Friday, August 18, 2017

August 18, 2017


Gifts God Gives


“To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..” Eccl. 2:26

Solomon writes in the Book of Ecclesiastes about trying to find the meaning of life.  Within his search, he discovers so much is pure folly.  Eccl. 2:26 is a truth about those who please God and seek to please Him.  To those, the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness.

Wisdom, written about extensively in Proverbs, is guidance on how to live our lives in accordance with God’s commands.  It is guidance and instruction with practical application.  In this way it is different than knowledge, which in Hebrew is the word, da’ath, and comes from the Hebrew root word, yada.  This means knowledge that comes from relationship.  As our relationship with the Lord deepens and grows, our knowledge will grow.

We also will receive from the Lord happiness, which actually translates as joy.  We might recognize joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Galatians 5.  Joy is deeply rooted within us, much like peace, when it is a fruit of the Spirit.  Such joy allows us to walk through the “valleys’ in our lives still holding onto hope, faith, and gladness for all the Lord has provided.

Let us be continually seeking to please the Lord, who gives us these three great gifts: wisdom; knowledge; and joy.

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