50 Days of Wisdom
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Wisdom is a skill in living that begins with fearing God, then progresses to guarding your mind, choosing your companions, controlling your body, monitoring your words, pursuing your work, managing your money, and loving your neighbor. Very simple. But that’s it. And when you’ve done that, you’ve learned wisdom. It’s vital to be taught wisdom. For example, as a father, if I fail to teach my son to fear God, the devil will teach him to hate God. If I fail to teach my son to guard his mind, the devil will teach him to have an open mind. If I fail to teach my son to obey his parents, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ hearts. If I fail to teach my son to select his companions carefully, the devil will choose them for him. If I fail to teach my son to control his body, the devil will gladly teach him to give it completely over to his lusts. If I fail to teach my children to enjoy speech that is honorable to God, the devil will fill their mouths with filth. If I fail to teach my children to pursue their work, the devil will make them lazy. If I fail to teach them to manage their money, the devil will teach them to waste it on riotous living. If I fail to teach them to love their neighbor, the devil will gladly teach them to love only themselves.
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It’s All about Perspective
Scripture is filled with so much hope for those of us who go through trouble. That means even in the most profound of human agony, for the Christian there is great hope and triumph, no matter how deep the trouble. Going through any trial of life for a Christian can be a joyous experience if the perspective is right because it’s all about perspective. Now, as Job put it, “Man is born of trouble as the sparks fly upward.” In other words, trouble is inevitable. And anybody who tries to create a fantasy world where everything is perfect is only setting themselves up for an even more profound sorrow. Trouble must be anticipated. It's true that the anticipation of the reality of sorrow, agony, and trouble coming close to us casts a sort of a shadow over even our highest joys, doesn't it? In a sense, it mitigates even the most wonderful events of life. Jesus wept, and nowhere in Scripture does it ever say He laughed. Perhaps He did, but His happiness at any occasion certainly would have been offset by His overwhelming sense of sadness over sin. Look, all of us, to some degree or another, are going to face trouble so we need to understand how to face that. Now, there was a man who potentially faced the severest trial any human being could ever endure. And the man’s name is Abraham. It says in Genesis 22:1, “It came to pass after these things that God did test Abraham.” This is a test or trial for Abraham. The severest trial that’s imaginable. God says, “I want a sacrifice out of you, and I want a human sacrifice. I want your son. So I want you to go to the mountain and kill him as an offering to me.” And what makes it the severest trial ever is not that Isaac was to die, but that Abraham was to kill him with his own hand. What a trial. Contradictory, indescribable, painful, murderous. It was inconsistent with everything he knew about God, and yet he was submissive and obedient, and worshiped God at any cost. And God accepted Abraham’s willingness in place of his performance. God judged him on his willingness and didn’t make him carry out the act. Now, Abraham shows us that we might be tested in things very near to us, like a son, a daughter, a husband, a wife, or a friend. We may have to offer up our own Isaac, give the ones we love most over to the Lord, not only in death, but maybe in life. Maybe by letting them go the way that God wants them to go and not necessarily the way we want them to go. But I think that we can conclude from this that the more difficult the obedience, the more excellent the obedience. And here you have an obedience that takes tremendous self-denial and therefore is the most excellent. Abraham passed the test. Beloved, we have to realize that God is going to allow us to go through tests. And the thing that sustains us in the midst of those tests is our trust in God, our faith that God is working all things out for His own holy purpose. Trials, therefore, are not evidence that God has forsaken us; they are evidence that God is with us. Repent and believe! GTY.org (59-5) - The Purpose of Trials – 59-5
Today's Wisdom
January 14, 2026
Day: 843
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My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, “I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.
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Mark Paul - Servant of God
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