Sometimes Silence is the Secret Sauce of Wisdom

Sometimes silence is the secret sauce of wisdom. King Solomon writes that a truly wise person uses few words for even fools are thought wise when they keep silent.

But silence doesn’t feel golden when we don’t see eye to eye with someone.

My husband & I recently had a pretty heated disagreement. Actually, this was one of the few times I didn’t feel heated, but my words ignited a fire in him that wouldn’t be easily quenched. He began to say a lot like rapid fire bullets, each word landing squarely on my heart. He ended his diatribe with, “Anything else, Chief?”

Ouch.

I had many words & no words all at the same time. I wanted SO badly to reply, but praise God the Holy Spirit zipped my lips. I left in silence, wondering what to do with my wounded heart.

Solomon didn’t say that staying silent is wise, but rather a wise person uses few words. It’s in those moments of discord when we don’t know what to pray, that praise is great place to start!

That’s what David does in Psalm 144. He devotes the first 2/3 of the Psalm to remind himself Who God is, His Rock, Fortress, Rescuer & Shield BEFORE he speaks his need in two short words: “Save me!”

It’s easy in times of frustration to give airtime to enemy operation, but how much more effective to remember Who God is & what He’s done because it keeps us humble & strengthens our faith in the only One who can rescue us!

As I walked through that day recalling Who God is & what He’s done, I giggled as He reminded me that I once WAS “Chief” of sinners 😂 With His lead, I was able to release the offense & actually bless my husband’s spirit with wisdom, revelation & a renewed love for his wife💞

When we silence our words, we can hear His reminders of the grace we’ve received SO THAT we can move past what we think we deserve & love with His love, forgive with His grace & trust Him to work out the complicated details of life.

Father, bless our spirits to come underneath the authority of the Holy Spirit. When we want to let words rush like a freight train, muzzle our mouths. May we be like David & use our words to worship You, recalibrating our hearts to yours, so our words may be few & Your love through us be extravagant!

#OneYearBible

June 26th One Year Bible Readings 2 KINGS 9:14-10:31 ACTS 17:1-34 PSALM 144:1-15 PROVERBS 17:27-28

Offering Praise Amidst our Prison Just Might Set Us (& ALL within Earshot) Free!

Have you ever felt like you were in a circumstance with no way out? Maybe it’s a financial situation, a relational divide or a physical ailment…I think we can all relate to one of those at some point, & sometimes they can feel prison-like.

That’s where I find Paul in Acts 16 today, falsely accused, stripped, beaten with wooden rods & tossed into prison. Not only that, he’s placed in the inner dungeon with shackles on his feet. Talk about no way of escape!😳

What comes next feels like a formula for when we feel stuck. Verse 25 tells us that around midnight, while Paul prays & sings hymns to God, the other prisoners listen.

Let’s pause for a sec…he’s placed in the INNER dungeon-was this a strategic placement by God SO THAT all the other prisoners would hear him worship in the wait? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Suddenly, there’s a MASSIVE earthquake (Bible’s adjective, not mine) & the prison is shaken to its very foundation! ALL prison doors fling wide & the chains of EVERY prisoner fall!

As if that’s not enough, when the jailer sees what’s transpired, he falls down & cries, “What must I do to be saved?”

Are y’all seeing what I’m seeing?

👉🏽When we’re in prison-like circumstances, we never know who might be listening to our response!

👉🏽Choosing to worship in the wait just might ignite a MASSIVE spiritual earthquake that shakes whatever is imprisoning us to its very foundation!

👉🏽That shaking not only frees us, but has the capacity to free others, causing ALL doors to open & ALL chains to fall!

👉🏽Offering a sacrifice of praise in the midst of prison JUST MIGHT SET OUR CAPTORS FREE!

I mean, come on! If that’s not a compelling case to praise The Father regardless of what we face, then I don’t know what is!

Father, I don’t know why you allow moments that feel like we’ve got shackles on our feet, because it’s definitely not fun! Yet we don’t want to miss out on the freedom that falls along with prison chains when we choose to praise You amidst the prison! We might not ever know WHY hard things happen, but what we DO know for fact is that your faithfulness endures forever! May our worship in the wait create a MASSIVE spiritual quake that brings freedom to all within earshot!

#OneYearBible

June 25th One Year Bible Readings

2 KINGS 8:1-9:13

ACTS 16:16-40

PSALM 143:1-12

PROVERBS 17:26

How Might Our Peace Increase if we Limited Our Perspective to The One Who Goes Before?

The other day my son told me about a reading plan called, “Resolute” that he is going through with his brother. He said, “I’m not sure what the word means, but the visual I have is this:”

Then he proceeded to make pretend binoculars with his hands & place them over his eyes.

“It’s like having blinders around my eyes that block out everything except what is directly ahead.”

It made me smile inside because it reminded me when he was little-little. 🤗 But honestly, I think it takes that kinda child-like faith to follow the Father when everything around us feels like it’s going haywire!

When my guys were little,  they didn’t wonder IF we’d have dinner, they just wanted to know what & when. When we went through a super lean financial season & I sometimes wondered where the next meal might come from, they had no idea.

Y’all, I think the Father desires the same trust FOR us! Proverbs 17:24 tells us that sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fools eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

How might our peace increase if we limited our perspective to trust The One Who goes before?

I just  read how the prophet Elisha is surrounded by troops, horses & armies sent to capture him, but he does not flinch. His servant cries, “Oh, what will we do now?”

I love Elisha’s prayer: “ Oh Lord, open his eyes & let him see!“

The Lord DOES open his eyes & he suddenly sees an entire hillside of horses & chariots of fire! THEN Elisha prays for the enemy troops to become blind, & God answers!

When we keep our eyes glued on Wisdom, He opens our eyes to the bigger picture & shuts the eyes of the enemy!

It’s not that we need deny what’s happening around us, but HOW we process the knowledge changes when we keep our eyes resolute on our Rescuer & Redeemer!

Temptations lose their luster & fears begin to fade when we keep binocular-like focus on The One Who IS The Way ahead!

Jesus, You ARE Wisdom AND Peace! When fears begin to creep in or temptations start nipping at our heals, may we make little fist binoculars to remind us to keep our mind stayed on You for it is there that we find perfect Peace!

#OneYearBible

June 24th One Year Bible Readings

2 KINGS 6:1-7:20

ACTS 15:36-16:15

PSALM 142:1-7

PROVERBS 17:24-25