Wisdom at the Woodshed - Stand Firm Men's Devotional (Walk Thru The Bible Ministries) (3 Devos)

Anyone who ignores instruction despises himself, but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense. (Proverbs 15:32)

When Kevin flipped open his laptop and logged in, the first email resting on the top of the Monday morning heap had no subject line. He groaned. Only one person sent him subject-less emails. His boss.

Sure enough, it was a terse message, “I need to see you in my office ASAP.”

Swallowing Hard

Kevin hates those sessions with the boss. They almost always involve a sharp critique. And why was it always on Monday morning?

Kevin isn’t alone. Nobody likes being criticized, especially from an authority figure. Someone whose words matter. But believe it or not, God brings rebuke into our lives to help us—to polish areas where God sees weakness.

The moment of truth is when we’re confronted with unwanted wisdom. We can withdraw inward or we can embrace correction as God’s agent of change.

Make Correction Work for You

Whether it’s your wife, your boss, your pastor, your mentor, your friend—there’s a human tendency to shoot the messenger in hopes of avoiding the message. So the next time you’re cornered, resolve to accept rebuke as a divine opportunity for growth. Ask God to help you tear down your hearts walls of resistance.

Bottom Line: Rebuke is God’s divine instrument of growth and change.

Sidebar: The wisdom for change doesn’t always come to us in the comfortable confines of a church pew. It often confronts us in the ugly hallways of our ordinary life and exposes parts of our life that we’ve kept hidden and resistant to change.

Further Reading: Proverbs 27:5-6

Devo#2
Words Matter

The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. Proverbs 17:27

For most of his life, Chuck wore is reputation as a glib, “shoot from the hip” preacher as a badge. Chuck didn’t sugarcoat anything and his parishioners appreciated him for it. They filled his suburban church to capacity and showered him with praises and gifts from year to year.

But deep down Chuck knew his glibness came with a high price. On many occasions, Chuck found himself apologizing to a staff member who endured one of his famous Friday afternoon harangues.

The Language of Wisdom

In his admonition to control the tongue, Solomon appeals not to the heart, but to the intellect. Careful consideration of our words, he advises, is smart living. Confrontation and uncomfortable situations can be avoided with just more graceful speech and life could be much easier.

So what’s the secret to more grace-filled speech? We’ve all said things we wish we could take back. Harsh words uttered in the heat of the moment to a spouse, a child, a coworker, a church member.

Prayer is the essential weapon in bringing the powerful tongue under spiritual subjection. God, through His Holy Spirit, freely offers wisdom to help us discern not only when to speak, but how to speak and what to speak.

Chuck’s Challenge

Proverbs 17:27 isn’t a mandate for Chuck to give up his personality. God uniquely gifted him to inspire, encourage, and lead people. But Chuck, with God’s help, can learn to soften his rough tone, especially in those moments of frustration. He can learn to put himself in the shoes of those he may have to rebuke. Most of all, the Holy Spirit can help Chuck use his mouth to build up rather than tear down those he’s been called to serve.

Bottom Line: Mastering the use of words in communication is a key element of spiritual growth.

Sidebar: A man takes joy in giving an answer; and a timely word—how good that is! Proverbs 15:23

Devo#3 Numbering Our Days

Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Psalm 90:12

If there ever was a workaholic, it was Moses. He didn’t have to deal with weekly travel, personnel issues, or a blackberry, but as the spiritual leader of God’s people, a lot of pressure rested on his shoulders. It was in this busy climate that Moses asked God for renewed purpose. His heart’s desire was to pursues only that which would bring him closer to God.

Walking the Tightrope
Every serious Christian wants to live a life of impact, and yet navigating the delicate tightrope between inaction and overcommittment seems more an art than a science. Most of us read Psalm 90:12 and feel guilty about that extra hour of sleep or leisure time.

But consider this: Jesus, who was perfect, prioritized rest. If Jesus said no to commitments, escaped for relaxation, and spent quality time with those he loved most—don’t we?

That’s why we shouldn’t see in Moses’ prayer a hard-and-fast call for more work and less play. Instead it should provide us an opportunity for reflection. What purpose consumes my life? For every man, the answer will be different and the change unique.

The Prism of Purpose
Because our busy lives can easily get out of balance, periodic reflection is healthy. Stepping back to view every decision through a prism of God’s purpose helps us move toward a heart of wisdom and a life of impact.

Bottom Line: Periodic reflection on the frailty of life brings much-needed balance and renewed purpose.

Sidebar: Let the year be given to God in its every moment! The year is made up of minutes; let these be watched as having been dedicated to God! It is in the sanctification of the small that hallowing of the large is secure. G. Campbell Morgan

Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands—establish the work of our hands! Psalm 90:17

Creating a Legacy

As he heads into the last two years of an eight-year term in office, a President becomes concerned with his legacy. Often he’ll shake up his staff in an effort to offer a slew of proposed legislation, major speeches, and policy papers devoted to issues he wishes to be remembered by. But all this effort is a gamble—because historians often look at the balance of the man’s time in office and remember him in different and often less flattering ways.

As ordinary men, we often don’t think about legacy—we’re just trying to get through the day-to-day grind of life. Plus, we feel that with such little importance attached to our jobs, there is really no hope of having an impact in this big world.

A Vision of Eternal
Moses, however, knew that God measured impact in terms of faithfulness, not accomplishment. His eternal perspective caused him to cry out to God for his favor. Not earthly recognition, but divine blessing on the work of his hands.

18th-century preacher Matthew Henry’s last words echo of a spiritual legacy, “You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men. This is mine: that a life spent in the service of God, and communion with him, is the most comfortable and pleasant life that anyone can live in this world.”

Now you may not be a president or a famous preacher—but you can have a life “spent in the service of God,” even in the nitty gritty of your workplace. Whether you’re hustling from airport to airport, sweeping the floors of a restaurant or building houses, you’re spiritual legacy can be as great as that of Moses, Matthew Henryk, or any powerful political leader. Because in the eyes of the Father, faithfulness is the highest honor.

A Vision of the Eternal
Next time you sit at your desk, climb a ladder on the jobsite, or buckle your seatbelt on the airplane, take heart in knowing that if you’re earnestly following God’s call, God’s favor shines upon you. You’re name may never make the morning news or the Drudge Report, but you’re in the eyes of God, you’re as important as anyone else. And your eternal legacy is secure.

Sidebar: Would you dare to believe that God, who called you to Himself and equipped you with His Spirit, could work mightily through you? Have you made the connection between the time and place in which you live and God’s call upon you? World events never catch God by surprise. He placed you precisely where you are for a purpose.
Henry Blackaby Experiencing God Day By Day