because when you invest in the kingdom of God, then God will give back to you . Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” When I was a single mother living on a seamstress income, I still tithed, and God always provided all I needed.

Fourth benefit: Your life will be preserved.

This next verse was also written by King Solomon, the wisest and richest man. He writes in Ecclesiastes 7:12, “For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.” Growing in the knowledge of truth leads to wisdom. How does wisdom preserve your life? When you preserve something, you protect it from going bad. Wisdom preserves your life by instructing your mind to make the right choices, such as not getting drunk, not having an affair, not stealing, not lying, and so on.

The following is an example of how I preserved my life by changing my diet. Like my mother and her family, I had degenerative joint disease (DJD). My mother had five back surgeries, shoulder surgery, and needed hip surgery. In my thirties, I began having severe back and joint problems, so I asked God to give me the wisdom to know what I needed to do to avoid being crippled like my mother. He showed me that it was the food I was eating. I read books and went to nutrition classes to increase my knowledge. I learned that certain foods (e.g., wheat and corn) have lectins (type of protein) that cause inflammation and degeneration. I gave up eating those foods and substituted them with foods that did not have those lectins. I am now in my sixties and just completed hiking the Mid-State Trail from Maryland to New York, which was a moderate to hard hike. So, I have no joint problems if I avoid wheat and corn products. I also learned that wheat and corn also contribute to dementia. My mother has dementia, and her mother had dementia, which I don’t want. A wise person will avoid the things that harm their health so they can add years to their life and preserve it. You can read more about this change in my post called Sick and Tired? Change Your Destiny! Be Free From the Infirmity Stronghold.

Fifth benefit: You will succeed.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 states, “If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.” This verse says it all. It does not pay to be intelligent if you are not wise in knowing how to use your God-given intelligence. You may know how to do something and why, but wisdom directs you to take the right actions so you succeed. Are there relationships in your life that are failing? Are you failing at your job? If circumstances are not going well for you, ask God to give you the wisdom and understanding to know the right path to success, then obey how He instructs you. My website and the online book will help you grow in wisdom so you can succeed.

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family; hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my first book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

The Mystery of Wisdom—Part 6

Have you ever planted a garden but weren’t motivated to weed and water your garden? What happens? Your heart is the garden, and you plant truth and wisdom from God’s Word into your heart. Fearing God and obeying His commands is the beginning of wisdom. Let’s say you fear God and obey Him and pray for wisdom, but what do you do to cultivate that wisdom, so it grows in your life and produces fruit?

Review of the two types of wisdom.

There are two kinds of wisdom; which one are you cultivating? We learned in part 3 that worldly wisdom comes from experience but is biased. It is often jealous of others and selfishly wants what they have (James 3:14-16). God gives godly wisdom. What is godly wisdom? James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” Therefore, a person who seeks to be wise is also at peace with themselves and those around them. So, strive to be humble, gentle, and sincerely open to reason and other people’s ideas and desires. I can only imagine what the world would be like if everyone would get rid of their self-centered pride and arrogance, then humbly value others as more important than themselves (Romans 12:3). A wise person is humble and seeks to do good for others (James 3:13).

How do we cultivate the wisdom God gives us?

I found seven ways we can stay motivated to cultivate wisdom, knowledge of God’s truths, and insight in our lives. As I have been studying wisdom, I realize that we need to desire wisdom, knowledge, and insight (understanding) more than anything else. I learned that wisdom keeps us on the path of righteousness and protects us from evil. I also realize that wisdom, knowledge, and understanding must be cultivated every day.

1. You need to delight in growing God’s truth in your heart by desiring to learn the wise truths of God found in the Bible. Psalm 51:6 states, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”

2. Know that life is short, so seek to be wise with every day God gives you. Psalm 90:12 states, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

3. Do not forget to seek the Bible’s wisdom daily. Love wisdom more than gold and silver. When you get wisdom, you also get the knowledge and insight of truth to make the right decisions. According to dictionary.com (2022), insight is penetrating mental vision or discernment and the ability to see into inner character or underlying truth. Wisdom will guard your mind and your life. Proverbs 4:5-6 states, “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. ⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.” And Proverbs 4:7-9 states, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. ⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. ⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

4. Be prudent, and you will have wisdom. Dictionary.com (2022) says that prudence is being cautious about practical matters, using discretion, and being frugal (careful). Someone who is prudent does not make rash decisions. Proverbs 8:12 states, “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.” Discretion is the quality of being discreet (careful, restrained), especially concerning one’s choice of actions or speech.

5. Seek and take godly advice to build wisdom in your life. Proverbs 13:10 states, “By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.” And Proverbs 19:20 states, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

6. Discernment is recognizing what is true and correct, which eliminates unhealthy beliefs to increase wisdom, so you know the right decision to make. Proverbs 14:8 states, “The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.”

7. Discipline gives you the power to grow in wisdom, knowledge of God, and understand the truth by removing sinful and foolish thinking. Proverbs 29:15 states, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” God also reproves us when we are not wise but act on our foolish thinking. Hebrews 12:6-11 tells us, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. ⁷It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children, not sons. ⁹Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. ¹¹For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” The goal of discipline is to be holy, which means to be set apart to bring glory to God. When we act on sinful and foolish thinking, we don’t bring God glory, so He lovingly disciplines us. The discipline of God also teaches us to be wise so we make the right choices.

Conclusion:

If you desire free, organic fruits and vegetables, you need to grow them yourself. Sure, you can go to the farmer’s market or the grocery store to get fruits and vegetables, but they will cost a lot. In the same way, you can go to church to learn about wisdom and get some wisdom, but the wisdom you get when you dig into the Word of God will be a more significant benefit. Just as a garden needs to be prudently weeded and diligently watered to produce a harvest. So, our hearts need to be kept free of sinful, foolish thoughts and filled with God’s truths, so we produce a crop of wisdom. You also need to discern when you have an insect problem and know what organic pesticide you need to kill the harmful insects destroying your plants. So, you need discernment to know when you have an unhealthy belief and what truth will eliminate it. Taking advice is like putting fertilizer on your garden, so your plants grow better and produce more.

I pray you are blessed and grow in all knowledge, insight, and discernment.

RELATED POSTS:

The Mystery of Wisdom-Overview

THE MYSTERY OF WISDOM—PART 2

The Mystery of Wisdom—Part 3

The Mystery of Wisdom –Part 4

The Mystery of Wisdom—Part 5

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family; hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

The Mystery of Wisdom—Part 3

Where does someone get wisdom? Some people say that you gain wisdom from experiences as you age. Some people believe you get specific wisdom by becoming an expert at something. For example, if you are an expert at investing money, you can make the right decisions based on that knowledge. And some people believe you get wisdom when you continue to learn because knowledge helps you make good and wise decisions. These common beliefs are true to a certain extent. Bias is a problem with experiential wisdom because it is often based on a faulty worldview or perspective.

The dictionary.com (2022) definition of wisdom says it is to know what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action. This definition means you make choices based on what you judge as true and right. For example, if you believe you should avoid drinking alcohol because getting drunk impairs your brain, that is a wise decision based on truth or fact. The problem is that the dictionary definition can be applied to any personal truth or what you may believe is right. For instance, I think it is right that everyone does their fair share of the work around the house, but in reality, everyone has their biased idea of what is fair. Read my posts on fair bias, What is Wrong with Fairness?

Worldly wisdom is based on your standard of truth, which is based on false beliefs. We have different political parties because each party believes its truth is right and just. Political leaders make decisions based on their biased understanding of truth. The definition of truth is an idea that conforms to a fact or reality. Again, truth is often subjective. Therefore, true wisdom is based on God’s truth found in the Bible because God’s standard is perfect, good, and just.

Evidence of the two kinds of wisdom.

In part one, we learned the difference between worldly and godly wisdom. In James 3:14-17, we learned that someone with worldly wisdom is envious or jealous because they feel it isn’t right that another person has possessions and advantages they don’t have. Jealousy leads to hate, malice, and arguments. Worldly wisdom also involves selfish ambition, where a person thinks it is right to satisfy their selfish wants and desires at the expense of others. Pridefulness is the guiding force behind worldly wisdom. Read my post called, How Pride Destroys. James 3:16 states, ^“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice [evil work].”

On the other hand, the hallmark of godly wisdom is humility which is displayed by the purity of thoughts; seeking peace; being gentle even when wronged; can listen to reason; is merciful by not returning evil for evil. Godly wisdom seeks to do good to everyone and is impartial in their decisions. A person with godly wisdom will be sincere. Where do we get godly wisdom? Job 28: 12-13 states, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.”

In part two, we learned how the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and what the fear of God was. We learned that the person who fears God will praise Him for all the great things He has done. They will faithfully serve Him by being attentive to what He wants. When you fear God, you will trust Him because you know He will help and protect you. Those that fear God will obey what He says to do. And, lastly, to turn from every evil thing that harms others and do good, which seeks to do things that are helpful and beneficial to others.

God is the source of wisdom.

Because God is the source of wisdom then you must be submitted to Him and make Him the center of your life, otherwise, you won’t have His wisdom. An unsubmitted life is just a casual relationship with God where you live outside of His will and wisdom. Are you reading your Bible to know God’s truth? Are you praying about everything that touches your life instead of complaining and arguing? Most importantly, are you a child of God? John 1:12 states, “But to all who did receive him [in their hearts], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Ephesians 3:17a states, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” I can go down so many thought trails, but I will leave you with this encouragement.

The Bible explains how God is the source of wisdom. Therefore, we can ask Him for wisdom. James 1:5-8 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Read my post called Unanswered Prayer? Doubt or Faith to learn more.

Carefully read the next passages and note the things that stand out to you. What do you find significant about each passage?

And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. –1Kings 10:24 (Solomon asked for wisdom.)

With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. – Job 12:13

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24

As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. – Daniel 1:17

Conclusion:

I pray that you submit to God’s ways and will for your life and that you seek Him for wisdom to know the truth and do what is right in His eyes. I pray that you meditate on God’s word day and night and grow in knowledge and understanding of His will for you. And I pray you will continue to rejoice always, pray about everything, and be thankful in everything, to cultivate godly wisdom in your life.

Mystery of Wisdom–Part 4

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family; hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my first book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

The Mystery of Wisdom-Overview

I have been pondering why we don’t seek wisdom. God’s wisdom is different than the world’s wisdom. Today’s worldly wisdom is upside down. We are told that your sex is not based on reality but on your feelings, and men can menstruate and get pregnant. I feel like I am living in crazy land. How about you? When you try to correct wrong thinking and speak the truth, you are vilified by foolish people. I don’t need to elaborate on the foolishness of worldly wisdom because it is so evident.

My website is about changing false, unhealthy beliefs to experience a new reality. So, what does the Bible say about wisdom? The Bible says a lot about wisdom and being wise. I want to learn more, so as I dig into the Word of God, I will share my findings with you in the next several posts.

The First Mystery – Why Is Wisdom Worth More Than Gold, Silver, and Jewels?

Proverbs 3:13-14 states, “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.”

Proverbs 8:10-11 “Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.”

Proverbs 16:16 states, “How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

Second Mystery – Why Do We Not Seek Wisdom?

Job 28:12-13 states, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.”

If wisdom and understanding are better than gold, silver, and jewels, then why do we insist on doing things in our own understanding? I must admit that I do not fully understand wisdom. Many verses encourage me to seek out wisdom and gain understanding, but how? I will answer these and many other questions in future posts.

Third Mystery – How do we get wisdom?

The Bible tells us several ways we get wisdom. Here are a few ways.

1Kings 10:24 states, “And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.”

Job 28:28 states, “And he [God] said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

What is the fear of the Lord? What is evil, and how do you turn away from it?

Fourth Mystery – How Do You Know You Are Wise?

James 3:13 states, “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness [humility] of wisdom.” Are you humble? I know I fight pride regularly because it is an integral part of our sinful nature.

Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Do you listen to advice from those who are wise and follow it?

Ecclesiastes 10:2 states, “A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.” These are the words of King Solomon, the wisest man on earth. How is this verse relevant to today?

Fifth Mystery – What Are The Benefits Of Wisdom?

There are many benefits of wisdom, and I will cover all the verses describing the benefits in future posts. Wisdom finds favor with God and man because the wise person does what is right and has integrity. Someone with wisdom can look at a situation and determine what is right and just from God’s perspective, not a worldly perspective.

Sixth Mystery – What is Wisdom?

The best description of wisdom is found in James 3:13-17, which describes the difference between worldly wisdom and the wisdom from above.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice [evil work].

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Wisdom is not being jealous, having selfish ambition, boasting, and being deceitful, which is described as unspiritual and demonic. Yikes! Ask God to search your heart and mind to expose any jealousy, selfish ambition, pride, and deceitful spirits. If God reveals any of these in your heart, then repent and ask God to show you why you have that issue and let Him bring up any repressed memories. I explain how to be free from negative issues in my post called Five Steps to Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul.

James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

Ponder each characteristic of wisdom. Where do you fall short? I fell short until I resolved the many issues from my traumatic childhood and adult life. Selfish ambition is when you want your way and think it is the best way, and you don’t care about the other person or their needs and desires. You become jealous when someone gets their way and prevents you from getting what you want or expect. Therefore, a person who seeks to be wise is also at peace with themselves and those around them. So, strive to be humble, gentle, and sincerely open to reason and other people’s ideas and desires. I can only imagine what the world would be like if everyone would get rid of their self-centered pride and arrogance, then humbly value others as more important than themselves. A wise person is humble and seeks to do good for others.

Check back to learn more about the mystery of wisdom. In the meantime, I pray that God blesses you richly and that you grow in wisdom and understanding.

Mystery of Wisdom–Part 2

Mystery of Wisdom –Part 3

Mystery of Wisdom–Part 4

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