Sage Words » Paula Wiseman

In and Out, Past, Present and Future

Paula Wiseman — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:10:52 +0000

In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul instructs us "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him…"

We received Jesus Christ in the past.

We walk in Him in the present and continue to do so in the future.

We are deeply rooted in Him, internally, including our thoughts and feelings, so that they honor Christ.

We are built up in Him so that our visible, external actions reflect Jesus Christ.

Every facet of our being, and our very existence is a testimony to our Lord.

Asking for Wisdom

Paula Wiseman — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:27:40 +0000

This week in VBS, our theme verse has come from James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. The Message renders it, "If you don't know what you're doing…"

Let's condense it for just a moment- If you lack wisdom, ask God and it will be given to [you]. That's will. A promise. God doesn't want us wandering through life, so He makes a guaranteed offer to help us out.

Now that part we condensed out is just as amazing. This wisdom is available to anybody who asks for it. Not just leaders. Not just super-Christians. God gives it to everyone. And that's "gives" not "gave". The offer is still open. God gives that wisdom generously (the way He gives everything!). He doesn't parcel out a piece of wisdom here and there and make us figure out the details ourselves. Finally, He doesn't criticize or rebuke us for asking. There's no "how dare you?", no "how could you NOT know the answer to that one!" He encourages us to freely ask.

This blanket offer hinges on wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge. God is not promising to answer every question we come up with. He's promising to give us direction and help us move forward. So like The Message says, "If you don't know what you're doing" in that relationship, in that vocation, in that ministry, in that… whatever, ask God

The Wisdom of Suffering

STT: Memorize

Paula Wiseman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:08:59 +0000

Believe it or not, a key component to your Bible study is memorization. I know, we think memory verses are for kids, and we have way too much to remember NOW. Adding Bible verses will cause a total system shutdown.

What if it was easy?

Foolproof?

Would you be willing to give it a try?

Kay Arthur has the easiest method of memorization I've ever run across. All you have to do is read. She says read the Scripture three times, out loud, in the morning, at midday and before bed. Just read. Look at it the whole time. Don't worry about trying to remember it. In seven days, the verse will be locked in your memory.

Try it for yourself and let me know how it works for you.

Study Tip: Keeping it fresh

Success in Perspective

Paula Wiseman — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:08:44 +0000

I am a nerd. I admit it. I enjoy reading Chronicles. If you don't get hung up on the names, there are some interesting stories. With Chronicles, you also get commentary about the individuals, sometimes including their motives. Chapter 26 tells of King Uzziah. I suppose he's most famous for dying. (You know, Isaiah 6:1… 'In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up…")

He became king at 16 and reigned for 52 years. That's a tremendous burden, being responsible for a nation of God's people, surrounded on every side by enemies, especially for a teenager. There was a prophet named Zechariah- not THAT Zechariah- and Uzziah depended on the prophet's counsel. Verse 5 says 'as long as [Uzziah] sought the Lord, God made him prosper'.

However, verse 16 says, "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction…" After a string of successes, he decided he could set his own agenda. The rest of the chapter tells how he went into the temple with the intent of burning the incense. That was a job for the descendants of Aaron and them alone. For his presumption, he was immediately struck with leprosy and lived out the rest of his days in exile in his own house.

That's where the story hits home – There have been times when I've presumed to do things my way, and expected Him to bless my efforts. He'd blessed me before with success. To me, that indicated I knew what I was doing. I was wrong. We will never get to the place where we can operate on our own. It is only when we seek the Lord that success comes. And in truly seeking God, success is no longer the goal, but a footnote.

[This is a repost- VBS & football camp this week- things are crazy. Thanks for understanding.]

Practice

Paula Wiseman — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:44:42 +0000

"Mom, I think the toilet's clogged."

Yes, pleasant good morning to you, too. Not what I had on my list for the day. And it NEVER happens when Dad is home. Now I'm gonna be behind, probably for the rest of the day. Great.

Sound familiar? Not the toilet part, the responses do, I bet. Life throws us a little curve and we react immediately. Grumbling, complaining, maybe even some of that "unsanctified" speech slips – or floods – out.

But it's not "life" throwing anything. It's God.
God backs up toilets? (Well, is He sovereign or isn't He?) But plumbing? Isn't that insanely micro-managing things? (Okay, micro-managing is for control freaks. Control freaks try to run things they can't or shouldn't. God can and does rule over everything, and sovereignty over these little details is evidence of His vast knowledge and power.)

So why does God mess with all these little details, allowing these aggravations into our lives? It's training. The annoyances give us a chance to practice all those sweet-sounding lessons we learn on Sundays. How will we respond when the car doesn't start? Were those hymns and praise songs just lip service? What will we do when the three year old paints her bedsheets with nail polish? What kind of God will she see modeled in our response?

God arranges everything in our lives to make us more Christ-like. Sometimes He uses a "lecture" setting, like sermons or Bible study, and other times, He gives us a "lab" exercise, to put those ideas into action. The more practice, the more those lessons become second-nature.

BTW – That opening line… that was how my day started. It turned out to be no big deal. The rest of the day… we'll have to wait and see.

Blueprint Freak (juliegillies.com)

Busyness

STT: Approach

Paula Wiseman — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:23:20 +0000

Studying God's word as a habit runs a risk of becoming a boring routine. Instead, each time we sit down at our desk or wherever we study, we should expect to hear directly from the God of the universe, the Savior who loves us and gave Himself for our redemption. What a privilege!

We don't have to wonder, like ancient pagans, if we have angered God or how we can please Him. He tells us plainly who He is and what He expects.

He didn't save us, then leave to figure things out for ourselves. He gave us a Guidebook, a personal Guide in the Holy Spirit, and 24 hour access to His throne Room.

But He never forces us to utilize those resources. He leaves the decision with us.
Do we want to continue to struggle and question, or would we rather find comfort and reassurance?
Do we prefer stress and burdens, or could we take the easy way out and let God handle it?

Studying, absorbing, integrating His word into our lives is a key to developing intimacy with God. However, if we approach it as a mindless to-do item, or if we're guilted into it, we lose sight of those benefits.

If your study time has become mechanical (or non-existent), here's a suggestion. Leave the notebook behind. Change venues. (I read at my desk- I could move to the backporch.) Change Bibles. (Grab something other than my marked-up study Bible.)

Just read. And don't stop until God speaks. He honors that desire to know Him and hear from Him.

Then after you hear FROM Him, be ready to do FOR Him.