-- Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

-- Colossians 3:16-17
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede. -- Oswald Chambers.



1. SeeingThrouqh the Gray Matter

The majority of situations we face in life can be labeled definitely right or definitely wrong. But there are other times when the right thing to do is not quite so easy to determine. For those gray areas, we need godly discernment.

Discernment means "sound judgment." It is the ability to see through the gray and loosely defined elements of a situation and see what course of action is good and profitable and pleasing to God.

Since the earliest days of the Church, leaders have had to depend upon spiritual discernment to distinguish between those teachings that were false and those that were inspired by God. In the early churches, a number of these false teachings crept in and began to lure believers away from the teachings of the Gospel. Alarmed, the church leaders sought out Paul, who then wrote his letters (inspired by the Holy Spirit) in order to combat these false teachings.

The letters that Paul and other disciples wrote to the other early churches provide excellent guidelines for developing discernment. In fact, Scripture should be the first place you look when confronted with a gray situation. Ask yourself these questions: Does the Bible expressly prohibit it? Does it correspond with other teachings in the Bible? Will it ultimately bring dishonor to God? Is it self-serving? Does it violate the rights of others?

If you still are unsure about the situation, talk to someone you trust and respect about the situation -- perhaps your pastor. Many times, you will find that you are not the first to have struggled with a certain gray area. For that reason, the wisdom and counsel of others can be a valuable resource.

Still, the most important thing is to seek God directly and ask for His help in dealing with the issue. Ask Him to cleanse Your mind of worldly compromises and generalities and clarify godly principles that apply.

God doesn't want you to be in the dark when it comes to the gray areas you encounter in life. He understands that you won't always know instantly what you are to do, but He also promises to give you the insight and discernment you need if your heart is determined to do what is right. Let Him help you as you strive to walk each day in the light.

-- Checklist-4-Life
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-- 2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
++ 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

-- Matthew 24:35 (Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My Words will never pass away.

-- Colossians 1:3-12
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the Gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this Gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
++ 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

-- Colossians 2:2-8, 16-18
2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
++ 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

-- Colossians 3:1-4, 12-17
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, Who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
++ 12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ++ 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

-- 1 John 4:1-6
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

-- Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.



2. True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it:

-- Matthew 7:7-8
7 Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

-- Jeremiah 33:3
Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

-- James 1:5-6
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. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

-- Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.

-- Acts 6:2-4
2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

-- Proverbs 3:13-18
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
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++ The key to understanding the written Word is
knowing the Living Word.

++ We must trust His mighty hand,
even if we do not understand His plan.

++ One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control - without the need to understand why He does what He does.

++ The better we understand Christianity,
the less satisfied we are with our practice of it.

++ Wisdom has two parts:
1) Having a lot to say
2) Not saying it.



3. The Wisdom of Jesus:

-- Luke 2:39-52
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

41 Every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When He was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while His parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him.

46 After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ++ 47 Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You." 49 "Why were you searching for Me?" He asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in My Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what He was saying to them. 51 Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

-- Matthew 13:54 (Mark 6:2)
Coming to His hometown, Jesus began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.



4. The Wisdom of Solomon:

-- 1 Kings 3:5-15
5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want Me to give you."

6 Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to Your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to You and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ++ 9 So give Your servant a Discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?"

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for Discernment in Administering Justice, ++ 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a Wise and Discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for -- both riches and honor -- so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in My ways and obey My statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

15 Then Solomon awoke -- and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.



5. Wisdom -- Discernment:

-- Jeremiah 17:7-8
7 But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

-- Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.

-- Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

-- Proverbs 3:1-8
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
++ 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

-- Psalms 37:3-8
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret -- it leads only to evil.

-- Psalms 119:33-38, 105
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. 35 Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word. 38 Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, so that You may be feared.
++ 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

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-- 1 Corinthians 8:2-3
2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ++ 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

-- James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

-- Ephesians 3:10-12
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

-- Ephesians 1:7-9,15-17
+ 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ.
++ 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.

-- Hebrews 4:16
Let us then Approach the Throne of Grace with Confidence, so that we may Receive Mercy and Find Grace to Help us in our time of need.