Proverbs 13:15-16 

¹⁵Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction. ¹⁶All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.

Olympics

Accordingly, competitors in the cycling event at 2024 Summer Olympics lost their chance to win the game due to unfavorable weather condition. After rainstorms had caused the pavement to be slippery, some cyclists crashed on the ground. Some cyclists kept on but other cyclists quit the cycling event.

Winning Olympic medals practically remind us of rewards that the Lord prepared for obedient believers. Together, let us seriously reflect on what it declares in 2 Timothy 2:5, ⁵Anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.

In the race of life, God set rules to win eternal rewards. We should focus and prioritize Christ in our life, no matter what situation we may have. Anyone can be frustrated. Remember this reality: Where there is expectation, frustration is always a possibility. Parents might expect from their children, but parents should consider that children have their own personal preferences also.

Olympians expect to win the game, but not all Olympians can win. But if we live to follow the instructions of the Lord, we can expect to win favor from him. We can choose what we want in life. Remember, God favors reliance upon him.

1.  Favor

¹⁵Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.

Dependence on the Lord practically manifests faith in him and favorable result is expected. We practice faith of dependence on him when we prayerfully seek wisdom from the Lord. Faith is trust that wisdom and knowledge originate from God. So, it’s favorable to always pray even before we plan or decide.

Imagine when the Lord commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle. Moses may have been silently asking, “How could I build the Tabernacle of the Lord?”

Reflect on that. You want to obey the Lord and participate in the ministry. But you asked, “How could I join the ministry since I have no experience, yet?”

Experience is favorable, but the Lord does not require ministry experience. He prefers dependence on him instead of our expertise. When God commands us to do something, he already prepared all things we need to accomplish his purposes. Obedience and dependence on him is all that God requires from us.

God called Moses to lead, so he focused on leading. Surely, he learned that no matter what argument he made, resisting the Lord is unproductive and futile. He had no other choice but to obey the Lord and build a Tabernacle. But since he had never ever built a Tabernacle before, did Moses argue with God?

Bezalel and Oholiab

The Lord chose who built the Tabernacle. It narrated in Exodus 31:1-6.

¹The Lord said to Moses, ²“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— ⁴to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ⁵to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. ⁶Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:

Bezalel was the first biblical character filled with the Spirit of God. He was not a prophet or pastor. He did not preach the Scripture. He worked in practical or manual labor. The Lord provided him wisdom, understanding, knowledge and all kinds of skills to work, and to engage in all kinds of crafts necessary to build the Tabernacle. Personally, how do you apply this biblical truth to your career?

How strong do you trust that the Lord will give you wisdom, knowledge and skill you need to excel in your chosen career? Pray continually and fervently.

Seriously, we pray that the Lord fills us with his Holy Spirit so that we can smartly perform in any situation the Lord assigns us. We rely upon the Spirit of God for wisdom to participate in church concerns, but do you strongly believe that wisdom from the Holy Spirit can be practically applied on private matters?

How do we interpret what it advises on Deuteronomy 8:18? ¹⁸Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.

We should seek inspiration of the Holy Spirit to remember that the Lord gives us ability to produce wealth. We believe that God created us, and he gave us brain. God knows how to use our brain to do things favorable to us, right? We trust God for wisdom, knowledge and skill to excel in our chosen career.

Of course, we ask God to help us decide which practical step we must take or which career path we follow even before we make any plan. Most students are struggling to decide which career path is best suitable for them. God designed which career we excel to testify about his grace and love for us.

So, it is smart to pray first to know the plan of God for our career, right?

To trust that God prepared unique career for us is smart, not foolish. It is not foolish to follow what others do, but it’s foolish not to pray first and foremost.

2.  Fool

¹⁶All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.

To use all available resources, like prayer, is smart and prudent, right? We pray because we trust that God helps us when we seek his help or take refuge in him. When we pray, God gives us instruction. Even when we cannot explain why God commands us to do obscure things, it’s always smart to diligently obey him.

King David testified that the Lord is his Shepherd. He concluded his own personal experience in Psalm 23:6, ⁶Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

By faith, King David trusted the Lord, and indeed, he saw God’s goodness.

All the days of his life, he personally proved the goodness of God practically and not just spiritually. He trusted that he will be with the Lord forever also.

Do you strongly trust that the goodness of God to follow you all your life? Do you sense peace of heart and not worry about the future? Economic problem, another pandemic or threat of possible war may affect anyone. Reflect on it.

If you sense no worries about the future, it’s smart to be prayerful for divine opportunity to share the gospel of Christ as preparation for eternal dwelling.

Perfect Timing

It is not wise to go fishing in hot summer, unless you’ve got a fishing boat. Anyway, it is favorable to have knowledge about how fish behave to catch them. One kind of fish has different behavior from another kind. Some fish would bite anything that looks like food for them. It is smart to know those variables.

We can learn from expert fishermen. Learn to wait for perfect timing when to catch fish. It is very fulfilling experience when I catch the kind of fish I wish to catch. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you may try fishing also sometimes. Fishing for lost souls is practically eternally satisfying more than catching fish.

Reflect meditatively on what King David testified in Psalm 34:8-10, ⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. ⁹Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. ¹⁰The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Parents: Are you busy preparing for the future of your children. Have you proven that God is faithful when you faithfully obeyed him? Well, if you personally tested the goodness of God, pray diligently that your children will also trust God just as you have trusted him. Pray for wisdom on how you may help your children practice faith in the Lord, instead of worrying about their future.

Let’s seriously interpret and reflect on what it admonishes in Joel 2:23, ²³Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains.

Can humans control the rain? No! If humans have solution to abundance of rain, then they could have stopped heavy monsoon rain or typhoon or, they could have solved the scarcity of rain in many tropical regions, right? Religious people perform rituals because they believe that a superpower controls the rain.

As Christians, we obey the Lord because he sends practical blessings just as he sends rain and abundant showers, both autumns and spring rains. Amen!

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