Psalm 119:66-67

Teach me good judgment (discernment) and knowledge, for I have believed and trusted and relied on Your commandments.  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep and honor Your word (with loving obedience).

The blessing of good judgement saves us from a drive through the ditch.  Sometimes, we are not keeping up our faith and temporarily slip and can see the cost our lack of diligence does to our lives.  There is nothing better on this earth than being connected to Jesus and guided by faith.  When we keep that knowledge in front of us, we learn to keep in close contact with God.

Proverbs 19:8

He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; he who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.  

God said his people parish for lack of knowledge.  How much knowledge we have depends on the amount of study of the word we do.  If the goal is rock solid faith, then it will take time and commitment.  The value of the knowledge from the word will save us from many problems and mistakes. 

Proverbs 14:1

The wise woman builds her house (on a foundation of godly precepts and her household thrives), But the foolish one (who lacks spiritual insight) tears it down with her own hands (by ignoring godly principles).

Godly principles build the foundations for a strong family unit.  Those principles are not based on feelings, anger, resentment, jealousy but a decision to follow the word.  The development of our Spirits will keep us in line with Godly principles which follow peace, faith, hope and love. God wants our families to succeed and will help us when we ask.

James 1:26

If anyone thinks himself to be religious (scrupulously observant of the rituals of his faith), and does not control his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless (futile, barren).

Just being religious and going through the motions of saying the right things and not believing them makes faith meaningless. Believing and following Jesus in our hearts produces the fruit of faith and brings tangible results. The results from believing in faith are why the condition of our hearts being focused on Jesus and the Word is vital.

John 3:36

He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him (as Savior) has eternal life (that is possesses it); but he who does not believe on the Son and chooses to reject Him, (disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior) will not see (eternal) life, but the wrath of God hangs over him continually. 

It’s hard to believe as Christians the reason anyone would reject Jesus.  Except, we had to be taught about Jesus ourselves before we believed.  A relationship with Jesus is a choice and people choose from their knowledge and experience whether good or bad.  That is why it is vital to be a loving, kind representative of Jesus here on earth to the lost and the familiar.

Luke 17:26-27

And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of (the second coming of) the Son of Man. The people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, (they were indifferent to God) until the day of Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  

A heart indifferent to God is a heart hardened to God through sin.  Our goal is to keep our heart soft to the leadership of God in our lives. We know that there will be trials but that God will lead us through all because we want to be on the boat when the flood comes.  We can bear all things and do all things with the Jesus Christ by our sides.

Luke 11:10

For everyone who keeps on asking (persistently), finds; and to him who keeps on knocking (persistently), the door will be opened.  

On those days we feel like giving up we must knock one more time.  We can’t give up to finding our answers or praying our prayers because we can’t see how far the answer has to come.  Or who God has to motivate to help Him with the miracle or what God has to change in us.  We just need to make sure we don’t give up.  

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (in behavior-one who manipulates.)

The success or failure of life, marriage, fear, love, health all depends on what we say to ourselves in our heart.  Whether it be faith in the possibilities or fear that we will lose something.  Our hearts are the rudder to our ship and if we don’t set the course in the right direction with the word we will be lost. Trust in the word to guide the heart.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things (which He has called me to do) through Him who strengthens and empowers me (to fulfill His purpose-I am sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.)

We were never designed to live our lives separate from God.  We will exhaust ourselves if we try to live this life only by our wisdom.  The wisdom of God is more infinite and all-knowing and it is why He is able to strengthen and empower us.  With God giving us direction, we will never be off course.  

John 8:43

Why do you misunderstand what I am saying? It is because (your spiritual ears are deaf and) you are unable to hear (the truth) of My word.

Keeping our spiritual ears open to the truth of the word is important.  We are harder to deceive with lies from the enemy when we can hear clearly from God.  We distance ourselves from the truth when we turn away from the word and stop listening for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.