Godly wisdom
So once again I will do things
that shock and amaze them,
and I will destroy the wisdom
of those who claim to know
and understand. ~ Isaiah 29:14 (CEV)
The angel spoke about John: He will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. ~ Luke 1:16-17 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
In order to accept Christ and his ways we need to move beyond the wisdom that is really just cleverness, to the wisdom that is godly.
PRAYER:
Lord, in spite of your many great gifts we are still full of ourselves. We, and I include myself, think too highly of our wisdom about how the world works. Turn my heart toward you again so that I can replace the tainted wisdom with the wisdom that comes from you. I desire to have your understanding -- and to live accordingly. Might Christ Jesus be glorified through my life. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
