Wisdom in Action - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

Wise Up!

Part Four: Wisdom in Action

by Louie Marsh, 11-12-2023

 

Intro. Continuing our series on Wisdom. Need for wisdom shown this week by couple who were drinking and driving with some dynamite in car. Thought it would be funny to light it and throw it, drank more - if became funnier. Finally they lit and threw it - just one problem - they had forgotten to roll down the car window! They are expected to recover.

 

1) Get the FACTS

 

“¹⁴But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. ¹⁵Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. ¹⁶They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. ¹⁷Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.”” (1 Samuel 25:14–17, ESV)

 

“²⁸For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.” (Luke 14:28–32, ESV)

 

Remember…

 

1, You can’t make wise decisions without sound data.

 

2, You can’t always be fact gathering, you must make a decision sooner or later.

 

2) Make A PLAN

 

“¹⁸Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. ¹⁹And she said to her young men, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.” (1 Samuel 25:18–19, ESV)

 

“³Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3, ESV)

 

Remember…

 

1, Godly wisdom isn’t without thought & plans – God wants us to plan (and so be like Him!).

 

2, Time spent in creating a good plan is rarely wasted – but you can’t do this forever!

 

“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow,” – George S. Patton Jr.

 

3) Take RESPONSIBILITY

 

“²⁴She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.” (1 Samuel 25:24, ESV)

 

“²⁰The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” (Ezekiel 18:20, ESV)

 

·       The Bible teaches that YOU are responsible for YOU!

·       Don’t play the victim game - take responsibility!

 

4) Be Painfully HONEST

 

“²⁵Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.” (1 Samuel 25:25, ESV)

 

“¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,” (Ephesians 4:15, ESV)

 

·       It’s not always easy to tell the truth - but it’s the wise thing to do.

·       This must have been painful for Abigail - but God blessed her for it

 

5) Ask For FORGIVENESS

 

“²⁸Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live.” (1 Samuel 25:28, ESV)

 

“⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight” (Ephesians 1:7–8, ESV)

 

·       Don’t be afraid to admit when you are wrong and ask for forgiveness

·       This is the KEY to finding your way to God and receiving His blessings in your life!

 

6) Solve the PROBLEM

 

“³³Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!” (1 Samuel 25:33, ESV)

 

“⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.” (Proverbs 4:6, ESV)

·       Remember - Godly wisdom is practical - it is seen in good results!

·       You must have the faith to act - “But what if I’m wrong?”  What if you ARE?

·       Go back to #1 - and work your way through this wisdom loop

 

7) Be REWARDED

 

“³⁹When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.” (1 Samuel 25:39, ESV)

 

“¹⁴Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 24:14, ESV)

 

·       Living by God’s wisdom brings God’s blessings into your life.

·       Ultimate blessing - salvation!

 

 

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