September 11’s devotional. Wisdom from above does not begin with confidence in ourselves. It begins with dependence upon God. Xolani asked us to consider the difference between someone who appears impressive and someone who genuinely lives wisely. He reminded us, “We may be certain of this. With every good gift that the Lord gives to his children, Satan will always offer a counterfeit.” True wisdom does not come from being clever, experienced, influential, or impressive. It comes from God. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” Heavenly wisdom has a heavenly source.
That means we do not have to pretend that we know everything. We do not have to manufacture wisdom through our own strength. James gives us a gracious invitation in James 1:5: “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to him.” Think about that promise. When you face a difficult decision at work, a disagreement with your wife, a parenting challenge, or a responsibility you do not know how to handle, you can ask God for wisdom. He does not shame you for lacking it. He invites you to come to Him.
But where does this wisdom begin? Xolani pointed us to Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The fear of the Lord means recognizing who God is. He is holy. He is sovereign. He sees everything. He knows everything. He reigns over everything. Xolani said, “True wisdom, not the wisdom of the world, not the world’s imitation of it. True wisdom is what we are to pursue.” That pursuit starts when we stop trusting ourselves and bow before God. When we fear Him, we listen to Him. When we listen to Him, we obey Him. Wisdom from above begins with reverence and produces humble dependence.
So start today with prayer. Before you open your laptop, begin the school run, face a difficult conversation, or make an important decision, ask God specifically for wisdom. Then open His Word and ask what principles should govern your response. Do not simply ask, “What do I want to do?” Ask, “What would honor the Lord?” At dinner, ask your family to name one situation where each person needs God’s wisdom. Then pray together. Teach your children that wisdom does not mean having every answer. Wisdom means knowing where to go for the answers. As Xolani reminded us, “Seek it in prayer. Seek it in the word of God. seek it in humble obedience to God our savior.”
Father, we confess that we often trust our own understanding. We lean on our experience, our preferences, and our ability to solve problems. Forgive us for relying on ourselves instead of looking to You. Teach us to fear You rightly and to recognize Your holiness, authority, sovereignty, and goodness. Give us wisdom for our homes, our work, our relationships, and our decisions. Make us humble enough to ask and obedient enough to follow what You show us in Your Word. Help us teach our children to seek Your wisdom rather than their own way. May the wisdom from above shape our words, our choices, and our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.