James 1:5-7
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

When making decisions, we should pray for wisdom. What form does this wisdom come in? Obviously God doesn’t answer all our questions or make all our decisions for us.

Whatever form God gives to us, we should expect to always receive it. I take this to be literal and not like a parable.

What do you say?

The greater part of wisdom consists in understanding the relationships between complementary truths.

–Dick Gaffin

Matthew 21:22
And everything—whatever you ask in prayer, believing—you will receive.”

1 John 5:14
Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

I’m not certain if these verses are exactly the idea that Mr. Gaffin is referring to but they came to mind as I read the quote.

This quote was taken from an interview with David Powlison.

Never Be Wise In Your Own Sight by John Piper

Proverbs 9:10 NRSV
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble.

Matthew 23:12
All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

If you approach the Scriptures with all humility and with regulated caution, you will perceive that you have been breathed upon by the Holy Will. It will bring about a transformation which is impossible to describe. You will perceive the delights of the Blessed Bridegroom; you will see the riches of Solomon. The hidden treasures of eternal wisdom will be yours. Yet I would caution you. The entrance to this abode of wisdom is narrow. The doorway is low, and there is danger in not stooping when you enter.

–Erasmus, The Handbook of the Militant Christian

Thanks to:
http://englishbibles.blogspot.com/2007/11/hen-scratches-23-11-07.html

Disclaimer: I’ve not read much of Erasmus, but I love this quote.

I’ve been reading a Psalm a day since the beginning of the month (easy to keep track of which Psalm I’m on–at least for a month) and highly recommend it. Since I’ve been concentrating so much on the New Testament it’s nice to get a dose of the OT everyday.

But if you want to read a Psalm now and then and would like something in a certain category, they are divided up here according to the book How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth.

Try a few thanksgiving Psalms for Thanksgiving.

Book 1: Ps. 1-41; Book 2: Ps. 42-72; Book 3: Ps. 73-89; Book 4: Ps. 90-106; Book 5: Ps. 107-150

Laments

• Individual-3; 22; 31; 39; 42; 57; 71; 88; 120; 139; 142
• Corporate-12;44;80;94;137

Thanksgiving

• Community-65; 67; 75; 107; 124; 136
• Individual-18; 30; 32; 34; 40; 66; 92; 116; 118; 138

Praise
God as:

• Creator-8; 19; 104; 148
• Protector and benefactor of Israel-66; 100; 111; 114; 149
• Lord of history-33; 103; 113; 117; 145-147

Celebration and Affirmation

• 2; 18; 20; 21; 24; 29; 45; 46; 47; 48; 50; 72; 76; 81; 84; 87; 89; 93; 95-99; 101; 110; 122; 132; 144

Wisdom

• 36; 37; 49; 73; 112; 127; 128; 133

Trust

• 11; 16; 23; 27; 62; 63; 91; 121; 125; 131

When reading and studying I don’t want to just build up knowledge, especially not knowledge that “puffs up”. (1 Corinthians 8:1) In addition to praying prior to each time I read and study I have come up with some indicators.

1) Does what I read and study cause me to pray about what I’m learning or being convicted of?

2) Do I ponder and meditate on what I’m reading?

3) Is what I’m learning producing change?

4) Does what I’m learning cause me to worship God?

5) Am I growing more humble with an attitude of fear and trembling instead of being puffed up?

Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Do you have anything to add? Since there aren’t many reading this blog I know I may be risking silence as I shout alone in my little corner of cyberspace.

Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame, so that with firmness and courage I may confess the Redeemer before men, go forth with Him hearing His reproach, be zealous with His knowledge, be filled with His wisdom, walk with His circumspection, ask counsel of Him in all things, repair to the Scriptures for His orders, stay my mind on His peace, knowing that nothing can befall me without His permission, appointment and administration.

From Openness – Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett. Reformatted by Eternal Life Ministries.
http://www.eternallifeministries.org/prayers.htm

I’ve been so busy moving to a new web host and email provider, moving this site from wordpress.com to its own domain and tweaking the look of this site I haven’t had time to get back to posting what I want to post. So today I will punt and post another quote.

Theology is faith seeking understanding, but understanding is more than theoretical. If we really grasp who and where we are as disciples, we should know how to live out our faith. All too often, however, the church professes its faith but is unsure how to practice it. Even some of my seminary students come to theology classes somewhat reluctantly, assuming that doctrine is neither practical nor relevant to their future ministry.

To define doctrine as direction for fitting participation in the drama of redemption – in what God is doing in Christ through the Spirit to form the church and renew creation – is to ensure that the understanding that faith seeks will not stop short of practice. My goal as a theologian is to move beyond the acquisition of knowledge to its application in real life: in a word, I want to get wisdom.

–Kevin Vanhoozer, Theologian