Day 30: Wisdom and Understanding
Week Five: Our God is Mighty and Terrible
Job 28:28
"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding."
Devotional
Welcome to The Turnaround’s 52 Days of Prayer!
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Day 30 of our 52 days of prayer. Without warning, Job
suddenly experienced complete economic ruin, the death of his ten
children, and a horrendous skin disease. Throughout his ordeal, Job
refused to speak against God. Instead, in an agonizing affliction, he
recounted the origins of true wisdom and understanding, the fear of the
Lord. He endured his suffering until the end of his story when God
eventually showed up and redeemed him.
INSIGHT
As his story unfolds, we are given insights into the spiritual realm that Job
wasn’t aware of at the time. “Why do the righteous suffer?” Satan, the
antagonist, twists this age-old question into an accusation. Even as
Satan alluded, “Job was, after all, a righteous man, but only remained
loyal as long as he received blessings.”
Under extreme duress, Job’s faith endured, not because of his
righteousness but because of his reverence for God. His fear of the LORD
kept his tongue from speaking evil, which was ultimately tested when his
wife advised him to “Curse God and die.”
“Come, oh children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life and loves many days so that he may
see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking
falsehood. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears hear their cry.”
Psalms 34:11-15
TURNAROUND QUESTION
Have you ever been seeking God; and living righteously, and then BAM, something horrible happens? What is the first thing questioned? Is it your integrity? From Job’s story, we know that Satan’s best tactic is to keep you from God by diverting your attention to yourself: “What have I done wrong? I must not be doing something right. I’m trying my best. Why is this happening to me?” What if instead of looking at what you’re doing or not doing, you redirect your gaze back at God, keep your mouth from agreeing with falsehood, and decide to trust Him with the understanding that only the fear of God is where true wisdom and understanding come from?
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you are perfect and that there is no darkness in you at all. I ask that you open the eyes of our understanding to heavenly things so that we are no longer moved by our trials. Reveal to us any falsehoods or lies in our lives so that we will stop believing them and speak against them with the truth of your word. No matter our circumstances, we choose to glorify you, thanking you that you work all things together for the good because we love you and we know we’re called according to your purpose. Give us a single mind so that we may remain hopeful of your promises until they come to pass. We thank you for hearing us because we know if we ask anything according to your will, you hear us, and if you hear us, we know we have the petitions we’ve desired of you. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
DECLARATION PRINCIPLE
Self-government requires wisdom, understanding, and discernment among leaders and citizens.
DECLARATION CONNECTION
Government receives just powers through the consent of the governed and must fulfill its rightful purpose.
SCRIPTURE FOUNDATION
Proverbs 2:6–9; James 1:5
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