My Wisdom or God's Wisdom?

Ephesians 1:17-20
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

When we rely on our own wisdom, it is so easy to fail. We search for ways to bring about our own desires and forget to depend on the wisdom which God will provide us if we only ask. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

When we spend time in the Word, submit to His authority and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us, we have confidence and hope. The riches and blessings that result from faith in Christ are true and lasting gifts in contrast to wealth, material possessions, notoriety, and the daily barrage of values the world tries to feed us.

We also look to others or trust in our own abilities to give us strength when things don't go our way. Yet, as believers, we have been given a strength to endure hardship through our faith in Christ. We have a wisdom that is foolishness to the world. We have a hope that the world cannot understand. And, as adopted sons and daughters of Christ, we have an eternal inheritance awaiting us, and we belong at this moment to the kingdom of God. God is good and has blessed us greatly!

Dear Lord,
 I pray that You would give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I may indeed know You better. Open the eyes of my heart and fill me with Your hope. Help me to understand the riches with which I have been blessed and to experience Your strength and power through my faith in You.

 Thank you for giving me faith and for making me Your child. In Jesus' Name. Amen

A heart after God

When the Israelites pleaded with God for a King, God gave them what they had asked for. He placed Saul to rule over them. Yet, Saul disappointed God, and God chose David to replace Saul. Samuel said to Saul:

"Now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." (1 Samuel 13: 14)

God chose David, because He sought a man "after His own heart." What does this mean? And furthermore, how can we, like David, be men and women after God's heart?

Although God is perfect, we live in sin; so certainly God did not mean that we should be flawless. It is important to God, however, that we live in relationship with Him. If we spend time in His word and in prayer with Him and seek to please Him, to care about what God cares about, to live a life submitted to Him, we too will be men and women after God's heart.

In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we read:
The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

If you give your heart to God...if you hand over all that you think is important and lay your burdens at His feet, God will build you up and strengthen you to have a heart that can serve Him and be fortified by His love.

Dear God,
So many things fill my mind and heart. Sometimes, the clutter keeps me from seeing that You are here with me. Fill my heart with love and help me to please You in my actions and devotion to You. I want to care about what You care about. I want to submit to You and be a man/woman after Your heart. In Christ's Name. Amen.