Read I Kings 3:5-9.

“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (v. 9).

   He could have asked for anything! Among all of his brothers, Solomon had been chosen to be the king of Israel. Appointed and anointed, his wishes would be largely heard as commands. Then God spoke to him and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.” Feeling the weight of his new position, the responsibility that was being laid upon him, Solomon bypassed many of the kingly aspects he could have sought and requested, “an understanding heart to judge Thy people.” Wisdom: The ability and insight to use knowledge in a fair and practical manner. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov. 9:10)
A church to pastor? A Sunday School class to teach? A committee to chair? Under divine direction, James wisely advises us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally … and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5) The Wise Man said, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7) Have a family to raise? A neighbor to win? A vocational task to fulfill? Wisdom is needed in every case, so ask God for wisdom to do His will His way always! (Rodney B. Stearns)

The choice, to ask wisdom of God,
Is to include God so that you can act wisely.

Read Matthew 24:29-31.

“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many

to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (v. 31)

     Your life may read like a conflicting news account of the economic condition for the day. Your hairline is in recession, you waistline is in inflation, and altogether you are in depression. The pain and pressure in your life is not responding well to the political platitudes that are giving you questionable information about the prospects for your future. It is during times like this when we best realize that life without Christ is hopeless. Our earthly successes without Christ are eternal failures.
You may be like the man who while crossing a pasture noticed an angry bull that had taken a special interest in him. In fright the man ran frantically looking for some means of escape. Then he spotted it. There was a tree ahead. It’s lowest limb was about 10 feet off the ground.             Considering he had done well in basketball and was pumped full of adrenaline the man thought he had a chance. He made a tremendous leap for the limb. He missed it on the way up, but he caught “it” on the way back down. The moral to that story is that we should do our best to reach our hope knowing that on our own we can’t make it without the One who is sure to give us the boost we need.
Without Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sins. With Christ we have the hope eternal life and a home in heaven. (L. Gayle Woods)

Without Christ we have no hope.

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:7-18.

“Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.” (v. 9)

     I grew up in an age when many folks, including those not professing to be Christians, had principles. Ours was not a Christian home, but swearing, movies, dances were not allowed. Some slang expressions were not permitted. The remedy for an infraction resulted in washing out the mouth with soap, attempting to clean up our language. And the Sabbath was not a day to buy and sell. I look back on the example lived before me. When I became a follower of Jesus, the principles instilled in me carried over into my new life.
Example is a valuable tool for this day and age. The examples practiced in our homes will leave an impression on our children. When they accept the Lord as their Savior, principles learned will aid them in victorious lives.
I attended a four-year Bible school that only accepted students willing to work for their education. The examples followed there have been extremely beneficial, both spiritually and for setting a good example before my children. (Margaret Heilman)

Oh, to be like Thee! Blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer.
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fulness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
— Thomas Obadiah Chisholm

Let Him stamp you with His image.

Read 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” (v 11)

Much has been written in recent years about the Amish practice of “shunning,” the Meidung. But few who rail against it understand the concept and the purpose.

The shun is instituted in a situation where a person who has become an avowed member of the church disobeys one of the church’s ordinances and will not repent. And the purpose is to cause the shunned individual to want to return. Facing isolation from the wonderful social life of the Amish community is designed to cause the prodigal to see that the price for such beautiful gifts is small indeed. And it seems that the Amish draw some of their ideas for it from this passage or ones like it. Those being shunned must eat at a separate table even from their own families.

In these verses, the Apostle Paul was zeroing in on the idea of being cozy with those who are in deliberate and unabashed rebellion to God’s Word. The Amish would hold up their rulebook, the Ordnung. But New Testament believers must give the greatest reverence to the Bible. It is the Book that demands our first allegiance. And keeping regular company with those who lightly esteem it will infect our own souls sooner or later. (Valerie Quesenberry)

Shun evil companions, Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence, Nor take it in vain;
— H. R. Palmer

You will become like your companions.

Read Galatians 2:16-20.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (v. 20)

Automobile accidents are often avoidable. Focusing away from the road will get the driver and vehicle straight into the ditch. The painted lines, arrows, guardrails, and reflectors are there to keep us on the highway. Good deeds done for show and self-centeredness may quickly divert one from the road to heaven. Keep your eyes on Jesus, Who is the true way. You will avoid difficulty, trouble, and dismay.
We live by faith in Christ and not in our human abilities. Faith in intellect, religious attentiveness, or on the law will not help us to succeed spiritually. Even religious impulses fail to save us. Allowing Christ to have clear and free course in our lives (which are not our own) is the only path of holy living. (Dale Chapman)

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
-- Edward Mote

Faith without a Christ-focus is insufficient.

Read Matthew 22:34-40.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (v. 37).

Man was made to love God. Instead, we are twisted by the selfishness of sin to love ourselves. Love degenerated from a principle of life to a passion. Love as a primary word in defining/describing Christianity goes beyond an emotion that may change with circumstances. It is a purposeful seeking the best interest of another. It is the conquering of all contrary dispositions involving the total person. Emotion may at times accompany the purpose of the heart but it is not the primary distinguishing characteristic. We do not “fall in love” with God, but we set our hearts to love him through an exercise of the will. It is the greatest commandment because we are the most like God and his love for us in fulfilling it. It is the greatest commandment because it demands the mind and the will. This resolve to love positions us to love him more as we know Him because it provides the moral foundation that supports greater love. It is well to remember that the giving and repeating of this commandment precedes both Calvary and Pentecost. With Calvary in view and Pentecost empowering, fulfilling this greatest commandment should be within the reach of all who purpose to find its realization in their lives. (William E. Snider)

“Christian love is not merely an emotional experience
which comes unbidden and unsought;
it is a deliberate principle of the mind and
a deliberate conquest and achievement of the will.”
— William Barclay