WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPAL THING

WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPAL THING

October 2014. My knee started hurting, then my thigh, then my back; I forgot to just ask for wisdom from the Lord on what it was and what to do to make it go away. I took ibuprophen and was handling it myself. The pain subsided somewhat, but it wasn’t going away. I persevered on my own for about two weeks and it was wearing me down. I finally woke up spiritually and ask the Lord for wisdom. The message I got was to ask my roommate, Jane, to pray with me for the answer, so that’s what we did. The next day I went off to work like every other day. Only this day I got the revelation of what was causing my pain and the wisdom from God on how to get rid of it.

 

I sat down on the floor to touch up another baseboard in one of the penthouse rooms of a Las Vegas Strip hotel. Then as I crawled along to the next spot, I got the news flash from the Lord! I was sitting in a scrunched down position with both legs tucked under me to the side and I was bent over. I put my legs on the other side and the same exact pinch happened on the other side and I realized I’d been sitting and crawling in this position for about two weeks, 7 hours a day. No wonder I was having pinches and pain. I made a conscious effort to change how I was positioning myself and the pain dissipated and in a day or so, the pain was gone.

 

Just because you don’t have an instant miracle of healing, doesn’t mean God’s not healing you. He’s given us many ways to get pain free and to get healed up.

 

There’s much to learn about healing but whenever we get sick there is always one thing we should do first and that’s take it to the Lord in prayer, and ask for wisdom. Ask Him: “Should I go to the doctor? Ask someone to pray for me? Drink more water and take a couple aspirin? What should I do, Lord?”

 

We ask for His wisdom on what to do to get healed. God wants us to be healthy, so He’s glad to give us His wisdom.

 

In Proverbs 4:7, God tells us: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

 

In the Old Testament, when God asked King Soloman what he wanted most, Soloman said he wanted wisdom. “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore” (1 Kings 4:29).

In the New Testament, James 3:17 tells us more about God’s kind of wisdom:

 

James 3:17 says: “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

 

Did you see that? The Lord is saying that His wisdom is “EASY to be entreated.” God did NOT make it hard, nor did he make it only for special people, but for all of us who are born again of His spirit.

 

I keep a small copy of this painting by Zurbaran above my desk where I take care of a lot of my day-to-day affairs—bills, research folders, medical stuff, etc. I think it’s a great representation of how the Holy Spirit (represented by the dove) gets someone’s attention to focus upward on the spiritual and get wisdom from God for the everyday stuff.

 

So how does this wisdom come? Unlike Zurbaran, we don’t always, or maybe never, get a vision of a dove, but we do get the Lord’s wisdom in the same way natural wisdom comes to us—by the senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or a combination of any of these, which sometimes exhibits as a sense of knowing. The big difference is that the spiritual senses are not in the natural, but in the spiritual realm, affecting the natural. But as with the natural senses, we need to pay attention to what our senses are registering, study them, focus on them, and test them, so that we become more expert in the messages they’re presenting to us.

 

How about us taking just one of the five senses this week to focus on and find out what we can learn. Touch, smell, taste, see, and hear. Which one do you choose?

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Check out Amazon to see what other TRUE LIFE STORIES I have available. They all deal with APPLYING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wings+volume+2+by+carolyn+molica&crid=2YEEW5LHSUZF0&sprefix=wings+volume+2+by+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C207&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

THE 'TO' IN 'GLORY TO GLORY'

 

THE “TO” IN “GLORY TO GLORY”

2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us that when we seek the Lord we are being changed from glory to glory. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass [mirror] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” It’s not just the one time, when we get born again, but the many times we are required by God to drop aspects of our old nature and put on the new nature of the Christ within. The glory part on either side, is awesome, but what about the “to” part in between?

 

CHANGE – OUCH! Keeping the status quo may not be exciting, but at least it’s somewhat comfortable—it’s what we’re used to. But when we want to see more of the Lord in our lives, we often need to step out into a learning area – the “to” time. And since God knows our hearts, He sometimes lets us be thrown into a “to” time and we don’t even know it’s happening, or why, or how we got there.

 

In a documentary video I saw, the guide was talking to a tour group in the Negev desert. The guide had the students look across the way at a bare hillside traversed with well-worn sheep paths. The group watched as two shepherd girls led their flock across the landscape. He told the group that in this area, this was called “green pastures!” It looked totally brown and barren in the video, but the guide went on to tell the students that they needed to look a bit closer at the situation with the sheep. That’s what we need to do with the “to” places – look a bit closer to see what the Lord wants to get out of the experience.

 

The guide explained that the sheep paths were just far enough apart so that a sheep on either side could reach into the area between paths to eat. Eat what? It didn’t look like there was anything there. He explained that there was a little moisture in the morning and it only was enough to moisten around the bottom of the rocks. That’s where small tufts of grass would grow. The video panned in and sure enough you could see the damp darkened part at the bottom of the rocks and there popped up 3-inch to 5-inch thin tufts of grass. There was so little to eat, the sheep had to keep moving from one tuft to the next, but as they went, they were rewarded with enough food to satisfy them.  

 

That’s how it is when we traverse the “to” between the glory spots. It is in these times that the Lord does some restoring of our souls. Our spirits are perfect the minute we get born again, but our souls need some help and it’s in the times between the glory levels that the growing pains take place in our souls. A great Bible example of this is seen in the life of Joseph.

 

Joseph was the youngest son and the favorite of his father. He was happy and blessed, but he had one recognizable downfall: his pride. He had a dream and instead of keeping it to himself, he bragged about it to his brothers, who already didn’t like him because their father liked him best.

 

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.’

 

“His brothers said to him, ‘Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said” (Gen. 37:5-8).

 

Joseph was young and excited about his dream. He wanted everyone to know how blessed he was, so he told his brothers and his parents about the prophesy God gave him. But this was a big mistake! The prophesy was for him alone. It was prideful of him and unthoughtful to blatantly blast his family with his private revelation. He was a child and probably meant no harm, but sometimes we as adults also want to blast people with how great and righteous we are as Christians and all the wonderful things we’re doing, and God doing for us. But as we go through the “to” from glory to glory, the Lord has the knack for humbling us, so that we remember that we are not so smart, really, without His guidance!

 

Joseph’s brothers were so jealous and hateful, they at first planned to kill him outright. But the oldest brother talked the others out of it. However, they did decide to throw him in a pit, where he’d die on his own.

 

When we are in the transitional period between the times of glory (in that “to” place) we sometimes feel like we’ve been thrown in a pit too! My friend who was taking his son to school certainly felt that way, but he did the right thing. He continued to pray and look for the blessings.

 

Back to Joseph: After the brothers threw Joseph into the pit to die, they sat down to eat and when they looked up they saw a company of Ishmaelites and decided they could sell Joseph instead, and make some money. But there was another tribe, the Midianites, who came by just then.

 

“Then there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

 

“And Reuben [the older brother] returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes” (Gen. 37:28-29).

 

And this was just the beginning of Joseph experiencing the “to,” between his glory with his father and the glory he ended up having as Pharaoh’s right-hand man.

 

What do you think Joseph thought about? What emotional trauma did he go through during this time? He found out his brothers hated him enough to want to kill him. They not only stole his prized jacket, a gift from his father, but they didn’t even leave him with any water. He never knew that they were going to come back for him and sell him instead, though the idea they would trade him for money would hardly be much of a consolation in such a situation. Then he was probably tied up by the Midianites, then handed over to the Ishmeelites, who also probably treated him harshly as a foreigner and a prisoner till they could get him to Egypt, where they’d also sell him as merchandise.

 

When Joseph got to Egypt, he had a few glory times, but went through more “to” experiences as well. But we never again see him bragging about himself like he did before. Instead, he gave God the credit. He grew up in that “to” period and learned to humble himself and find out what God intended to teach him in those times.

 

The Lord is with us in all the good times and all the tough times too. In each experience where we are challenged to get rid of some old characteristics like fear, arrogance, bitterness, anger, laziness, or whatever it is, God will lead us to those tufts of sweet grass at the base of the rocks, like He did for the sheep. And we can come through to a higher place of glory in Him, like Joseph did in the land of Egypt.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Check out Amazon to see what other TRUE LIFE STORIES I have available. They all deal with APPLYING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

 

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Weekly-Workbook-Christian/dp/B0874LGZ34/ref=sr_1_2?crid=EZNJZZUP3KHG&dchild=1&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&linkCode=ll2&linkId=db88efb13727dcb484eb29f5b1683284&qid=1588347162&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C353&sr=8-2

 

LANGUAGE?

 Thank you everyone who reads my posts!!! God bless you all individually with the desires of your hearts. He loves us all and we mean so much to Him! I want to learn some new languages so that I can write my posts in the other languages I learn. So I have a question for you.

Do you all read my posts in English or are they translated on Blogger into another language? What language do you get my posts translated into. Please send me your answers to my email at carolynmolica@hotmail.com. Thanks you so much!

Love, Carolyn

SELF-RESPECT

 Thirty-two years ago, in 1992, I decided to teach myself to paint. One of my ideas was to cut out photos from newspapers and magazines and then try to paint them. I chose black and white ones for my first attempt. Then, I learned that raw umber and ultramarine blue made a nice black, so I mixed up some and started. The first picture that inspired me was the face of a young Black American girl. She was financially poor. But in one way, she was wealthy, and it showed on her face. The photo captured my attention and my heart.

There was dignity in her expression and self-respect, and I wanted to portray her deep inner strength. She held her head high as her face expressed drive and courage. When I saw the photo, I thought, “No matter what her circumstances are, she believes in her worth, and that’s what I want to paint.”

I have the finished painting in the living room, across from where I sit.  The emotional impact continues to inspire me. This girl may not have had money or things, but she had dignity and pride in who she was. In my teenage years, I’d lost that and let people mistreat me because I didn’t think I deserved to be treated well.  But when I started to study God’s Word, my self-worth was re-ignited.  

 

I think God sees us much like I see the painting of the girl’s face. He’s proud of us. He sees right past any of our outward frailties or inward shortcomings. He smiles when we believe in ourselves and hold our heads high. We are His kids. We have a right to dignity and the courage to believe and walk out on His Word step by step into our futures. We learn a lot by just doing—finding out what works and what doesn’t work for us. Maybe not immediately, but eventually, we learn to recognize how He works in our lives, and we truly learn to trust Him and His Word.

Psalm 139:14 is a great verse to tell ourselves if we’re ever feeling bad about ourselves: “I will give thanks and praise to You [God], for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.”

 

God says we’re fearfully (awesomely, respectfully) made. God took time thinking about us even before we were born: what we would look like (what color eyes, the color of our skin, whether we would have freckles or not, all that physical stuff.) He carefully planned where we’d be born, what kind of cultural environment we’d be in, what our voices would sound like, and what we would enjoy. He thought about all that in great detail and made each person unique. Then He said, “Wonderful!” We may not always agree with Him, but we need to!

 

Zechariah 2:8 tells us we are the apple of God’s eye and warns those who go up against us. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘After glory, He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.’”(NASB).

 

I like how The Living Bible translates this: “The Lord of Glory has sent me against the nations that oppressed you, for he who harms you sticks his finger in Jehovah’s eye!”

 

This verse specifically talks about nations who plunder God’s people, but Satan also uses demons to get people to plunder themselves by self-mutilation of one form or another. Even speaking badly about ourselves can be a form of mutilation of the mind, heart, and spirit.

 

Since God says we were awesomely, respectfully, and thoughtfully made, we need to respect ourselves for what God created! Let’s not stick a finger in His eye! Instead, the next time we look into the mirror, let’s say to that person, “You, yes YOU, are wonderfully made by God, and you are the apple of His eye. Respect yourself!”

 

Love, Carolyn

 

More good truths from God’s Word and how to apply these truths in everyday living—get your copy of WINGS: A Journey in Faith 

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Weekly-Workbook-Christian/dp/B0874LGZ34/ref=sr_1_2?crid=EZNJZZUP3KHG&dchild=1&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&linkCode=ll2&linkId=db88efb13727dcb484eb29f5b1683284&qid=1588347162&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C353&sr=8-2

WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT REST?

WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT REST?

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Heb. 4:9). We have rest when we learn to discern between what is God’s job and what is ours. Sometimes we look at the godly things we’re praying for, and we think God is working too slowly in getting them done. We get tricked into trying to help God out, taking on burdens and tasks that are not ours. When we do that, we discard any rest we might have had. Our actions bring frustration, stress, sore muscles, and various pains. In the case of the Hebrews who escaped Egypt, their weariness with God’s timing ended in death. God planned a great future for them in a beautiful land, but their impatience and arrogance kept them out. Arrogance hardened their hearts, and they could no longer rest in God.

 

Moses was in direct communication with God and went up the mountain to receive God’s will for the people. But the people got annoyed.

 

“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him’” (Ex. 32:1)

 

Aaron and the people were quick to come up with their own solutions.

 

“So Aaron said to them, ‘Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf.

 

“And they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ (Ex. 32:2-4).

 

That was a big lie. The one true God brought them out of Egypt, a God who they couldn’t see with their eyes. Instead of trusting Him, they took matters into their own hands, thinking they had a better way to get themselves through the wilderness and to a better place. They wanted something they could see with their physical eyes, so they sacrificed their precious possessions and made a golden calf.

 

When we try to do God’s job, we sacrifice our precious possessions as well. We sacrifice our peace and replace it with anxiety. We sacrifice our rest and replace it with strained and worried muscles. We sacrifice a healthy mind for a pained body. These things are not good.

 

“And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves” (Ex. 32:7).  The people became corrupted because they lacked patience. We’ve all been there when we forge ahead with our ideas and try to force God’s hand. We don’t do this on purpose, but we need to beware if we start.

 

When a thing gets corrupted, it gets perverted and doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. The corruption can be either be a diminishing or an addition. Rust is an example of addition. Rust perverts a good clean pipe by growing on it, distorting it, and it eventually takes over. Once I had a plumber take out a rusted u-joint. It had so much rust on it that the pipe’s interior was barely an eighth of an inch opening. Rheumatoid arthritis is a corruption of bone cells where it grows extensions that shouldn’t be there.

 

We need to keep corruption out of our prayer life and our thought life. A good way to do that is to come into the rest of God. Let God do His work. Be patient and trust Him to do His work.

 

Genesis 2:2 tells us: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” God rested from His work, and that’s a good lesson for us.

 

Hebrews 4:9-10 tells us: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”

 

The Bible is telling us we need to cease from pushing our ways and trust His ways instead. Don’t get impatient with God; it will corrupt us.  “Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, ‘Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness’” (Heb. 3:7-9). The Hebrews brought calamity and catastrophe to themselves by trying to do what they thought God wanted instead of doing what He actually wanted.  

 

The Lord already knows that impatience comes easily, while rest does not. When we get started on a thing, it’s hard to stop, especially if we think it’s a righteous, God-ordained thing.

 

We need to know when to pray and when to stop and let God do what He does. Impatient, pushy prayer doesn’t move God any faster. It just backfires on us, and God doesn’t want that. Like His plan for the Hebrews, to go to a good place, God has a good plan for our health and welfare too. It’s vital for us to be open to when God says for us to rest. Trust Him, don’t push Him.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

I hope you’ll purchase one of my books. You can find then on Amazon. 😊

https://www.amazon.com/BIBLE-LESSONS-NATURE-Carolyn-Molica-ebook/dp/B0BV896YV8?ref_=ast_author_mpb