Wisdom of Solomon (3/30-31)

30-31 March 2015 – Greater Than Solomon is Here – Manna by Dorothy

Matthew 12:42 KJV, “… she (the queen of south, Sheba) came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

We read story about how the Queen of Sheba traveled a thousand miles to learn God’s wisdom from Solomon. She was amazed at the Wisdom of Solomon in all his glory. She was breathless. “And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts, and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes have seen it: and behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard” (1 Kings 10:6-7 KJV).

She said, “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore (He made) thee king, to do judgment and justice” (1 Kings 10:8-9 KJV).  

Now Jesus said, “… … behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” Why did Jesus say this? The Scribes and the Pharisees demanded that Jesus gives them a sign of miracle to prove that He was the Messiah. They had already decided not to believe in Him. Who would be greater than Solomon? Jesus Christ is greater than Solomon.

Jesus had done miracles of healing people, even He raised Lazarus from the dead. Because of their unbelief, Jesus declared that “On the Judgment Day, the Queen of the South will stand up with you people who live today. She will show that you are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching …” (Matt. 12:42 NCV).

So now, I want to focus on the “Wisdom of Solomon” which is a type of Christ, who would one day reign as a King of Israel on the earth for a thousand year. We look forward to that day and we will hear the “Wisdom of Christ.” He will do greater things than Solomon. I believe we will be “breathless” and say to our future King: “How happy these people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to Your wisdom!” (1Kings 10:8 NLT).

SONG: WE SHALL SEE THE KING

There’s a blessed time that‘s coming, coming soon,

It may be evening, morning or at noon,

The wedding of the bride, united with the groom,

We shall see the King when He comes.

Chorus:

We shall see the King, We shall see the King,

We shall see the King when He comes;

He is coming in power, we’ll hail the blessed hour,

We shall see the King when He comes.

(James B. Vaughan, Sing His Praise)

What Wisdom is Not! (3/28-29)

28-29 March 2015 – What Wisdom is Not! – Manna by Dorothy Callies  

James 3:15 NLT, “For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom.”

Questions: What wisdom that are not the kind of God’s wisdom? And what is a true wisdom from heaven? Let us study each verse from James 3:13-18 NLT.

13) “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don’t brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise!” James 3:13 KJV say, “Who is a wise man and endued (has good quality) with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation (life of action) his works with meekness of wisdom.”

Have you ever known anyone who claimed to be wise, but act foolishly? True wisdom can be measured by a person’s character. It’s the same idea that you can identify a tree by the type of fruit it produces. You can evaluate your wisdom by the way you act. Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom leads to peace and goodness. (Evaluate means to find the value of or worth of after study) In another words, study yourself by the way you act if you are using wisdom or not.

14) “But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15) For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16) For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.” [James 3:14-16 NLT]

So jealousy, selfishness, earthly, unspiritual, lies, disorder and every kind of evil are not from above. These kinds are not God’s wisdom. KJV tells us “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish” [James 3:14-15 KJV]

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (Js.3:16 KJV). “Strife” is related to being envy and it leads to evil habits of selfish ambition that causes them to move up in position of their own interest. They see that others have this and that, they want it, they desire it, and they envy it. So selfishness and greed are motivated by the Devil.

So how do the Christians be set free from this? Seeking God’s wisdom delivers us from the need to compare ourselves to others and to what they have. I repeat this: To be set free and to be delivered, SEEK GOD’S WISDOM. So what is a true wisdom, God’s kind of wisdom? Let’s continue with James 3:17-18 NLT:

17) “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality (favoritism) and is always sincere. 18) And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.”

Prayer: Oh heavenly Father, deliver us from evil. Now we understand why we pray the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who are in heaven, holy be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will (plan) be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. So that is it Lord, DELIVER US FROM EVIL. Help us to seek Your wisdom that leads us to make peace with others. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory belongs to You in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen! Thank You Holy Spirit!

Use Wise Words (3/25-27)

25-27 March 2015 - Use Wise Words – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.”

Have you ever tried to argue in a whisper? It is equally hard to argue with someone who insists on answering gently. On the other hand, a rising voice and harsh words almost always trigger an angry response. To turn away wrath and seek peace, choose gentle words.

Tony got this internet story from his brother, Mike and I thought this verse fits well to share this with you the story called, “NAILS IN THE FENCE.”

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same.

When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But it won’t matter how many time you say I’m sorry, the wound will still be there.

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us your words and the story, the nails in the fence. It reminds me of Jesus whose hands were nailed to the cross. He was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquity. Surely He bore our sorrows. And by His stripes we are healed. Father, I pray that my friends would forgive me if I ever hurt them. Teach me to choose gentle words through the help of Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Job's Friends' Opinion on Wisdom (3/22-24)

22-24 March 2015 - Job's Friends' Opinion on Wisdom - Manna by D.C. 

Job 28:28 NTL, “And this is what he says to all humanity: “The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.”

Question was: Where can wisdom be found? Job and his friends differed in their ideas of how people become wise. I thought it would be good to share this from the commentary and read how they discussed with Job in his time of trial. It was more of their opinions where can wisdom be found. Job’s three friends name were: Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar.

First, Eliphaz’s opinion, how wisdom is learned by observing and experiencing life. He based his advice to JOB on his confident, firsthand knowledge. It is found in Job 4:7,8; 5:3, 27. Eliphaz’s attitude toward God, “I have personally observed how God works and have figured him out.”

Secondly, Bildad’s opinion, how wisdom is inherited from the past. Trustworthy knowledge is secondhand. He based his advice to JOB on traditional proverbs and sayings that he frequently quoted. It is found in Job 8:8,9; 18:5-21. Bildad’s attitude toward God, “Those who have gone before us figured God out, and all we have to do is use that knowledge.”  

Thirdly, Zophar’s opinion, how wisdom belongs to the wise. He based his advice on his wisdom that had no other source than himself. It is found in Job 11:6; 20:1-29.

Zophar’s attitude toward God, “The wise know what God is like, but there aren’t many of us around.”

Finally, Job gave the best answer and explained that God is the source of wisdom, and the first step toward wisdom is to fear God. It is found in Job 28:20-28. Job’s attitude toward God, “God reveals His wisdom to those who humbly trust Him.”

How did God respond to all of these discussion among Job’s friends about where can wisdom be found? Job 38:1-2 NLT, Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?” In another words, Job’s friends thought they knew the answer to where wisdom can be found. God was not pleased with their opinions about Him.

From Job 38:3 through 42:6 NLT, God asked so many questions to Job about His creations and finally Job realized who God is. Job repented. Then God turned to Job’s friends and said to Eliphaz, “I am angry with you and with your two friends, for you have not been right in what you said about Me, as My servant Job was.” (Job 42:7) God had Job to offer bulls and rams for burnt offering for his friends and to pray for them that God will accept their forgiveness for having the wrong opinions against God and Job.

It is good to be reminded that Job’s attitude toward God was right that “God reveals His wisdom to those who humbly trust Him.” James said, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” (James 4:10).

God bless you!

Does Wisdom Guarantee Success? (3/19-21)

19-21 March 2015 - Wisdom Guarantee Success? – Manna by Dorothy

John 15:4 NLT, “Abide in Me, and I in you.”

Question: Does spiritual wisdom guarantee success?

Let’s see what Paul has to say: 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 NLT, As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe.

Can people with just human wisdom and their most brilliant ideas guarantee success? God answered: “I will destroy human wisdom and throw away their most brilliant ideas” if they tried to find God through their own intelligent mind.

Let’s see what Jesus has to say: Matthew 7:24-25 NTL, “Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock.”

Spiritual wisdom guarantee success only if you like a person who builds a house on solid rock. That solid Rock is Jesus, Himself. He said, “If you listen to My teaching and obey Me, you are wise.” The key is “listen to His teaching and obey Him.”

What happened to a person who does not have spiritual wisdom? Jesus said, “But anyone who hears My teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash” Matthew 7:26-27 NLT.

Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). Jesus is the Vine and we, His followers, are the branches. If we are honest, we know we are completely helpless and spiritually, we would not succeed without Him.

So the answer from the Scripture is: “Come here and listen to Me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise” Proverbs 1:23 NLT. That is a promise of God.

Song: The Rock That Never Moves

When days are warm and the sun shine bright,

And all is beautiful and light,

My faith never wavers, My hopes never dim;

For Jesus is my Rock, And I stand on Him.

Chorus:

And the Rock never moves beneath my feet,

Tho’ raging storms around me beat;

I stand secure, My safe retreat is

Christ, the Rock of Ages.

(Margot Zilch, Sing His Praise)

Grow in Wisdom, How? (3/16-18)

16-18 March 2015 - Grow in Wisdom, How? – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Psalm 119:105 NTL “Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”

Question: How does one gain or grow in wisdom? I would like to share some insights from God’s Word in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

Psalm 119:96-106 NLT, “Even perfection has its limits, but Your commands have no limit. Oh, how I love Your law? I think about it all day long. Your commands makes me wiser than my enemies, for your commands are my constant guide. (V.96-98)

“Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your decrees (an order or decision given by one in authority). I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept Your commandments. I have refused to walk on any path of evil, that I may remain obedient to Your word. (V.99-101)

How sweet are Your words to my taste; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise again: I will obey Your wonderful laws.” (V.102-106)

Even in Psalm 119:98 in KJV says, “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.” Through our devotion to God’s Word we learn to see life as God sees it, value what He values, and love what He loves. You grow in wisdom through prayers and fellowship with your heavenly Father.

The Old Testament speaks of wisdom in obedience to His Words. In the New Testament, Peter said, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ …” (2Pet.3:18 NCV). Knowledge is wisdom, the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, “Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all the wisdom to teach …” (Col.3:16 NCV).

So it is a wonderful wisdom of life we have in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. In Him, we have the wonderful words of life.

Song: Wonderful Words of Life

Sing them over again to me,

Wonderful Words of Life

Let me more of their beauty see,

Wonderful Words of Life;

Words of life and beauty,

Teach me faith and duty;

Chorus:

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of life;

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of life.

(Philip Paul Bliss, Sing His Praise)

Wisdom of History (3/13-15)

13-15 March 2015 - Wisdom of History – Manna by Dorothy Callies

1 Corinthians 10:11 NKJV, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (gentle or friendly criticism or warning).”

God has given us the Bible, partly to help us learn from the history of His people. That is where we get our wisdom from. Biblical lessons has both examples and warnings to guard us against our worst inclinations to make mistakes and lead us into wiser living. The word, inclination means a feeling of liking or of wanting to do something like example of an inclination for sleeping late.

The question is: will we learn from the lessons of the past or will we make the same mistakes of those who came before us? Paul also saw the value of embracing the lessons of history. He warned of the destructive nature of bad choices by reading the story of the children of Israel and their wilderness wanderings—a result of their refusal to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Num. 14).

Then Paul told the believers in Corinth, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon who the ends of the ages have come” (1Cor.10:11). Have you ever read something from the Scripture that often Holy Spirit convicted your heart that you need to change your ways? That is when Holy Spirit gives us wisdom to keep our hearts focus on Christ.

There is one history example I could think about was the Pilgrims who came to Plymouth, Mass in search of new land. What drove them to sail the Mayflower ship to cross the huge sea from England to the new America? They wanted to start a new life with a new freedom of religion and start a new Constitution for the new nation. Why? Wisdom of history has taught them. After 200 years, it went well, but now the United States are losing . . . so what happened to the wisdom of history?

Prayer: Heavenly, Father, we pray that our nation will open their eyes that we have forsaken You. We pray that our nation will repent of their sins and turn back to You. We pray that we listen to Your Word through a song in Jesus’ name!

“If My people’s hearts are humbled, if they pray and seek My face,

If they turned away from evil, I will not withhold My grace.

I will hear their prayers from heaven; I will pardon every sin.

If My people’s hearts are humbled, I will surely heal their land.

Then My eyes will see their sorrow, then My ears will hear their plea;

If My people’s hearts are humbled, I will set their nation free.

If My people’s hearts are humbled, if they pray and seek My face;

If they turn away from evil, I will not withhold My grace.”

(Claire Clonginger, 1986; based on 2 Chronicles 7:14)

What Should We Do? (3/10-12)

10-12 March 2015 - What Should We Do? – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Proverbs 2:6 NKJV, “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Do you ever struggle with something that require you to make a decision? In the month of January 2013, we had to make a decision: Should we keep our old car with its many maintenance problems or buy 2012 new car?

“Surely it is God’s Spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty with them that makes them intelligent” (Job 32:8 NLT). Financial decisions can be tough. Billy Graham even says, “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”

 “If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do” (James 1:5-8).

Sometimes we acted like God is only there to be our God, but really God also has a loving care for us. God wants us to rely on Him and believes that He does hear our prayers. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matt. 21:22). We need to remind ourselves to put away our critical attitude when we come to Him.

**A doubtful mind is not completely convinced that God’s way is best. It treats God’s Word like any human advice and retains (uses) the option (choice) to disobey. It vacillates (hesitates or unable to choose) between allegiance (loyalty & obedience) to subjective (relate to) feelings, the world’s ideas, and God’s commands. If your faith is new, weak, or struggling, remember that you can trust God. Then be loyal to Him. To stabilize your wavering or doubtful mind, commit yourself wholeheartedly to God. [**Notes are from Quick Verse Life Application Bible]

**If you have ever seen the constant rolling of huge waves at sea, you know how restless they are—subject to the forces of wind, gravity, and tide. Doubt leaves a person as unsettled as the restless waves. If you want to stop being tossed about, rely on God to show you what is best for you. Ask Him for wisdom, and trust that He will give it to you. Then your decisions will be sure and solid. [**Notes are from Quick Verse Life Application Bible]

What decision did we make when it comes to the car? We traded our 10-year-old car and bought 2012 Mitsubishi Galant. The Lord has helped us with our budget when we learned to trust Him. We are blessed when we trust Him! So let us trust God today! 

Song: I BELIEVE GOD

I believe God, I believe God;

Ask what you will and it shall be done.

Trust and obey, believe Him and say;

I believe, I believe God.

(Inspiring Choruses)

Treasure Hunt (3/7-9)

07-09 March 2015 - Treasure Hunt – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Proverbs 2:4-5 NKJV, “If you seek [wisdom] as silver, and search for her (wisdom) as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord.”

I read an article about a father, Keith Severin and his 7-year-old son, Adrien, agreed that they would spend at least 15 minutes every day that year searching together for treasure. Carlos Alcala’s article in the Sacramento Bee explained how they went out each day in every kind of weather to see what they could find.

A year later their collection of coins, golf balls, recyclable bottles and cans, and various other items had yielded more than $1,000. In the process they enjoyed many hours of companionship and fun as a father and son.

Can you imagine if we decided to spend 15 minutes a day searching for treasure in the Bible, what would we find? Solomon wrote: “If you seek [wisdom] as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. . . . Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path” (Prov. 2:4-5,9).

Growth won’t happen all at once. But gradually we’ll be changed through reading God’s Word. And think of the privilege of spending time with our heavenly Father. It begins with a willing commitment, continues with exciting discoveries, and leads to the treasure of wisdom and life. [Some of the note are from The Daily Bread, David McCasland]

Somehow this article encouraged me and reminded me how important it is to keep on “searching for wisdom.” Often we marveled about how God revealed His Word. I saw this one word, “marvel” from the scripture.  

John 5:20 KJV, “For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.” NLT, “For the Father loves the Son and tells him everything he is doing, and the Son will do far greater things than healing this man. You will be astonished at what he does.”

It is like we ‘marvel’ what we find from our ‘treasure hunt’ with His word of wisdom that we didn’t notice before. The word, marvel means to become filled with surprise. Doesn’t that sound familiar? God loves surprises! Your Heavenly Father would loves to be with you during the ‘treasure hunt’ with His Bible that has so much to offer. So let’s began the ‘treasure hunt’ with God and trust God today!

SONG: MY GOD AND I

My God and I go in the field together,

We walk and talk as good friends should and do;

We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter –

My God and I walk thru the meadow’s hue;

We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter –

My God and I walk through the meadow’s hue.

(I.B. Sergei, 100 Country Western Gospel Favorites, 1975)

[HUE=exposure of colors that allows them to be identified as red,

yellow, green, blue, or something between any two of these colors)

(ASL maybe sign ‘colors land’ or ‘land of colors’)

Find Wisdom (3/4-6)

04-06 March 2015 - Find Wisdom – Fresh Manna by Dorothy Callies

Proverbs 3:13 KJV, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” (NIV: Blessed are those who find wisdom.)

I was impressed with Proverbs 3:18 NLT, “Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.” Searching through the Bible references on wisdom, I realized there are so many to read from so I am sharing a few. One is Proverbs 3:19-20 NLT, “By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the clouds poured down rain.”

Then I had a question: “Who can understand God”? I checked this reference and found Job 26:14 “Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? But the thunder of his power ‘who can understand?’” From NLT, “These are some of the minor things He does, merely a whisper of His power. Who can understand the thunder of His power?”

In another word, “Who can understand God’s wisdom that made all things?” I noticed three words, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in Prov. 3:19-20. God is the source of all wisdom and He alone is perfectly wise. Is there any wonder that God asked us just simply to trust Him? Deep inside my spirit, I sense an awesome experience that His wisdom, His understanding, and His knowledge touched my heart.

Quote from the Daily Bread devotion: “The truly wise person tries to see life from God’s point of view and chooses to live according to His wisdom.” One example around 1988, I could think of was about Tony’s fracture knee and when he fell at work. When I saw this, I said, “God, what are You up to?” I sensed that He had a plan, but what? Soon I learned that Tony studied the whole book of Hebrews into outlines and notes during those months he could not work. Incredible!

David Stecca asked Tony if he could do the Hebrews, Verse by Verse Bible Study with Deaf Video Communication. So Tony rewrote from what he had studied and did the Hebrews for the filming. Today, they are in the online, www.deafvideo.com. So you see, it was the wisdom of God that allow things to happen to Tony’s knee so we would see the wonderful book of Hebrews in sign language for the Deaf today.  

Do you see why it is important to trust God today?

SONG: HOW BIG IS GOD

How big is God: how big and wide His vast domain.

To try to tell these lips can only start.

He’s big enough to rule His mighty universe

Yet small enough to live within my heart.

(Inspiring Choruses)

Mouth Shall Speak of Wisdom 3/1-3)

01-03 March 2015 – Mouth Shall Speak of Wisdom – Manna by Dorothy

Psalm 49:3 “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.”

I was about 16 years old when I was in a classroom of the Deaf School, a supervisor came in and motion me to come and follow him. As I followed him, a thought came to me, “Let the words of my mouth be of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.” I repeat this several times until we enter to his small office. Then we sat down.

He started to make all kinds of allegations to me. He was angry because my complaint went to the principle of the school through my mom. It was passed on to him. He asked what I have to say about that! I was surprised and tried to speak, but I felt the hand of Jesus covered my mouth. I couldn’t say a word. Then the supervisor went on to belittle me and said, “Who do you think you are? Better than anyone?”  Again, I tried to speak, and again Jesus put His hand over my mouth. (Belittle= to make a person seem little or not important)

I felt awkward and the supervisor finally let me go. It was a recess time and I went to the girl’s restroom and I cried. My good Christian friend encouraged me to stand strong in the Lord and she prayed with me. The moment we left the restroom, I felt the power of God and I felt my face aglow with such love inside of me. Among the crowd of students, the supervisor watched me very closely. Then the recess was over and I went into another classroom. I felt so blessed and those around me asked what happened. I just said, “Oh, everything is just fine.”

My mom taught me to memorize this verse, “Let the words of my mouth be of wisdom and the mediation of my heart shall be of understanding.” I never knew where to find that scripture until I had the technology Bible. I learned the exact quote, “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the mediation of my heart shall be of understanding.” But I like mom’s translation: “Let the words of my mouth be of wisdom . . .”

The word, wisdom means from one simple dictionary quoted: Knowledge, experience, and good judgment. Other dictionary defined more details: 1. a: learning acquired over a period of time: KNOWLEDGE b: ability to see beneath the surface of things: INSIGHT c: a good sense: JUDGEMENT 2: a wise attitude, belief, or course of action.

Why Jesus did covered my mouth? I don’t know, but I remember the verse that says, “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb (silence), so He openeth not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, Acts. 8:32).

There is a time to be silence and there is a time to speak up. At that time, it probably might not do any good to reason with supervisor since his anger took over. So Jesus knew this and He helped me to be silence at that time. This example might teach us when there is a time to be silence and let God do His work. My testimony … it was worth trusting the almighty God. It was an awesome experience I have never forgotten.

So let us trust God today!!!