Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

If I was to ask for one thing for Christmas, I would follow Solomon’s request and rather than asking for wealth or long life— I’d ask for wisdom.

Proverbs 8-10 says,

“Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can compare with it.”

God’s wisdom will lead you upon the right paths, it will lead you to make the right decisions and it will cause you to walk in the way of righteousness— bringing you peace and success in all that you do.

Wealth without wisdom is a snare! Just look at the rich elites that have not obtained God’s wisdom— it has led them only to misery and death. The dependence upon our gifts, talents, opinions, education or human strength apart from God’s wisdom will always lead man down a slippery slope— bringing a fall.

But, the man or woman who humbles themselves before the Lord, bringing before him all that they have— and asking for wisdom; will see all that they have multiplied. Our gifts and talents were never given to us to be used apart from God’s wisdom, they were given to us like the talents that were entrusted to the servants in Matthew 25.

In the parable of the talents, the man who received five bags of silver used wisdom and gained five more, the man who received two bags of silver used wisdom and gained two more and the man who received one bag of silver did not seek wisdom but in fear he buried the silver and returned it to his master with no gain. Because of this, the bag of silver was given to the one with ten bags.

We do not know what to do without God’s wisdom— we will either hold onto our talents in fear or we will squander them in arrogance and greed. Yet, as we receive wisdom and wear it— everything multiplies and we are entrusted with more.

I have watched this principle in my “writing talent.” I invested it in wisdom, not holding onto it or squandering it and God multiplied it far beyond what I ever imagined. As wisdom was added to my one bag of silver (my talent)— it was multiplied over and over. What began in my childhood as a love for writing letters became written prayers, then written visions and then entire books.

If you are wondering what to ask for this Christmas, I have a suggestion— ask for wisdom! Wisdom for every area of your life.

• Wisdom for how to have thriving relationships with family, friends, neighbors, business partners and ministry partners.

• Wisdom for how to invest what you’ve been given— your talents, gifts, education, experiences and passions.

• Wisdom for how to multiply and increase all that you’ve been entrusted with— even if it only feels like one bag of silver.

• Wisdom for how to use the pain of your past or even past failures to bring His restoration, reconciliation and recovery to others.

• Wisdom for how to steward your finances and possessions.

• Wisdom for how to bring His Kingdom to earth and His gospel to mankind.

All I want for Christmas is instruction, knowledge and wisdom for the year ahead. That is my Christmas list to Jesus.

——————————————————

~~~I Am Giving Away Gifts!!~~~

During the month of December I am giving gifts away to all of our ministry supporters as a way of saying, “Thank You!”

I will send you a download (ebook) of either my new devotional, JOY, or— our holiday devotional, THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS for a gift of any amount.

For gifts over $25* I will let you pick one of my paperback books to be sent to you as a thank you gift.

We have these to choose from:

• Finding Home: A Doorway of Hope
• The Yielding: A Lifestyle of Surrender
• COURAGE: A 30 day devotional
• PEACE: A 30 day devotional

*US residents only are eligible for the paperback offer. International residents will receive an ebook download link.

To give a financial gift, go to: https://www.inscribeministries.com/partner-with-us.html

Or mail a gift to: Inscribe Ministries/ 149 NE Ocean Loop/ Hillsboro, Oregon 97124