OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL – TUESDAY – 21/07/2015 – THE PRINCIPAL PERSONALITY – BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE PRINCIPAL PERSONALITY

Memorise

Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7

Read

Proverbs 4:5-9

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

Message

Today's Bible reading defines wisdom as the principal thing in life. Wisdom is most important because you need it to relate effectively with God, the devil and his cohorts. You also need wisdom to govern your relationships with friends and foes. At work, at school and in the ministry, you need wisdom. With wisdom, you can successfully handle all your life's pursuits. Wisdom connects everything you do. Wisdom can mean the difference between life and death, success and failure, wealth and poverty, growth and retardation. Everything you can ever ask for will come to you if you have wisdom. There are different types of wisdom operating in the natural and spiritual realms. There is devilish wisdom, human wisdom and divine wisdom. Jesus Christ is declared to be the Wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 1:24:

"But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

If wisdom is the principal thing, and Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God, it therefore follows that Jesus Christ is the Principal Person. There is a link between the principal thing and the Principal Person. But why is wisdom so crucial? Proverbs 3:35 says,

"The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools."

Your pursuit of wisdom will deliver you glory. No wonder the Bible says if you have Jesus Christ, you automatically receive glory (Colossians 1:27). Conversely, if you lack wisdom, shame will be waiting at around the corner for you. There is a direct link between wisdom and a glorious future. Glory is the opposite of shame. Sickness, disease, failure, defeat, poverty, barrenness, stagnation, disappointment are all products of shame. When you have Jesus, you receive wisdom, and when you get wisdom, you have access to glory, which makes every token of shame disappear. As the principal thing, getting every other thing without getting wisdom amounts to a waste of time. In the same vein, acquiring material wealth, academic degrees and attaining heights in any field without having a personal relationship with the Principal Person converts one's gains into one big loss! In all that you strive for, never stop seeking for more of Jesus and His wisdom!

Key Point

Having Jesus can deliver every other thing to you, but getting every other thing cannot give you Jesus.

Bible in One Year

2 Chronicles 28:5-29:36;

John 1:29-51