Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / May 13 - Growing in Wisdom and Courage
Transcript
- 0:02Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
- 0:06rooted in Scripture and relevant for today.
- 0:10May 13th Growing in wisdom and courage Life can feel like a lot
- 0:14sometimes. Like genuinely a lot.
- 0:17Between school demands, the pressure to figure out your
- 0:20future, navigating friendships that shift, and the constant
- 0:25noise of social media telling you who you should be, it's easy
- 0:29to feel pulled in every direction at once.
- 0:32And underneath all of that busyness, there's often a
- 0:35quieter question, Am I actually going to be OK?
- 0:39Proverbs chapter 15, verse 33 gives us something solid to hold
- 0:43onto. The fear of the Lord teaches a
- 0:46man wisdom and humility comes before honor.
- 0:50This fear isn't about being terrified of God.
- 0:53It's about recognizing how great He is and how much we need His
- 0:56guidance. It's the posture of a person who
- 1:00says, I don't have all the answers, but I know who does.
- 1:03And that posture, humble, open, reverent, is actually the
- 1:07starting point of real wisdom. Not academic wisdom, not St.
- 1:12smarts, but the kind of deep grounded knowing that helps you
- 1:15make good choices when everything around you feels
- 1:18uncertain. Then Psalm 53, verse 5 says
- 1:22something striking there. They are in great fear.
- 1:25For God is with the generation of the righteous.
- 1:28God is with his people. Not just in the good moments,
- 1:32not just when things go smoothly, but especially in the
- 1:35hard ones, when fear tries to creep in, when peer pressure
- 1:39makes the wrong choice look appealing, when you feel
- 1:42outnumbered or outpaced, God is right there, and that changes
- 1:46things. Courage isn't the absence of
- 1:49fear. Courage is taking the next step
- 1:51in the right direction, even when you're afraid, because you
- 1:54know you're not taking it alone. And then First Corinthians
- 1:58chapter 16, verses 1 to 2 brings in something unexpected.
- 2:03Paul gives practical instructions about setting aside
- 2:07money consistently every week as an act of generosity and
- 2:10obedience. It might seem like an odd thing
- 2:14to drop into a conversation about wisdom and courage, but
- 2:17there's something deeply important here.
- 2:20Wisdom isn't just about what you think or feel.
- 2:23It shows up in your daily habits, the small, intentional
- 2:26choices you make over and over again, the way you handle your
- 2:30money, your time, your energy, the quiet, consistent actions
- 2:35that nobody necessarily applauds, but that reflect a
- 2:38heart that's submitted to God. Here's the connection.
- 2:41Big courage is usually built from small consistency.
- 2:45You don't suddenly become brave in one dramatic moment.
- 2:49You become brave by making one honest choice, then another,
- 2:52then another, by practicing integrity when it's
- 2:55inconvenient, by giving when you could be keeping, by choosing
- 3:00what's right when nobody's watching.
- 3:02Those daily decisions are the training ground for the bigger
- 3:05moments that will come. So if you're feeling overwhelmed
- 3:09right now, you don't need to solve everything at once.
- 3:12Start with today. Ask God for wisdom in this
- 3:14moment. Take one humble step.
- 3:17Make one intentional choice that honors Him and trust that He is
- 3:22with you the way He has always been with the generation of
- 3:25those who walk in His ways. Wisdom and courage aren't
- 3:29personality traits you either have or you don't.
- 3:32They're the fruit of trusting God one day at a time.
- 3:35Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for
- 3:38being with me even when life feels overwhelming and
- 3:41confusing. I don't always know the right
- 3:43move, but I trust that You do. Teach me to walk in genuine
- 3:48wisdom, not just in big decisions, but in the small
- 3:51daily habits that shape who I'm becoming.
- 3:55Give me courage that comes from knowing you're beside me, and
- 3:58help me to make consistent, intentional choices that reflect
- 4:01your heart. I want my life to honor you in
- 4:04every ordinary moment in Jesus name, Amen.
- 4:08What if the battles hitting your family are not random and your
- 4:11home can become a place where darkness loses every right to
- 4:14stay? The Secured Home is a powerful
- 4:17six book prayer series for believers who want to guard
- 4:20their households with biblical authority, peace, and confidence
- 4:23in Jesus Christ. Book 1, Guarded Thresholds,
- 4:27fortifies every doorway, room, and entry point with prayerful
- 4:31protection. Book 2, Cleansed Rooms, helps
- 4:35reclaim spaces marked by fear, unrest, and spiritual
- 4:38defilement. Book 3, Closed Breaches, exposes
- 4:43hidden access points and severs every agreement with darkness.
- 4:47Book 4, Broken Assignments, confronts oppression, torment,
- 4:51and attacks against your family. Book 5, Consecrated Walls,
- 4:56dedicates every space and rhythm of the home to God.
- 5:00Book 6, Abiding Peace, shows how to maintain spiritual order,
- 5:04rest, and holy presence every day.
- 5:07Order now on Amazon or visit prayerscripts.org.
- 5:12Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
- 5:14Bible reading plan. Proverbs chapter 15 Verse 33
- 5:20World English Bible The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom before
- 5:24honor is humility. Psalm Chapter 53 World English
- 5:28Bible The fool has said in his heart there is no God.
- 5:33They are corrupt and have done abominable iniquity.
- 5:36There is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on
- 5:40the children of men to see if there are any who understood,
- 5:43who seek after God. Every one of them has gone back.
- 5:47They have become filthy together.
- 5:49There is no one who does good. No, not one have the workers of
- 5:53iniquity, no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread
- 5:57and don't call on God. There they were in great fear
- 6:00where No Fear was. For God has scattered the bones
- 6:03of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame
- 6:07because God has rejected them. Oh, that the salvation of Israel
- 6:11would come out of Zion. When God brings back his people
- 6:15from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be
- 6:18glad. First Corinthians Chapter 16,
- 6:22World English Bible Now concerning the collection for
- 6:26the Saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do
- 6:30likewise on the first day of every week.
- 6:33Let each one of you save as he may prosper, that no collections
- 6:37are made. When I come, When I arrive, I
- 6:40will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your
- 6:43gracious gift to Jerusalem. If it is appropriate for me to
- 6:46go also, they will go with me. But I will come to you when I
- 6:50have passed through Macedonia, for I am passing through
- 6:53Macedonia. But with you it may be that I
- 6:56will stay, or even winter that you may send me on my journey
- 7:00wherever I go. For I do not wish to see you now
- 7:04in passing, but I hope to stay a while with you if the Lord
- 7:07permits. But I will stay at Ephesus until
- 7:10Pentecost, for a great and effective door has opened to me,
- 7:14and there are many adversaries. Now if Timothy comes, see that
- 7:19he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as
- 7:22I also do. Therefore let no one despise
- 7:25him, but set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may
- 7:29come to me, for I expect him with the brothers.
- 7:33Now concerning Apollo's the brother, I strongly urged him to
- 7:37come to you with the brothers, and it was not at all his desire
- 7:40to come now. But he will come when he has an
- 7:42opportunity. Watch, stand firm in the faith,
- 7:47be courageous, be strong, let all that you do be done in love.
- 7:51Now I beg you, brothers, you know the House of Stefanas, that
- 7:55it is the first fruits of a Cheya, and that they have set
- 7:58themselves to serve the Saints, that you also be in subjection
- 8:02to such and to everyone who helps in the work and laborers.
- 8:07I rejoice at the coming of Stefanas Fortunatus and a
- 8:10Chaikis. For that which was lacking on
- 8:12your part they supplied, for they refreshed my spirit and
- 8:16yours. Therefore acknowledge those who
- 8:19are like that. The Assemblies of Asia greet
- 8:21you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you
- 8:24much in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their
- 8:27house. All the brothers greet you,
- 8:30greet one another with a holy kiss.
- 8:32This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand.
- 8:35If any man doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed.
- 8:39Come, Lord, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- 8:43My love to all of you in Christ Jesus, Amen.
- 8:49Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
- 8:52everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
- 8:55you, share it with a friend and be sure to follow the podcast so
- 8:59you won't miss the next conversation.
- 9:01Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
- 9:04walking daily with. Jesus.