1157 - Acting with the Spirit of Wisdom#
1157 - Acting with the Spirit of Wisdom
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Life of the Eagle)
Deuteronomy 34:9,
The son of Nun, Joshua, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for gathering us once again before Your word. We believe You are pleased with our worship and praise. At this moment, You are with us, and through Your word, You will bless us and give us strength. We look forward to this time, where through Your word, our burdens will be lifted, and we will regain strength and confidence to live. Your word is the joy in our hearts.
Bless every brother and sister who comes here seeking You, keep us during this time, may the Holy Spirit lead each person's heart, renewing our thoughts and intentions, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The topic we share today is: Acting with the Spirit of Wisdom
The son of Nun, Joshua, was not driven mad because Moses laid his hands on him; rather, he was filled with the spirit of wisdom. Brothers and sisters, do you know what the spirit of wisdom is? Being filled with the Holy Spirit brings God's wisdom and power.
Joshua succeeded Moses' ministry, leading the Israelites to continue toward the promised land. Leading so many people would be impossible without wisdom. As parents, if we lack wisdom, we cannot manage our children well; if a husband lacks wisdom, he cannot manage the family well; if a business owner lacks wisdom, he cannot manage the company well.
Without wisdom, it is difficult to live in harmony with others; often, problems arise not from a lack of ability but simply from a lack of godly wisdom.
The best teacher in the world is Jesus. The group of people Jesus chose were mostly without ability, like Peter, James, and John, who were fishermen, and Matthew, who was a tax collector. Simon, who was impulsive, might be considered clever, but Judas Iscariot, who followed Jesus, never truly believed in Him, having different motives from the others. Cleverness can lead to folly.
Although these disciples were not prominent in their time, Jesus used such a group of people to impart God's wisdom to them. When they worked with the power of the Holy Spirit, God's power was manifested. The former fisherman preached, leading three thousand people to repent and believe in Jesus. These disciples did not use worldly means or strategies; they simply relied on the power of the Holy Spirit, achieving extraordinary results. In contrast, those who considered themselves wise, like the scribes and Pharisees, were not used by God. God chose the unwise, Amen!
1 Corinthians 1:18-21
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. This is God's wisdom.
The disciples of Jesus preached Christ and Him crucified, fully demonstrating the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. The wise and eloquent of this world appeared ineffective before God's wisdom. Dear family, when you have Jesus, you have all His wisdom.
In this world, there are two kinds of spirits: one is the Holy Spirit, and the other is the evil spirit. From the Holy Spirit come various spiritual gifts. The Bible mentions many spirits, such as the Spirit of the Lord in the Old Testament, the Spirit of Jesus in the New Testament, the spirit of heaviness, the spirit of wisdom, etc. After these spirits are categorized, how do they help our lives? What kind of enlightenment and help do you need in your life? The Holy Spirit will manifest that wisdom and power.
Exodus 28:2-5
Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. 3 Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5 Make them using gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
God did not let these people create or invent the sacred garments. Instead, He directly revealed everything to them through the Holy Spirit; all the tabernacle's furnishings were made in this way.
Brothers and sisters, if you receive the spirit of wisdom, you will become incredibly wise, and it is indeed so. In the past, there was a sister named Xiaomin in the Lord, who loved to praise and received the spirit of wisdom from God. Besides that, a person who had not graduated from elementary school wrote nearly ten thousand hymns with great ease. When she walked in the fields, the Spirit of God inspired her! She could immediately write a song to praise God. When she saw the earth, mountains, rivers, and the sun and moon, she could burst forth in praise, composing both lyrics and music.
If you receive the spirit of counsel, you might become a military strategist, or when you enter a certain company, the owner may discover unique wisdom in you! Regardless of the company's problems, through prayer and seeking God's truth and wisdom, you can resolve them perfectly; this is all God's wisdom!
Solomon possessed the spirit of wisdom, and his wisdom was vast, surpassing that of all men, from the grandest of the universe to the smallest blade of grass on a wall, he could speak of God's grace. Brothers and sisters, wisdom is indeed very important to us. Once you possess wisdom, you can better discover God's wonders and greatness. God gives us wisdom not to make us proud and self-righteous but to draw us closer to Him, to praise Him, and to glorify Him.
Brothers and sisters, do you desire to have such wisdom? Therefore, you should ask for the spirit of wisdom to fill you.
The first point to share is, the spirit of wisdom is a gift from God.
Isaiah 11:1-3
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.
All the wisdom and power we just mentioned are manifested in Jesus. Do not envy the prophets of the Old Testament; they only possessed a portion of the power. In our Lord Jesus Christ, all kinds of power and gifts are abundant. If you receive Jesus and continually receive from Him, He is willing to give you all this wisdom and power.
When Solomon had wisdom, the queen of Sheba traveled a long distance to seek him, and Solomon answered all her questions.
1 Kings 10:4-9
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed. 6 She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness."
Solomon's wisdom was renowned because of God's wisdom. The queen of Sheba came seeking him. When she saw Solomon's wisdom, the palace he built, the food he served, and the orderly arrangement of his officials, she was astonished. Although these were visible to the human eye, they were the crystallization of wisdom. Through these matters, the queen of Sheba praised the God whom Solomon believed in.
Brothers and sisters, do you envy such things? But do not envy them, for we are more blessed; Solomon's officials listened to Solomon's wisdom, but we have the words of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is greater than Solomon!
1 John 4:1, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
We just mentioned that there are two kinds of spirits: one is the Holy Spirit, and the other is the evil spirit. When we are willing to seek wisdom, the devil certainly does not want us to live out the wisdom of Christ, so he will use evil spirits to interfere with people, preventing them from receiving such power. John tells us that we should not believe just because we see a spirit or a revelation; we must test that spirit to see if it is from God, Amen!
What is expressed externally often reflects the reality within. When you see someone who always likes to lie, it may be that they have a lying spirit inside them; this is the work of an evil spirit. When you see someone who drinks excessively, breaks things afterward, and then regrets it, saying they will never drink again, but cannot stop, it may be because an evil spirit is controlling them.
Mark 5:1-5
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
Clearly, this man was controlled by evil spirits. He often lived among the tombs, constantly hurting himself with stones. People tried to pull him out of the tombs and chain him up, but he could break the chains and return to the tombs.
It was not that he had such great strength; rather, he had thousands of demons living inside him. His strange behavior was due to the spirit within him. Many times, we only see the results of certain situations, but the cause may be internal. He had evil spirits controlling and binding him. Only when you pray in the name of Jesus Christ to break his bondage can this person awaken.
When the demons saw Jesus, they were terrified and shouted, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name, don't torture me!" The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
Jesus gave them permission! As a result, the demons came out, and the man became sane, realizing, "How did I end up here?" His behavior began to change; he would never sleep in the tombs again because once the work of the evil spirit was cleared out, the man's behavior changed.
Brothers and sisters, when you are willing to be filled with the spirit of wisdom, the words you speak will be wise. When you see someone around you behaving a bit off, first realize that it is not an external problem but an internal one.
When you see someone gradually losing interest in the Lord, for example, particularly unwilling to gather, pray, or read the Bible, this is what we often call a moment of weakness; in reality, it is an internal issue.
Many people come to gatherings, but not everyone who comes receives something. Each time you come, I suggest you pray here first: "Lord, today let me lay down my burdens, and through the teacher's mouth, let me receive strength from You."
You should also pray for me. The words that come from my mouth can bring you strength and help; I am just a vessel. God knows each of your needs, and through me, He will supply them. When you immerse yourself in God's word and seek Him, He will surely provide for you.
If we come and pray, saying, "I must attend church because I am a Christian," and listen under pressure, feeling compelled to listen, we may not receive the wisdom from God and may end up feeling even more burdened.
When a person is weak, it is certainly because there is an issue within them; during this time, they have not received God's word, and God's word has not taken effect in their hearts. What should we do? The method is quite simple: when we are unwilling to listen to the word, that is when we most need to listen; when we are unwilling to gather, that is when we most need to gather. If you are very eager and looking forward to Sunday, wanting to gather, your soul is flourishing.
What is a dangerous signal? When you feel you should go but do not want to, that is when you are making a choice. If you choose not to go, from that moment on, your life will begin to drift further away from God, and your external behavior will change accordingly.
The spiritual world is invisible, but it is real and crucial. Brothers and sisters, we need spiritual food supplied by God's word every day. You might say, "I really have no time at work." I suggest you listen to my sermon recordings whenever you have time; if you listen repeatedly, you will surely receive something.
The kind of people you associate with will influence you, whether you acknowledge it or not, whether you believe in the Lord or not, this is already happening. You are likely to become like your friends; if your friends are always at the mahjong table, you will gradually find yourself there too.
If you listen to sermons every day and come to gatherings weekly, even if you do not focus on learning our hymns, over time, you will learn them. Therefore, you need to choose your friends wisely. Since you know Jesus has such power, you need to be around people of faith.
The people you associate with will influence you. If someone complains about society, about the people around them, about their children, about their parents, as if the whole world has wronged them, and you spend time with such a person, you will gradually learn to complain too. So, you need to know that spirits are contagious. When you encounter such people and cannot change them, the wisest method is to keep your distance. The Bible tells us that Jesus knows our weaknesses, so He said, "Do not argue with people, for arguing is meaningless for you. If someone around you argues with you, it is better to keep your distance."
You should often associate with people of faith; over time, your faith will naturally increase. This is one method, brothers and sisters. We possess wisdom, so we should be with wise people, Amen! The Bible is a book filled with wisdom; I suggest brothers and sisters read a chapter of Proverbs every day. Today is the 6th, so read the 6th chapter of Proverbs; on the 7th, read the 7th chapter, and by the 31st chapter, you will have finished in a month. If you read daily, this word will become wisdom within you.
A person who wants to succeed, who wants to pursue wealth, cannot avoid looking at the biographies of successful people and listening to lectures about success. In fact, God has given us the best method, which is found in the Bible, and has also given us the best wisdom. Through preaching, in the process of listening to the word, you will possess wisdom.
There is an example in the Bible from which we can learn something. As they approached the land of Canaan, twelve spies entered the land to see if it was good or bad. After entering, two men returned carrying a cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it. When they returned, they had to account for it to the over one million people. Ten of them said, "The land is indeed as our God said, a land flowing with milk and honey." The original meaning is more accurate; it means that every day there is a supply of milk and honey. The land is that good, but...
People like to say this. If someone around you says, "Brother, you look really energetic and handsome today! But..." you can basically ignore what comes after "but," because that "but" negates everything that came before it.
Those people said, "The land of Canaan is good, just as God said, but we cannot enter." They said, "You do not know; we look like grasshoppers in their eyes, and they look like giants to us." Did those people really think like that? No.
They belittled themselves, comparing themselves to grasshoppers; this is not the time for you to feel inferior, brothers and sisters. When over a million people heard what those ten said, they all made a very united prayer, crying out in front of their tents. You can imagine such a scene: two million people, each sitting at the entrance of their tents, crying out. How would Moses feel? Because those ten spread negative words, their erroneous spirit's influence caused two million people to lose faith.
Brothers and sisters, God placed you in this church to live out the image of Jesus in this world. You can change the people around you; you have absolute influence over them. If you say every day, "Oh, prayer is useless; I feel like believing in the Lord is the same as not believing," do you think the people around you will still believe? You give them a negative influence. Conversely, if you are in such an environment, although it may not seem good now, you can say, "I believe God will surely lead me out of this predicament." In this process of declaration, you also have faith, and the person listening can see that you are different from the world.
Among the twelve, only two had faith: Joshua and Caleb. They experienced the same situation and faced the same problems as the other ten. Those two said, "Let us go quickly; that land is our food. Have you ever been afraid of the food you eat?" You would not be afraid of saying, "This bun is too scary; I dare not eat it!" You would not be afraid of that. But Joshua said, "Those people are tall, but it does not matter; our God is much more powerful than them. Let us go quickly." Joshua had such faith.
When Moses placed this burden and mission on Joshua, he did not give him anything else but prayed, and God filled him with the spirit of wisdom. Once he possessed wisdom, Joshua's life of battles was almost without failure; he was indeed a wise man. Throughout his life, he was filled with the spirit of wisdom, and during battles, God was always with him, and he learned to rely on God for his life.
In this world, we face many battles every day: issues at work, family matters, marital issues, and conflicts with colleagues. Many things feel like battles, and you need to handle them with wisdom. You should ask the Lord to fill you with the spirit of wisdom. Let your ears receive words of grace. Do not turn your ears into a garbage can, collecting everything; that would be troublesome because your heart will also be disturbed. I hope that when you leave here, you feel that there are indeed some things in your life that need adjustment. For example, if you are like the person you mentioned, always complaining, and your husband no longer believes, your life needs some adjustments.
When you possess the spirit of wisdom, it will allow you to see God's plans and purposes. In other words, when you are willing to have the spirit of wisdom, you will walk in success because God never fails.
Let me briefly give you a biblical example from the Old Testament, Joseph, whom we often mention. Joseph was a wise man.
In Genesis 41:39, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you."
Do you see? Even a non-believer recognized his wisdom and intelligence. Could anyone do such things without wisdom? Why did Joseph possess God's wisdom? A particularly important thing is that at the beginning, Joseph received a revelation from God; he had a dream where the stars and sheaves bowed down to him, which was a good thing. Today, each of us has things we desire to do in our hearts.
Some say, "I want to do this business; I hope to become the leader in the industry." That is your idea, your goal, your dream. Do not dismiss these goals and dreams as impossible. When Joseph shared his dreams, no one supported him; his brothers were very jealous and angry because of the dream. Later, he had another dream and shared it again. Did anyone support him? No, even his father did not understand him!
But he was very certain in his heart that God would surely fulfill it for him. Dramatic changes began to happen in his life; the good life he had suddenly vanished. Joseph was sold by his brothers and became a slave. From a human perspective, he suffered. But from a spiritual perspective, God was equipping him, giving him wisdom to bear greater blessings.
When he was in Potiphar's house, God taught him management skills. Without wisdom, could you manage a household of many people? A large group of people needs management. Without wisdom, you cannot manage it. His master would never entrust such a burden to you, which shows he had already learned "management skills." After he finally learned, Potiphar's wife began to seduce him, and he ended up in prison.
When Joseph entered the prison, it was the place where the king's prisoners were held. Joseph helped the prison warden manage the inmates, learning political and economic skills. In various environments, he honed himself and improved, ultimately rising to the position of prime minister of Egypt, governing the entire land.
When each of you has a dream, do not let your dreams be shattered. First, pray to God for wisdom; He will surely lead you. No matter what environment you encounter, see God's good will. Although Joseph faced many setbacks, throughout his life, he did one thing that never changed: he never denied God and never complained about God in any situation.
He believed that all of this was God's blessing for him. What we learn is also this; this is a form of wisdom. Do not say, "This environment is so terrible; how can I thank God?" Some might say, "Aren't you a Christian? Why are you still sick? Why doesn't your God heal you?" They will never understand the mystery within.
If someone said to Joseph, "Did you not say that the stars, the moon, and the sheaves would bow down to you? How did you end up like this?" No one knew that he would eventually rise to the position of prime minister. Because God was giving him wisdom and strength through this process.
Many people fall into a misconception that as long as they pray, everything will work out. Look at how capable David was! David slung a stone and "whoosh," struck down Goliath. Some say, "Look how lucky he was; just one stone made him famous." Do you know how many times he practiced while tending sheep in the wilderness?
David clearly stated in his testimony: "Your servant has been tending sheep in the wilderness. Sometimes a wolf or a lion came. They took a sheep, and I went after them, struck them down, and rescued the sheep from their mouths." He practiced every day, and when the time came to face Goliath, he treated him like a lion and threw the stone, hitting him perfectly. Do not think that today, if you encounter such a person, you can just pray and hit them; without this process, it is still very difficult to hit.
The environment you are in now is God's blessing for you, equipping you. You need to see this spiritually, even if it is a harsh environment.
When David was in the wilderness, he had no one to help him; he could only seek his God, who gave him strength to kill the lion. God wanted to give him strength and skill, so he could hit the lion accurately. When the lion pounced, if you cannot defeat it, you are done. In such an environment, David learned how to handle these problems, which can be understood as wisdom.
You need to receive His wisdom; you need to be filled with His spirit of wisdom. God placed this ability and counsel upon Jesus, and Jesus has given all of this to you. Just as we read in the initial scripture, a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might.
This scripture is now for you because Jesus has given you all authority; this has already been accomplished.
Brothers and sisters, many people also enter another misconception, saying, "Today, to act with wisdom, I need God to speak to me." Many people feel uncertain about something and first come to God in prayer, praying until God personally speaks to them. This was often seen in the Old Testament; when some people did not understand God's will, God would speak directly to them.
But today, God rarely uses this method because the Bible has been completed. At that time, the Bible was not complete; some envied Abraham, who spoke directly with God, and Mary, who heard from God. Do you know how long it took for God to speak to them? Was it more than a year?
Today is different. We can pray at any time, and God will tell us His word. But how does He tell you? Do not think that you can just sit quietly in your room and wait for a voice to suddenly tell you what to do. If you pray like this, you will find it hard to hear God's voice. We are not saying it does not happen; it does, but if you pray like this every day, waiting for such things to happen, it will delay your matters.
God has placed His principles, His power, and His wisdom in the Bible. When you read this Bible, you should understand that you are communicating with God.
If you want to do something and do not know how to do it, as long as it aligns with the Bible, you can do it, but do not go to extremes. For example, if you wake up in the morning and some extreme charismatics do not wear clothes while praying, saying, "Lord, tell me which piece of clothing to wear? Is it the red one or the green one? Which one is it?" They keep praying and end up with nothing!
"Lord, please tell me quickly; I am going to be late for work! Hurry up and tell me which one to wear!"
In the end, they might have a thought that the red one is better because it is in fashion this year, so they wear it. They think it is God's word, but it is just their own desire. God has given us free will; you can wear whichever you like!
If you pursue God's voice in everything, it is easy to fall into a misconception and cannot distinguish between God's voice and your own. This is misusing God's wisdom. It is actually very simple; if it aligns with the Bible, we can do it.
The Bible tells us that when Adam sinned and hid behind the tree, God went to find them and said, "Adam, where are you?" Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Today, you can hear God's voice in many ways; you do not need to be like in the Old Testament. When you read the Bible, you are speaking with God; when you listen to preaching, God is speaking to you; or when you communicate with your coworkers or brothers and sisters, God is speaking to you through them.
The key is how you respond to God. This is important. Hearing does not mean you will respond to Him. Adam indeed heard God's words, "Adam, where are you?" But he did not respond to God. Adam could have come out; do not think that God cannot find you; He can find you. How do we respond to God? When He asks us again and again, we still do not admit it. In fact, we have nothing to hide before God.
When you hear this sermon today and feel you need wisdom, consider this word as God speaking directly to you, accepting it. After returning home, pray tomorrow morning: "Lord, grant me the spirit of wisdom, fill me, and let me do things with Your wisdom." This is how you apply today's sermon to your life; this is your response to God, Amen! If after today’s sermon, you go home and do as you usually do, this word will be meaningless to you; this is also a response to God's word.
Wisdom is not a book or a doctrine; what God gives us is alive. Brothers and sisters, wisdom is not a dead thing; what God gives us is not a dead thing; it is alive. You will see many testimonies in the Bible. Today, do you know what wisdom is? Wisdom is a person, and His name is Jesus. Whenever you know that wisdom is with you, you know it refers to Jesus Christ; He is wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us, "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption."
Who is your wisdom? Jesus Christ. God made Jesus your wisdom; He is a living person, He is a spirit, Hallelujah! If you think of Him as alive, everything will be easier. If you think He is dead, you might say, "Oh no, I forgot my Bible when I left home this morning; this is terrible; God is not with me." It is not the Bible; it is the Spirit of Jesus. No matter where you go, He is with you; it is not this book; it is God Himself, it is Jesus Christ. Today, the one who gives you wisdom is not a particular verse but a person—Jesus Christ.
The second point to share is, a life guided by the spirit of wisdom is a life of constant victory.
Those filled with the spirit of wisdom have two characteristics: the first is that they understand God's will and mission. Joshua understood that his mission was to continue what Moses had not completed, to lead this group of people into the land of Canaan, and then to divide the land among them. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, did he have wisdom from then on? He still needed to pray to God every day.
Joshua 1:2-3,
"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."
After being filled with the spirit of wisdom, God repeated His mission to him. God said, "You are to go in; I will give you this land." He was already filled with the spirit of wisdom, but later you will find that God told him, "Be strong and courageous! Because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." Just be strong and very courageous.
God made it clear to him that he already had wisdom, yet he still did not know what to do. At this time, what did he need? He needed God to lead him in specific ways every day. The spirit of wisdom in the original text refers to two aspects: one is that when you have the spirit of wisdom, you can see God's plans and mission.
The second is that you will receive specific methods for handling matters. Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom, but when he saw the walls of Jericho were so strong and the gates were closed, he could not get in, so he prayed to God for wisdom.
"Lord, I know I need to go over, but how do I get past this gate? They are not opening it; what should I do? Lord, grant me wisdom and give me a method."
This is a specific method. The problem he faced required a very specific method to resolve it.
Brothers and sisters, many of us overlook this issue, saying, "I have been filled with the spirit of wisdom, so I can do whatever I want." As a result, many things still fail. The second issue has not been applied.
When you encounter specific matters, you should pray to God about them. God will guide you.
God gave Joshua a very simple method to conquer Jericho: have all the people keep silent. Let them follow Joshua and march around the city.
But God clearly told Joshua, "You are to march around the city for seven days, once each day." God told this group of people to keep silent; when it was time for them to speak, they would shout. The people obeyed, and Joshua commanded them; this was wisdom.
Joshua did these things by using God's Spirit. Otherwise, if the people were all chaotic and did not follow, how could the city be brought down? So, they kept their mouths shut and quietly marched around. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times. The people probably felt they could not hold it anymore. "Today we have to march around seven times; after that, will it fall?" Many might have doubts in their hearts, but it does not matter because there was someone among them who was wise; He gave them this method, and He would surely accomplish it. After seven circuits, Joshua said, "Shout!" and the walls fell.
Marching around the city is a specific method; it is the application of God's wisdom.
Brothers and sisters, every day when you face your life, you should use your mouth to speak words of faith. Even if you face a huge Jericho, you should command it with your mouth, "Fall down!" When the storm threatened to swallow the boat, Jesus said, "Be still!" Because the words from Jesus' mouth must be obeyed by the winds and waves. Thank the Lord; this is called wisdom. When filled with the spirit of wisdom, you will not lose faith in God; He will surely bring about the best results at the right time.
Although Joshua had the spirit of wisdom, it did not mean he was not afraid; he still had fears. We are different; we possess the Spirit of Jesus Christ. There is wisdom within you. When you face each day of life, do not feel pressured; cast your burdens onto our Lord Jesus.
Just like Brother Zeng said, "This year, a million in sales is indeed a pressure." We acknowledge that this is pressure, but at this time, do not say, "Oh, it is too difficult to achieve; last year it was only 100,000!" You should say, "Although it seems difficult now, I rely on the God who is filled with wisdom and power; I will surely accomplish it. This is God's wisdom, and I will see beautiful results."
Every day, seek specific methods. How do you seek? For example, if you have a customer who intends to buy your product, and you have already discussed it with them, but there are other competitors, what should you do? You should return to God and pray.
Do not say, "Buy it, buy it; I will give you a red envelope, I will give you a rebate." Perhaps your competitor offers more. You need to use a wise method and come before God, saying, "Lord, change his heart and let him sign a contract with me. After all, he is going to buy; I am not deceiving him; just let him buy from me." Pray like this, and God will change his heart; you must believe this.
Brothers and sisters, in the book of Esther, when the Israelites fasted and prayed, they said, "Lord, change the king's heart." That night, the king could not sleep; he got up and said to his attendants, "Bring me the history books to read." Which king reads history books when he cannot sleep? Wouldn't that make it harder to sleep? "What did someone do in which year? What reward did they receive? What did someone do on which day? What reward did they receive?"
He just happened to read about Mordecai saving the king. Later, the king asked, "What honor has been bestowed on him?" They said, "None; there is no record, so there is no reward!" "No, we must reward him!" How could such a coincidence happen?
Mordecai was worried about this matter! The king could not sleep, and it just happened to solve his problem.
Brothers and sisters, this is God's work; this is God's wisdom. Who is doing things behind the scenes? Our Lord. Who is praying? The Israelites are praying; they are praying fervently, and God changed everything.
Brothers and sisters, I wish that at the beginning of each week, no matter what difficulties you encounter, the wisest method is to come before God in prayer:
"Lord, change this person's heart and let him sign a contract with me."
"I command this disease to retreat in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Pray like this, and your life will change as a result.
What did God say to Joshua? How can you prosper and succeed in everything?
We Christians today all hope to live such a life. We talked about how Joshua's life was almost without failure; how did he do it? God tells us in Joshua 1:8,
Joshua 1:8 "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth. Does that mean you should tie this book around your neck so it does not leave your mouth? Every day, put this word in your mouth, Amen! Let me give you a simple example; the Bible says: "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
You can pray with this verse every day: "Today, God, according to Your riches, according to Your glory, according to Your rewards, bless me, so that all I need today will be met." Every time you say this, when you have sickness in your body, you should silently recite other verses; this is what it means to not let it depart from your mouth.
You can speak to your illness, saying, "By the stripes of Jesus, I have been healed." You should let such words remain on your lips. You will surely receive; this is called godly wisdom.
In the past, when some people encountered problems, they might say, "I am so worried!" This is what you eat; you eat the fruit of your lips. Brothers and sisters, many times we are cursing ourselves. In the summer, when it is hot, you might say, "I am going to die from the heat!" You will eat the fruit of your lips. In winter, when it is cold, you might say, "I am going to freeze to death!" You always find problems.
Brothers and sisters, we need to use the spirit of wisdom in you. Every day, ask for wisdom, let God's word be on your lips every day. Memorize it, and then recite it daily; this is what the original meaning of the Bible says. Every day, quietly recite, "Jesus Christ will bless me according to His riches and glory; this customer will surely be given to me," Amen.
Regularly use God's words, recite and meditate.
In our church, there was indeed a situation where a sister had a customer who always owed money, and the cash flow was problematic, yet he still did not pay. I told her, "Pray using Esther's method; make him unable to sleep at night." The next day, that boss said, "Come here; I will give you the money."
We do not know what exactly happened; did he lose sleep that night? What we want is the result, Amen! You do not need to know; what you need is to offer up your prayer: "Lord, move him to return my money!" Or you can also command in the name of the Lord Jesus that this person must pay me back! The premise is that you know he has money but is not paying; if he truly has no money, you should pray for him to be blessed! This is the specific application.
What we need to do is to use your mouth to speak God's words. Every day, use your mouth to think about and recite God's words; this is the spirit of wisdom in your mouth, Amen! Let yourself be filled with the spirit of wisdom every day.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. We need Your wisdom to live in this world. You tell us that if anyone lacks wisdom, let them ask of You, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to them.
As a new week begins, please grant me the wisdom I need at this moment, so that no matter where I am or what I encounter, I can rely on Your word to live. We believe this week will be different because I have the wisdom of Jesus, this living wisdom within me.
Lord, I believe that all things work together for my good. No matter what I encounter, I know You have the power and are willing to help me. You are my wisdom, my strength. With You with me, I do not fear the road ahead. I expect good things to happen to me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!