But it wasn’t long before they forgot the whole thing… Psalm 106:13–18 (MSG) Often when God came through for the Israelites in the Old Testament, they would create a monument or write a song to ensure they would remember. When they remembered, they could look to the future with confidence. However, when they forgot, they missed their future. Just think of the Israelites on the edge of the Promised Land. God had miraculously caused the Egyptian oppressor to let them leave—2 million slaves left Egypt without a fight. Then when the Pharaoh had second thoughts and pursued them to the Red Sea, God parted the waters for them to pass through. When in the scorching desert sun, God covered them and led them with a …

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. Psalm 103:1–2 (NLT) Over the past two days, we’ve been discussing ways to learn and grow in wisdom. We talked about the positive things we can learn from painful situations if we take the time to think about them. But today, let’s talk about learning from victories. Many don’t take time to analyze what caused their success so they can re-create it. For example, the first few years as our church grew, I wasn’t exactly sure why. I had a few ideas, but as the years went by, …

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me. I have a better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation. Psalm 119:97–99 (AMPC) When I was young, I never dreamed I would become a pastor. Actually, I was very opposed to the idea. So, when I felt that God was leading me in that direction, I had a few questions for Him. And, because I was only 19 years old, I really questioned whether or not anyone would want to listen to what I had to say. At that time, God led me to a few verses …

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to council is wise. Proverbs 12:15 (AMP) When you look back on the past year, is there anything you would have done differently? Did you learn any hard lessons from misunderstandings or hurtful situations? If so, congratulations! You’re a wise person! I’m not saying it’s good that you experienced pain but it’s good that you learned from that pain. If we’re never willing to improve how we handle problems and issues we fall into the “fool” category in today’s verse. The fool never learns from his mistakes because he won’t admit them. He’s too defensive. However, the wise person is willing to be confronted. They look at the mistakes of …

But he answered, “it is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4 (ESV) We are responsible for our own spiritual sustenance. Church is a beautiful place to come every week to hear from someone who knows the Word, who can teach and instruct you. But even a great church is not enough. You need to feed yourself every day. A great devotional can’t do it all for you either. It’s up to you to interact with what you’re learning. When I do devotions, I ask God to reveal things to me. Sometimes I read the same verse over and over so I can really absorb what it says. Let’s try it …