God Is Patient

 

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

—2 Peter 3:9

“Patience! What a virtue patience is! Oh, how I long for patience. But, I am dreadfully afraid to pray for patience because I know how God teaches patience. He does so by bringing trials into our lives. And, quite frankly, I have enough trials in my life right now.”

A friend, quoted above, expressed my sentiments exactly. Patience is, indeed, a great virtue. And, God is the one who shows the most patience. The Apostle Peter has captured this attribute of God in these words, found in 2 Peter 3:9:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Imagine how wonderful it is that God acts quickly to keep His promises. He is patient. He does not want any of those He has chosen to belong to Him to perish. And, He wants every one of those dearly loved ones to come to a place where they recognize their sins, ask forgiveness for their sins, repent of their sins, make restitution for their sins, and receive complete reconciliation.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, relying on help from the Holy Spirit, exhibited that same kind of patience in our own lives toward others? I think it would. And perhaps, that should be our assignment for this new day: to display God-given patience toward others, so that they might sense from us the same love, caring, and acceptance that God shows toward us.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Heeding Discipline

 

“He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.”

—Proverbs 10:17

How do we react when someone corrects us? Oh, I imagine, if you’re like me, it depends on how the person correcting us goes about giving us that correction. If the person does so quietly and privately, we may well respond with appreciation and do our best to implement the corrective behavior. If the person who corrects us does it publicly or harshly, we may put all our energy into rejecting the correction, even if the correction is proper.

As disciples of Jesus, there is great value in accepting and applying the discipline—the correction—that God gives us when He reminds us of a sin that we’ve committed, or a wrong that we need to make right. The word “discipline” certainly goes along with the word “disciple.” And, we who follow in the footsteps of Jesus are most certainly His disciples. Therefore, we need to expect, and graciously receive, His discipline.

King Solomon, a man of great wisdom, but also one who made his own long list of mistakes, took note of the value of discipline, when he wrote these words, found in Proverbs 10:17:

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

Graciously receiving and implementing discipline in our lives not only affects us, it also affects the people around us. How many times have we observed a child acting in a way that we just know he or she learned from his or her parents? Likewise, when God corrects our behavior, the way we receive that correction can influence how those who watch our lives will react to discipline God provides in their own lives.

As we begin a new day, let’s remain open to the discipline that God brings into our lives. As His devoted disciples, let’s receive this holy discipline with humility and also with great joy. Why with joy? Because in Hebrews 12:5-6 the writer of this epistle quotes Proverbs 3:11-12, telling us that:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Life So Amazing

 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

—1 Corinthians 2:9

Sometimes, in the midst of the daily rush of life, we who follow Jesus tend to forget that the life we now live is but a foreshadowing of what’s to come. As important as our current lives may seem—and, after all, they are the only lives we know—this life is but a pathway to the next life, our real life, our eternal life with the triune God and with each other.

In writing to the very troubled church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul reminds the Christians gathered in that place using these words, as found in 1 Corinthians 2:9:

However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Here, Paul quotes from Isaiah 64:4, a portion of one of the Prophet’s long prayers to God, acknowledging God’s greatness, His power, and His patience with the people of Israel. Peering into the future, Isaiah recognized that there was so much more to come than the people could possibly imagine. Paul echoes that sentiment.

As we begin a new day, it’s important that we recognize the fact that this life will someday give way to the next life—a life that is so wonderful we cannot possibly imagine all that God will provide for us. The greatest part of it will be our life in God’s holy Presence, and that we will see Jesus, face-to-face.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Wisdom Begets Humility

 

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

—James 3:13

We don’t often use the word “beget.” It’s a rather old word that indicates when one quality comes from another quality. It also is used in some ancient literature, including older Bible translations, to indicate who the father of a particular child was—as in, Saul begets Jonathan.

Writing his letter to the churches scattered across Asia Minor, the land we know today as Turkey, the Apostle James included these words, found in James 3:13:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Another way of stating this verse reads:

Is any wise among you? Does any have understanding? Let him (or her) show it by his (or her) good life defined by good deeds done in wisdom that begets humility.

The point is that true wisdom produces the quality of humility.

If you see someone acting in a Know-It-All manner, with a haughty attitude that looks down on others, then you can be certain that person does not have wisdom. Why? Because wisdom begets humility. Said another way: genuine wisdom produces humility.

As we begin a new day, let’s ask God to give us true wisdom. Then, let’s see if the good things we do in the name of Jesus, and because we belong to Him, are done with a humble spirit. I think we’ll be surprised to see that the application of God-given wisdom will, indeed, produce a humility within us that will allow us to represent Christ to the world in a selfless way.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Room for Know-It-Alls

 

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”

—Proverbs 3:7

No one likes a Know-It-All. There’s a certain arrogance that seems to often pervade the personality of a Know-It-All. I think the current quintessential Know-It-All is probably Sheldon Cooper of the television situation comedy: Big Bang Theory. He is wildly humorous and disturbingly irritating, all at the same time. He is a genius with an eidetic memory. He sincerely believes he is the most brilliant mind in all of Theoretical Physics. And, while there is no question that Sheldon is smart, he is also completely inept when it comes to personal relationships and common courtesy.

Self-declared “smarter-than-the-average-bear” people often approach life with a downturned look toward others. In contrast, people who are genuinely of high intelligence, but with the wisdom to go along with that intelligence, look on others with compassion and concern, even feelings of protection.

The Bible describes King Solomon as one who was highly intelligent, but with God-given wisdom. Solomon made some serious mistakes in his love life, and in other interpersonal decisions, but He did keep a list of wise sayings on which we draw to this day. One of those wise sayings is found in Proverbs 3:7:

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

King Solomon would have done well to have consistently taken his own advice. But, at least he passed on this gem to us. And, we can learn from his mistakes and embrace the truth of this proverb. We do far better, if we let other people judge the nature of our wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and insight. We do even better if we fear—that is, deeply respect—God and turn our backs on evil. In fact, as we begin this new day, let’s determine to do just that.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

An Antidote to Jerkiness

 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

—Psalm 139:23-24

“We are all jerks!” the Chief said.

At 2:30 in the morning, we had rolled on a Box Alarm for what was dispatched as Box 22. This could be serious. Box 22 was the five-story women’s dormitory of brick joist construction. It was one of the oldest buildings on campus, and one on which we had repeatedly drilled because it’s lowest level contained a high pressure steam boiler used to provide steam for the college’s milk pasteurizing plant. The lowest level also contained the main kitchen for one of the college’s dining halls.

At the time, I served as Captain on Engine 29. We had a very well-drilled “standard operating procedure.” Our role was to stop at the southeast corner of the building and stretch two supply lines and connect our Engine to a hydrant located just beyond the northeast corner of the building. Engine 27 would stop at the southeast corner of the building, connect our supply lines to its pump, and stretch two 2 1/2-inch attack lines and two 1 1/2-inch attack lines to the building. Aerial Platform Truck 1 would position at the east side of the building and extend the aerial platform to the fifth floor window and install an escape chute to allow women on the upper floor to escape, if necessary.

I had inadvertently bumped the volume control on my two-way portable radio, effectively muting the audio. Thus, I did not hear the frantic call from the Chief telling me to not lay the supply lines—some 400 ft of 2 1/2-inch hose lines.

You see, the dispatcher had misread the punched paper tape that recorded the incoming Box number. A piece of paper had slid onto the tray beneath the tape. Actually Box 23, not Box 22, had transmitted. In fact, this was the Box for the other women’s dormitory. One of the residents had lost her balance in the hallway, started to fall, grabbed for something to catch her balance, and accidentally pulled the interior manual fire alarm box, which actuated the Master Fire Alarm Box and transmitted the Box 23 signal to dispatch.

So, we stretched all that hose unnecessarily. To say the least, I was embarrassed beyond description. As soon as the Chief caught up with me, I apologized and described myself as a “jerk” for bumping the volume control on my radio to the muted position. That’s when the Chief responded, “We’re all jerks!”

Every one of us does things, says things, and thinks things that are “jerky.” We all have behaviors and thoughts that we shouldn’t do or have. I truly believe that is what motivated the Psalmist to write these words, found in Psalm 139:23-24:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

As we begin a new day, let’s make this verse our prayer. By asking God to search us and know our hearts, He can help us find the peace we need to follow the pathway He lays out before us.

But, what about the end of the day? Take time in prayer at the end of each day to ask God to remind you of those times He touched your life during the day. Rev. Dr. David R. Mains and his wife, noted author Karen Burton Mains, call this a “God Hunt.” Specifically, at the end of every day, ask God to remind you of one or more of the following:

• Any obvious answer to prayer, or …
  
  
• Any special evidence of God’s care, or …
  
  
• Any help to do God’s work in the world, or …
  
  
• Any unusual linkage or timing

What a blessedly wonderful way to end our day. So, let’s begin our day with the prayer from Psalm 139:23-24 and end our day with the daily “God Hunt.” It doesn’t get any better than that. Okay?

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Generous Wisdom-Giver

 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

—James 1:5

“He’s very smart, but not very wise.”

That’s the description I once heard a professor give, regarding one of the students in his class. He was referring to an individual who had a significantly high level of intelligence, but whose behavior—in class and outside of class—seemed to indicate that he did not know how to appropriately apply his intelligence in a wide variety of situations. Though I was not this student, as I listened to the professor’s words, I sympathized more than a little bit with the student in question. Please let me explain why:

I have spent most of my life showered with the gifts from God of being able to almost instantly understand how machines work, how people think and react, and how systems perform. But, I am painfully and startlingly socially inept. As a result, instead of people welcoming my help in dealing with problems they may face, they often shun me and avoid me, as if I had some dreaded disease. In social situations, I usually find it best to hide in some corner of the room, or to leave a social situation as quickly as possible.

While the specific details of my personal situation is somewhat different than the situation of the student referred to in the professor’s comment, I certainly caught the drift of the professor’s analysis. Here was a young man who had a high intellectual ability. But, he did not have the wisdom to always apply that intelligence in the most fruitful and productive way. It didn’t matter how smart he was, he could not gain the most benefit from his intelligence because he lacked wisdom.

The lack of wisdom can certainly produce painful results when someone—anyone—is thrust into a role of leadership and simply cannot apply the knowledge he, or she, may have in an effective way. That is what the Apostle James learned, as he began to work with the leaders in the local churches that were springing up all over the then-known-world. Time and again, James was faced with local church leadership that was harming the Christian spiritual formation of the people in those early churches. The local leaders lacked wisdom. This is what prompted James to write these words in his letter to the churches, as found in James 1:5:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

God is The Generous Wisdom-Giver. He is the One who will supply whatever a leader may lack to enable that leader to perform his, or her, duties in the best possible way. And, God’s desire to give wisdom applies to everyone who follows Jesus, not just to leaders. All of us need to have godly wisdom in order to represent the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in a way that the Holy Spirit will use to communicate with the people who cross the pathway of our lives.

At the beginning of this new day, let’s not hesitate to ask God to give us His precious wisdom. Then, let’s use that wisdom in proclaiming the wonderful qualities of our new life in Christ to those we meet along the highway of life.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}