Thankful For Wisdom | Thankful Thursday

Hello friends! Today is Thursday and it is time to count our blessings. Do you keep a gratitude log? Sometimes I make a list in my gratitude journal, sometimes I write in a gratitude journal my friend sent me, and other times I simply reflect on things I am grateful for in my prayer time with God. It is so important to take time to remember the goodness of God. It not only encourages us in the moment, but when we have a rough day, we can go back and see how faithful God has been to us when we read through those lists of things the LORD has done.

This week I want to thank God for wisdom. I do not always understand how to do certain things God is calling me to do. I know how to write, but getting all the pieces to fit in the puzzle in regards to publishing my book is sometimes a challenge. I know that God promised to give us wisdom if we ask Him. JEREMIAH 33:3 Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. We must ask God, He promises to answer us, and to reveal great and mighty things we do not know. I am so glad He does that.

Sometimes He sends help through a friend, a book, an acquaintance, a video, or other various forms. What are you needing God to show you? All we must do is ask. JAMES 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. God promises to give us wisdom generously if we will ask Him. He upbraideth not, which means He is not going to rebuke us or severely scold us. He wants us to have wisdom because the end of that verse says that when we ask, wisdom SHALL be given to us! What is something God has recently taught you to do?

In DANIEL 6:3 it tells us something about Daniel's character: Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.  Why did Daniel have an excellent spirit? He communed with God. He sought God. He prayed and fasted and had a relationship with God. That translated into everything He did. You and I are to do the same thing. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. MATTHEW 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Daniel was not born with this knowledge; he did not study to get this great wisdom; rather he asked God to give him wisdom and God did so. He will do the same thing for us.

Do you remember reading in the second chapter of the book of Daniel, how that the king had a dream and could not recall what he dreamed? It troubled him so much that even though he could not remember the dream, he knew it was significant. So he asks the impossible! DANIEL 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. He asks for the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to come and tell him what he dreamed but they could not do it. They had no power to tell anyone what they dreamed. God alone can do that! He did not call on God first. We must be careful where we seek our wisdom from. The world cannot help us. Social media cannot help us. The government cannot help us. There is no other source to turn to for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding but God. 

PROVERBS 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

PROVERBS 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

PROVERBS 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

PROVERBS 19:8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

Throughout the book of Proverbs we see the importance of obtaining wisdom.

The king was upset that the magicians and soothsayers could not tell him what he dreamed. He was so angry that he decided he would destroy them all. This dream was so disturbing in his spirit that he was not even willing to think reasonably beyond wanting something no one had ever asked of another human being before. They answered the king, "If you tell us your dream, we will give you the interpretation of it."

DANIEL 2:5,6 (5)The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. (6)But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

The king told them he cannot remember the dream. He wants them to either tell him what he dreamed and what it meant, or he will cut them in pieces and destroy their households. That is a desperate king! They answer the same way they did before, asking for him to tell them the dream so they could interpret it. He tells them they are just stalling for time and he will kill them if they will not do what he says. They are shocked and perplexed. This does not seem fair to them and they tell him that he is asking something impossible; something no other ruler would dare ask.

DANIEL 2:12, 13 (12)For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (13)And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. That escalated pretty quickly! Now the king decides to annihilate all the wise men because those who used witchcraft were unable to do what he asked. Now they are coming for God's chosen man, Daniel and his fellows. Arioch, the king's captain told Daniel why he was in such a hurry to execute all the wise men, so Daniel went to the king and asked for some time and then he would give the interpretation. That is great faith that God will do this. Daniel knew this was something only God could do. The king granted him the time to seek the answer.

Daniel went to other wise and faithful men unto God: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, or as we know them: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It is important to seek out others with integrity and a heart for God when looking for wisdom and knowledge about a matter. These four men begin to pray and ask God to do the impossible and He showed up in a big way!

DANIEL 2:20-23 (20)Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: (21)And He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: (22)He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. (23)I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of Thee: for Thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

What Daniel did not do was brag about how he figured it out. He did not tell others what God revealed to himself. He asked for wisdom and prayed with other believers and God came through. It is so important that we never take the credit for something God did. He alone gets the honor and glory! Look how Daniel handled the situation.

DANIEL 2:27-30 (27)Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; (28)But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; (29)As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. (30)But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

Daniel revealed the king's dream and then gave the meaning of the dreams. He gave God all the glory. God gives us wisdom to do things and be successful in life. We must not take credit for things He has done. It is vain and foolish for us to take credit for something only God can do.

I am so thankful for wisdom. I am grateful that I serve a God who cares so much about His children that He wants to help them succeed and do well in life. He wants us to come and ask Him for this wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

I hope you have been reflecting on how good God has been to you. We are living in a season of uncertainty with so many conflicts around the globe, so much persecution, wars, rumors of wars, and sickness, but God is in control. He is on the throne and He is not upset, nervous, or scared about what He sees taking place. Run to Him and ask Him to give you wisdom if you lack it and He promises to give it to you generously.

Thank you for joining me on this Thankful Thursday to count my blessings with me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Clarity | Thankful Thursday

Thankful for clarity?

I have been fasting this month. I do not say that to boast, because I could not do that if it wasn't for the Lord helping me. I am on a 21 day fast where I have chosen to give up one of the biggest conveniences in my life: fast food. I am on the road a lot. I travel a lot for work. My schedule is such that I can be pretty flexible with my schedule so if I want to run through a drive-thru and grab something to eat I am able. Giving up fast food has turned out to be a bigger sacrifice that I first thought it would be. But something happens when we fast and pray. God always hears and answers our prayers, but when we add fasting to our prayer life, it takes things to a deeper level. God starts revealing things to us. I have been seeking clarity in some areas of my life and He is definitely bringing it.

My word for the year is FOCUS. This is quite interesting, because I thought it was PLANS at first. Turns out as I was seeking God at the altar that God spoke to my heart that I am to FOCUS on Him. He said He has great PLANS for my life this year. He will bring it all to pass as long as I remain laser-focused on His Word, His love, His goodness, His grace, and His mercy.

One of the things I got clarity on was my writing. I am to stay on task for writing three blog posts a week. I am also supposed to finish the last portion of edits so my book, "Who Wants The Bread," can be published and made available to anyone who wants a copy. I have had multiple people ask about the Youth Prayer Journals and so I am excited about getting those uploaded as well. The Youth Prayer Journals turned out even better than I expected. I give God all the glory and honor. It was absolutely His ideas and design.

If you need clarity today for something you are going through, turn to God. He will give you wisdom and help you make your decisions. He is for you and not against you. He wants us to ask Him for things we lack in our lives. He is there to strengthen us, settle us, and surprise us with His wonderful blessings.

HABAKKUK 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

It is important to write down the vision we have for our future, including what God's plan is for our future. If we keep it simple and read it often, we can focus on where we are headed. God has done miraculous, wonderful, supernatural things in 2021 for us, but we are now in 2022. He is going to do big things this year, too. He has already done some wonder-working, awe-inspiring things this month. We have to keep the vision in front of us so we can run! We need to move forward rapidly to be a part of all that God is doing around us.

HEBREWS 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have to focus on Jesus and not take our eyes off Him. He is the author of our faith; it originated with Him. He is the perfecter of our faith. He finishes the work He has begun in us just like He said He would in Philippians 1:6. He endured the cross, so if we think this year is going to be all pleasant and delightful with no pain or discomfort, we are missing the work Jesus did on the cross. This year began with laying to rest my husband's uncle. We have had some fun times and happy moments so far this year, but it has not been without its share of disappointments and sad times, too. If we focus on Jesus, the rough times will be smoother and the good times will be even better.

COLOSSIANS 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

The more we keep our eyes on Jesus and focus on heavenly things we will be content with where we are now. Storms may rage around us and threaten to destroy our vessels but God is with us and we will survive. This verse is one I am memorizing this month. It is important to set the things we care about the most in heavenly storage. The key to getting clarity is to stop looking around at the circumstances, or checking bank statements over and over, and to avoid letting these trials get us down. I once read a quote that says, "Ships don't sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don't let what's happening around you get inside you and weigh you down." I love that quote. It is so true.

JAMES 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

What a great verse to encourage and uplift us. If any of us lack wisdom, we can ask our Heavenly Father, and He will generously give it to us without ridiculing us or putting us down for not knowing. I always disliked asking someone to tell me what something meant and then they end up making fun of me for not knowing. God never does that to us. He is willing and able to give us all the wisdom we need to navigate through this life.

I thank God for the clarity He has given me on many things already this month. What are some of the things you are thankful for today?

Stay thankful! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm Chapter One | Bible Study Wednesday

PSALM CHAPTER ONE BIBLE STUDY

Verse one says those are blessed who choose not to live their lives after ungodly advise. Blessed are those who choose not to spend time with the ungodly. Blessed are the ones who do not sit and fellowship with scorners. The book of Proverbs tells us in chapter four, verse 14, "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men."

The Psalms are written by David, Moses, and others. My Bible does not say who wrote this first Psalm but it is one of my favorite passages to read. It is packed with wisdom; real-life, timeless knowledge that has remained true through the ages.

So if the blessed person is one who does not do those things, what should they be doing? Verse two tells us that they delight in the law of the LORD and think about it day and night. These people are actively pursuing the things of God. They check in with Him before they make decisions or go about their day. These are the ones who have focused on putting God first in their lives and the Bible calls them BLESSED. In Joshua chapter one, verse eight it reads, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make they way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Staying in the Word of God is key to being successful in 2022.

The promise of God to those blessed people, (which includes you and me if we are doing those things), is found in verse three. You and I will be like a tree planted by a water source like a river. The roots go deep and are watered by the river. We can plant ourselves in the center of God's Will. He is the Water of Life and we are to drink freely. He sustains us. He nourishes us. He refreshes us. In time, in the right season, we will produce fruit that shows we are rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus. The things we say, the way we do anything, the way we treat others will all reflect back on our relationship with Jesus and we will bear much fruit. 

The Bible says our leaves won't even wither. This is huge!!! The scorching sun beats down on the plants and when it hasn't rained and it has not been watered, the leaves dehydrate and shrivel up. If we get away from the source of life-giving water, which is Jesus Christ, then we will dehydrate. We will become sick, and dry and we will collapse. The Christians who crawl through troubles and tribulations are those who have been disconnected from the water source. They need refreshing from the well that won't run dry! If you can relate and you say, "2021 drained me dry," then I have great news for you, get up, crawl if you must, but go to the source of the living water. His name is Jesus and call upon Him. Ask Him for a refreshing and watch Him do it.

We get disconnected from the life-sustaining water source when we take our eyes off Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith. When we grow weary in the waiting, we look at the circumstances and temporary situation we are in. This distraction has now caused us to worry, doubt, fear the future, and lose hope. We start to dehydrate. The situation God placed us in for a time, but not forever, has now become a source of despair and with the disconnection to the well of Living Water, we are now collapsing beneath the weight of the worry and sorrow we have allowed to take up residence in our hearts. If we had remained connected to the Living Water, we would have been unmovable. Have you ever seen a tree near a river? Those things are huge! They are strong and you cannot budge them an inch! They are steady and unmovable. That is the way God wants us to be: strong and unmovable regardless of what is going on around us. Snow and bitter cold may be near the icy stream but you cannot knock that tree down! Extreme heat and dry ground may be around the tree but the roots are down into that river and it is not going anywhere!

Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 7 & 8 read, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green: and shall not be careful (or anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." The key to producing fruit when others are not, when the circumstances around you says you should be failing, too, is remaining connected to the God who can never fail. How do we do that? We look to God, hope in His Word, and trust Him to see us through. We understand that things are tough and less than ideal, and maybe even scary, but we know our God is bigger and capable of bringing us out better than when we entered.

What about those who choose to live life on their own terms? We were given the choice to follow God or to say no and do our own thing. God will never force anyone to serve Him or love Him. He does not desire robots to do His bidding, but rather desires a relationship with His children that He loves so much. The Bible has a promise for them, too. Verse four says that these promises are not for the ungodly. They are life chaff, not much substance to them, and when the wind blows it scatters them. They are not steady, they are not secure. They are blown away and separated from the familiar and what once held them together. Job 21:18 says it like this, "They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away." Isaiah paints a vivid picture of what this look like. In Isaiah 17:13 it reads, "The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind." Chaff is the unusable part of wheat. It gets discarded. We are to be like the wheat and not the chaff. Let's remain rooted in Christ so we can be useful to Him and not blown away when life's storms threaten us.

One day God will return for His people. We all face the judgment seat of Christ. Some will see that they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and are wearing the righteousness of Christ. They will receive the crown of life that has been promised to them. Others will stand before God as judge and jury. He will have Jesus sitting right by His side and they will be without excuse. The perfect Lamb of God offered them the gift of eternal life and they refused. Verse five says this, "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment." Remember the way the leaves collapse without water? These trees were never rooted and grounded. Their leaves always dried up and withered and were unable to stand erect. These people are unable to stand in the day of judgment. There is nothing they can do but bow the knee and confess Jesus Christ is Lord, though they will forever be separated from Him. Verse five goes on to say, "Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." God will separate the sheep from the goats. There will be no sinners among the congregation of the righteous. The righteous made a choice to follow Jesus and live for Him. There is no fellowship with sinners because they do not want to hear about the things of God. They do not want to praise God or talk about His goodness or read His Word. So they will not be found in the congregation of the righteous. Why would they be? They do not desire to be among God's people.

The sixth and final verse says that the LORD knows the way of the righteous. In Psalm 37:18 & 19 we read, "The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." What an incredible illustration of how good God is. When the rest of the world is starving, God's people will be not only filled, but satisfied. They will have more than enough! The end of verse six is this, "but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Today is the day of salvation. If we are rooted and grounded in Christ, we have promises to be: sustained, satisfied, helped, refreshed, renewed, and bear fruit. If we are not, we have a chance today to get connected to the life-giving Living Water of Jesus Christ. If you once were rooted and grounded but you feel yourself slipping away, leaves withering, collapsing beneath the load of care, it's not too late for you. Plant yourself in the Word of God and allow the fertile soil to give you nutrients you are longing for. Stay by the River of Life and allow your roots to be hydrated by the source that will never run out. Come back to the refreshing stream.

I want to pray with you all before we end our Bible Study session today,

Heavenly Father,

I thank You for my friends and family that read my blog. I do not know every single person You lead here but I am thankful for them just the same. Lord I am asking that You bless my brothers and sisters in Christ who are planted by the streams of Living Water. I ask that You continue to bless them and nourish them like only You can. Father God, I am asking that You would show my brothers and sisters who were once deeply rooted and grounded in You, how to make their way back to You. Your arms are always open and You love them so much. Help them plant themselves in Your perfect will and help them to heal and refresh and renew at Your healing waters. Raise them up God so their leaves never wither or dry up. And God I am asking that You would save those who do not know You. You love them so much You sent Your Son Jesus to die on the cross of Calvary to give them eternal life. He died but You raised Him from the dead and I ask that Your resurrection power would quicken the spirits of those who do not know You. LORD I pray that they would forever be changed and would begin to grow roots that will ground them to You and Your Word in the precious name of Jesus. Amen

I hope something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you,

Bridgett Owens