03/27/2020 —  
Jesus promised His disciples, and He promises us, that we will have tribulation in this life. We certainly are experiencing tribulation now, thanks to the Wuhan caronavirus! But Jesus also admonished us to "be courageous, for I have conquered the world!" (John 16:33b, TPT). And being courageous means operating in wisdom.

Believers need to understand what wisdom is, how it operates and how to acquire it. Operating in wisdom gives us a decided advantage in navigating the challenges we face on a daily basis.
 
 
Proverbs 16:30-33

“It’s easy to tell when a wicked man
is hatching some crooked scheme—
it’s written all over his face.
His looks betray him as he gives birth to his sin.
Old age with wisdom will crown you with dignity and honor,
for it takes a lifetime of righteousness to acquire it.
Do you want to be a mighty warrior?
It’s better to be known as one who is patient and slow to anger.
Do you want to conquer a city?
Rule over your temper before you attempt to rule a city.
We may toss the coin and roll the dice,
but God’s will is greater than luck" (TPT).
 
Judges 6:11-24

“Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah belonging to Joash the Abiezrite. Gideon his son was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.'

"Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? Where are all His miracles that our fathers told us about? They said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt?’ Yet now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.'

"Then the Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in this strength of yours. Save Israel from the control of Midian. Have I not sent you?'
"And he said to Him, 'O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.'

"Then the Lord said to him, 'But I will be with you, and you will strike the Midianites as one man.'

"And he said to Him, 'If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You who are speaking with me. Please do not depart from here until I come to You and bring out my gift and set it before You.'

"And He said, 'I will stay until you return.'

"So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought them out and offered them to Him under the oak.

"And the angel of God said to him, 'Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.' And so he did. The angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in His hand and touched the meat and unleavened flatbread. Fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord departed from his sight. Then Gideon perceived that it was indeed the angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, 'Alas, O Lord God! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.'

"Then the Lord said to him, 'Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. You will not die.'

"Then Gideon built an altar for the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. Even to this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites”(MEV).
 

• Wisdom is the principal thing. "Wisdom is principal; therefore get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you" (Proverbs 4:7-9, MEV).
• Wisdom is a spirit.The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He shall delight in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge by what his eyes see, nor reprove by what his ears hear (Isaiah 11:2-3, MEV).
• God originated wisdom. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way,
      before His works of old" (Proverbs 8:22, MEV).
• God created everything by wisdom. "The Lord by wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew" (Proverbs 3:19-20, MEV).
• God's wisdom surpasses ours, as the heavens are higher than the earth. "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable are His ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?'" (Romans 11:33-34, MEV).
• God desires for us to have wisdom. "To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion" (Proverbs 1:2-4, MEV).
• There are three ways to get wisdom:

Ask for it. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind" (James 1:5-6, MEV).

Listen and observe. "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise; and he who shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (Proverbs 17:27-28, MEV).

Impartation. "Now Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. And the children of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord commanded Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:9, MEV).

 
Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your gift of wisdom! Your wisdom is needed so very greatly in times like these, when so a virus has crippled our economy and taken so much of what he have taken for granted from us. We still have the most important thing we could possibly possess: the assurance of Your love and the knowledge that You control the affairs of men.

Heavenly Father, this virus was not a surprise to You. Only You know what Your people should do in response to this unprecedented situation. Give me wisdom so I may be like the men of the tribe of Issachar, who understand the times and know what to do about them! Make me wise beyond my years so I can more effectively influence the men and women in my circles of influence.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – Jehovah Joshua Messiah – I pray. Amen!