Let’s recap God’s wisdom from yesterday’s devotional. It gives us an understanding heart, the ability to discern between good and evil, it is pure, and undefiled. James 3:14-16 is the root of man’s wisdom. I am paraphrasing. It comes from a self-seeking heart. It contains bitter envy, lies against the truth ~ leads to confusion and evil. Verse 15 says, “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.”

God’s wisdom helps us discern the lies of the enemy. Hebrews 5:14 says, “…who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” God’s wisdom gives us X-ray vision. Lies contain a hidden skeleton~agenda to defeat. When we allow them to penetrate, they will set up an inner stronghold.

In my experience, the fiery dart lies come in the first person ~ always defeating. “I can’t…I will never…I hate…” Anytime we have a thought against ourselves, others, or our circumstances, we can be sure that they are fiery darts. We are created in His image. We are loved unconditionally. We will stand before Him faultless!

Jude verse 25 says, “To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” Our source of True Wisdom comes from the Lord. Wisdom is a Person.

The One who is All Wise appeared to King Solomon. In first Kings 3:4, God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” What would you have answered? Solomon recognized his inability to lead, “…a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted” according to verse 8.

Verse 9 says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil…” The Lord granted his request. Verse 12 says, “…there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.”

We have the same opportunity. James 1:5 says, “…let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach…” All means without exception. James 3:17 described His wisdom as, “…first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

Colossians 1:11 says, “Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” Psalm 55:22 says that He will sustain us. Isiah 41:10 says that we are not to fear because He is with us. 

Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. Hebrews 12:2. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

Jude verse 24 says, “…that He will present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…” Moses asked to see the Lord’s glory. The Lord hid him in the cleft of a rock. Exodus 33:22-23says, “…while My glory passes by…will cover you with My hand…you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

One day we will stand before the Lord, face to face, faultless, and in the absolute fullness of exceeding joy! 1 Peter 1:9 says, “Receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” Eternally dwelling in His Presence.

Jude 24 says, “…keep you from stumbling…” What does it mean? James 3:2 says that we stumble in many ways. The Holy Spirit led me to compare Scripture with Scripture. 

Jesus told Peter that satan wanted to sift him as wheat. I love Jesus’ words. Luke 22:32 says, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

1 Peter 5:10 was written from that experience. It says, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

John 6:39 says, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” Jesus’ prayer just before His crucifixion. John 17:12 says, “…Those whom You gave Me I have kept…” Verse 20 says, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.”

Hebrews 7:25 says, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him…” Hebrews 1:14 was regarding angels. It says, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who WILL inherit salvation?”

No one is exempt from God’s love. Salvation is for all. 1 John 4:8-9 says, “…God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Never give up on anyone in your family or friends. There is always hope until they take their last breath. Let’s look inside of God’s heart. 2 Peter 3:9 says that He is, “…not willing that any should perish…”

Ask the Holy Spirit to bring names to your mind throughout your day. When He does, pray for that person. He knows how to bring conviction at the right moment. He knows their thoughts before they think them.

Jude verse 23 says, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” As I meditated on how God is able, my mind went to a kaleidoscope of Scriptures.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” That’s the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. The Amplified ends like this, “…(infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams).”

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie…” Titus 1:2 says, “In hope of  eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” Isaiah 59:1 says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear.”

Isaiah 40:25 says, “To whom then will you like Me, or to whom shall I be equal? says the Holy One.” Verse 28 says, “His understanding is unsearchable.”

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

2 Timothy 1:9 says, “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” 

We have a heritage. Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.”

Colossians 3:3 says, “…your life is hidden with Christ in God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

At salvation, we were set free from satan’s slave block of sin. Sin is no longer our master ~ sin is a choice.

In 1967 I stood in my front room and asked the Lord, “Who am I?” I was bound by the expectations of others. It took me many years to walk in the freedom that was mine through salvation.

Do you celebrate who you are? You are unique ~ no one else is like you. We all have combined experiences from our pasts that make up who we have become. Learning to walk in our identity in Christ, is part of our journey of progressive sanctification.

Bondage comes from the lies that we have believed along the way. Hosea 10:13 says, “…You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way…” Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 say the same thing. It’s a double warning to us.

The Amplified says, “There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.” Our fleshly appetite gets us into trouble. Galatians 5:16 says that when we walk in the Spirit, “…you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”

Consider this: all negative thoughts, conversations, gossip, worry, fear, unbelief, doubts, complaining, and the *list goes on. They are like contaminated dirt that covers our two gifts, so that we do not actively experience them.

The moment we realize that our inner peace or inner joy is gone, we should stop and ask the Holy Spirit why. He knows. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…” 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Holy Spirit.”

Proverbs 4:23 says to diligently guard our hearts. Be proactively vigilant through applying Psalm 143:4’s warning. It says, “Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works…” Matthew 13:34 says, “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Think of a pot of beans on the stove. If we don’t watch it can boil over in seconds. I know this from experience. It’s a great illustration for Psalm 19:13. It says, “Keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins…” We *presume we know something, and it boils over into sin.

Peace is a gift given the moment we accept Jesus as our personal Savior. Peace is an attribute of a Person, not a continual state of being. Isaiah 9:6 called Him the Prince of Peace.

Paul aptly described it in Philippians 4:7. We release all the things through prayer that are making us feel anxious or worried. Then the verse says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:14 says, “For He Himself is our peace…” Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…”

Joy is also an attribute of a Person, and is not changed because of adverse circumstances. Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Though peace and joy are irrevocable, we can block their presence through wrong thinking ~ toxic heart-thoughts. Matthew 15:19.