Day 2 // Seeking Wisdom #wiseupchallenge24

Blessings everyone and welcome to day 2 of our Proverbs 31 day challenge of provisional actions. And I'm excited about today, you guys. I've been really, um, studying and this today is going to be The first, do y'all remember yesterday? Have y'all went back? What did you get yesterday? That was the question on yesterday. For day one, what are you getting? Okay, so we're getting an understanding, we're getting wisdom in these 31 days, and I'm excited to be here on today. So just first, let's go over the play from yesterday. The play from yesterday was The Fear of the Lord, and so That was step one, and this one I want to see if you guys know this scripture, and that I'm just going to throw it out there for the play. Asking is going to help lead into today, which is seeking wisdom. So you know, he said, "Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened." So on yesterday, on day one, we asked. We have to ask. In James 1:5, it reads, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. So first, ask. You know, the fear of the Lord. Let's ask for wisdom so we can first run that first play on yesterday. So today we are seeking wisdom. Proverbs chapter 2. And so our main strategy for this, this play, the main strategy for this play is pursuing knowledge and understanding like a valuable treasure. That is our, our purpose today. We're seeking like we're seeking valuable treasure, and that's the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. But we're coming with a mindset of being diligent and persistent, so it's going to take some intentionality. And our seeking to find it, you have to be intentional about actually going after it. So that's our pursuit, which helps us live in purpose on today for day 2. And our actions that we're going to take is we're going to make learning a daily habit. We're going to surround ourselves with positive influences. So I'm excited to say that we're not doing this by ourselves. We can't be our best self by ourselves. So we are going into the wisdom, um, challenge, the Wise Up Challenge 24, you know, 24, Wise Up Challenge 24. And we'll be joining, um, in on that challenge as we ourselves walk in biblical wisdom, um, using the book of Proverbs. So this, this, over the next 31 days, we're going to be reading together one chapter Um, to, uh, within the book of Proverbs. And we're doing this together, so let's do this together. Um, now how the challenge works, we're gonna get your Bible, um, we're gonna read one chapter from the book of Proverbs every day. And I want you guys to tune into Darius Daniels TV on YouTube because I wanna— that's a whole discernment. I'm too smart for this, okay? I'm too smart for this. And one of the things that stood out to me, I want, I want God to like it. You know, when I think about, um, the, the good, pleasing, perfect will of God, I want the, the, my actions to please God. So tune in to Darius Daniels TV on Sundays for the, um, for the I'm Too Smart for This series. And also share your journey. So we're going to be sharing our journey with the Wise Up Challenge 24. So we'll hashtag Wise Up Challenge 24 as we go through our grace space in this 31 days of Proverbs. Because not only are we just getting the playbook, we're also going to be getting some some things that may help with our decision making. We're going to be making better decisions. We're going to be be able to discern, you know, use discernment at the same time. So we're, we're, we're building up that toolbox with this 31 Days of Proverbs. So, um, I like— I'm gonna use— I'm gonna share this quote: we cannot follow direction from God we haven't properly discerned. So we're gonna have to just do some, you know, this is the, the process of the work. We're gonna have to discern some of the things that You know, we don't have. So we need those directions. That's why I love Proverbs because it's full of instructions, you know, step by step. And it's it's okay to take the steps and take it one day at a time. And so I'm gonna go through those ten ten ways to improve decision making. First, define your goals. We've we've defined our goals. We're going to continue to go back and listen to it. So if you haven't, I I do. Encourage you to kind of record it because we recorded our, um, 10 ways. Define your goals, gather information, consider alternatives, evaluate consequences, seek feedback, reflect on past decisions, manage emotions, prioritize your decisions, and practice patience and trust your intuition. Those are the 10, the 10 ways to improve. decision-making. So let's, let's make some wise decisions as we grow in this, in these 31 days of Proverbs. And I love it how it's like to grow, we need, we need truth and community, but we also have to show up. So let's show up for this 31 days of Proverbs and the Wise Up Challenge. Let's show up and, and grow together, uh, in unity. I— that's, that's a whole I like it. To grow, we need truth and community, and we have to show up, because when we do, that training produces unity. So let's go ahead and go get started on our day 2 playbook. So as I said, day 1, it was asking, asking God for wisdom and And today we're going to be seeking wisdom. And so let's start with— there's going to be, uh, 3 things that I want to highlight as far as the moral benefits of wisdom. So there's some benefits when it comes to wisdom, and it starts off in, um, Psalms 1:1. So one of the things is accepting the word of God, accepting Jesus is the word. So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God about Christ. So about Jesus. So accepting, I want to hear more about Jesus. That's one of the benefits of wisdom. You get to know more about Jesus, and it, it builds up a treasure chest. So of commands. So, you know, start to know his commands. If he say go make disciples, teach, instruct in a way, you know, things in that sort. You start to build up a treasure chest. And I, I like the— this— I'm— I like the scripture where it— the guy— I'm telling everybody about it, but there's a, um, a scripture, a story in the Bible where a guy asks, how can I inherit eternal life? And Jesus begins to tell him, you know, 5 different instructions. He said, first, go You know, that's a pursuit. You have to put that into practice. This is practical application. Go sell everything that you have and give it over to the poor, and then you will have treasure stored up in heaven, and then follow me. And so those things that Jesus told the man— that's the whole story. But the man kind of got sad when he heard it. Um, but you know, we received it. We received the word with gladness. And so that's, that's a— we're starting to build ourselves, our hearts, as a toolbox, a treasure chest of commands of Jesus as we, you know, grow in moral, uh, benefits of wisdom and the word. And I like Psalms 119:11. It says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. So we're, we're tuning our, our hearing to wisdom And active listening, and that's seeking through the reading and speaking of scripture and understanding the commands, the instructions. If you say go, understanding that is an action. Proverbs, pro-action. So, um, action word, that's what a verb is. So it says in Proverbs 2 1 through 2. It says, my son, if you accept my words and store my commands within you, tuning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— that's the 4 things that I was just talking about as far as, you know, hiding the word in our hearts, accepting the word, accepting Christ into our heart. And so those are the benefits of wisdom, because now your heart becomes Like a, I call it a treasure chest, a treasure chest, um, or a toolbox. Um, your heart becomes that. And so now as we go through, we got the benefits, we have, we're doing the challenge, we're making sure that we put it into a daily practice and accepting the word into our hearts. Now this is where we still are throwing some audibles. So if you're facing negativity, I want you to start to switch your focus on positive outcomes and, and role models. So I'm thankful that we're not doing this, this 31 Days of Proverbs alone. We have some great wisdom, you know, um, coming from some great leaders— Dr. Darius. And if we continue to tune our ears to wisdom on Sundays or the I'm Too Smart for This series. It's a role model. Um, and I like Romans 12:2, so we can't conform to the pattern of this world. And that's where today was talking about earthly wisdom, you know. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and then you'll be able to test and approve what God's good, pleasing, and perfect will is. And then also Philippians 4:6, um, well, Philippians 4:8, and think on whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is reputable, whatever is a great report. Think on such things and put into practice what you've seen and heard me do. And so that's like an audible. So, okay, if I'm thinking this way, um, I can, I can throw in an audible like, okay, something— we need to switch the Because this right here is is not working. I didn't. I need to put it through a filter of the word, and that's what I'm doing. Like throwing it over to Romans 12:2 or Philippians 4:6. Put whatever the filter is that you need. You want to switch it. And so in Proverbs 2 verse 3 through 3 through 5. Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as, uh, for silver and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord. So if you're, if you're having, if you need to understand play, play number 1, the fear of the Lord, then we have to— this is why seeking It helps. It says, if you look for it as for silver and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Where that treasure— we haven't— we have to seek it. And that's why today is play number 2. We're seeking wisdom. And so here's another audible. If the resources are scarce— so you're like, I'm looking, I'm seeking, I'm trying to find it. Um, You can use church, your church leaders. You can use a community of believers. You want to— it says search for it as for hidden treasure. We have to really seek it intentionally. That's why I said earlier, for our, our, our, our actions, we're making it a daily habit, but our mindset is that we have to be diligent and persistent. It has to be intentional in this seeking process. So if you have to reach out to your church leaders, if you have to reach out to community of believers, online resources like Glorify or YouVersion— they have some plans, they have devotionals. You can pick up a 365-day devotional. Um, Soulful Affirmations was a great start for me. Thank you, Dr. Angela Kennel. Um, that was a great start for me, 365 days of just the word, just pouring into your soul and you, you studying and seeking, even if you don't understand. Give you— like I said on yesterday, give yourself grace. And so if there— that's if the resources are scarce, you want to throw in that Audible is like, okay, I need some, um, I need some resources, I need to help, you know, some guidance through the scriptures. And so let's dive into more of the word in Proverbs 6— I mean, 2, chapter 2, verse 6. It says, for the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in, uh, his blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way. Of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair, every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse. That's why I said today we're not doing this alone. We're— I like seeking, you know, church, church leaders. And that was one, you know, earthly wisdom is one of the things that we, we face. So it was— it says it right here, as far as from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who have gone to her return or attain the paths of life. Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the unfaithful will be torn from it. So this is a great way, as you seeking and asking for wisdom, it helps you to not just have earthly, earthly wisdom. Now you can start to bring your life into alignment. And I like how it switched to, you know, as far as the, the perverseness of a man to the, you know, seduction of all the woman and things of that sort. So there's different things like we talked about on, uh, day 1. Day 1, we was talking about being enticed based off of the sinful nature. We want to put that sin— we, once we have put that sinful nature to death, and there's others that have not yet matured, and that's why we're, we're using the words, the scripture, to really be our grounding path. We're walking down this path 31 days. We're walking in, in righteousness, which is the, you know, ethics, but, um, and having the moral you know, the morals to our behaviors, but also having a toolbox like the word hidden in our hearts so that we might not sin against it. It's one thing to be walking down the path and you don't have the toolbox. You can't fix it. You, you'll have to, you know, go through it. And we're, we're not taking that, that work. We're actually doing things higher. And that's when we do things higher We get better. That's the growth. Higher is the truth and community. We're not doing this alone. We are not in this walk alone. We are doing this together. So I'm looking forward to our, our growth at the end of this 31 Days of Proverbs. That is the play for day 2. We'll come back and we'll see you guys on tomorrow for day 3 of our playbook and the Wise Up Challenge 24. Thank you guys. Be wise.