Who Is Wise?

Who Is Wise? (Hosea 14:9)

"Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them."

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:3 that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. I was reminded of that instruction when I read Hosea in my regular Bible reading this week. It occurred to me that many of us, especially men, consider ourselves wiser than we are. Hosea's words are good for us.

"Who is wise?" Hosea asks of us? "Who is prudent?" he asks. Then he answers the questions for us. That man (or woman) is wise and prudent who knows that "the ways of the Lord" and accepts them as "right." The wise and prudent understand the need to walk in those ways. Those who don't understand this wisdom "stumble" in the Lord's ways.

So, let's test ourselves. Would Hosea label us as wise and prudent? Are we convinced that the ways of the Lord are right? Do we walk in them? Or, do we stumble in them? Our answers to these questions will go a long way in determining the effectiveness of our fight for freedom.
We won't know victory unless we meet the biblical standard for "wise and prudent."

In recent days I've been asking the Lord to show me who I really am. It's not enough for me to think I know who I am. Scripture tells me that I am easily deceived. Most of us know how to deceive ourselves. Hosea spoke to people who had convinced themselves that they were wise and prudent when they were anything but! As we read his words, we need to think carefully and cautiously about our lives.

What evidence exists to confirm that we know "the ways of the Lord are right?" Do we walk in them with strong consistency? Or, do we discover frequent stumbles in His ways? Some who read this Freedom Fighter sense confidence as they examine themselves after reading Hosea's words.

Others feel discouraged. Don't be! If you've taken the time to think about His words and didn't like the conclusions, you can move forward with new, fresh goals in the pursuit of the Lord's ways.

True wise and prudent living flows from knowing and walking in the ways of the Lord. Embrace that pursuit; it's the only way all of us can avoid the stumbles that come from transgressing His ways. - Pastor Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 20; Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12

Great Quote: Safety does not depend on our conception of the absence of danger. Safety is found in God's presence, in the centre of His perfect will.--T. J Bach

Watch next week for Bernie Bostwick's devotionals on stewardship.