FAITH CAPSULE: Apply discretion for your preservation; exercise understanding to keep you.
1 Kings 3
Confusion is not of God but the evidence of the lack of understanding. Making right choice in God’s direction is taking a step to be preserved for the glory of God. However, when man make right choice by doing as directed by God understanding of right choice will keep man to live life for the glory of God. Proverbs 2:11 stated it better, “Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.”
God instructed man to fill the earth stating, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Instead, they made the choice to build a unified culture and constructed a tower as symbol and seal of their common identity. God wanted them to fill the earth but they wanted to build a city for themselves. (Genesis 11:4) People’s move to Shinar was a direct opposition to God’s instruction to multiply and fill the earth. Building Babel was a wrong choice against God’s direction as a result, they were not taking a place to be preserved. The people then were lack of understanding as confusing took charge over their life activity.
Man’s choice against God’s direction is always a wicked execution which never escape God’s attention. For the people at the construction of Babel, God visited their disobedient to scatter them and confused their language. (Genesis 11:8)
Are you applying discretion for your preservation and exercising understanding to keep you?
After Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord, the Lord appeared to him. It is written, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon could think of nothing better but responded to God’s question asking, “… give to Your servant an understanding heart…” (1 Kings 3:9) Understanding is for man to be kept in the journey of life. The bible recorded in 1 Kings 3:10, “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” God added wisdom to Solomon’s request for understanding. Truly, wisdom compliments understanding and it is the combination of both that will give a knowing edge over confronting challenges of the world. Proverbs 4:7 admonished, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Listening to God’s word of direction is the assured way of gaining understanding that will keep man in the journey of life. Today, make the choice which preserves man; gain understanding that will keep you to live life for the glory of God.
Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of making right choice and applying understanding from God.