Before King David passed away, he anointed his son Solomon as king of Israel. As a youthful ruler, Solomon needed not only to be able to lead an army, but also be a political leader and a good man, loving and serving God. He kept the law of God, because he knew that in order to carry his heavy responsibilities he must have strength beyond his own.

One day when he was praying, Solomon said to God, "I feel like a little child. How am I going to govern a whole country? Please give me understanding and wisdom." The Lord answered and said, "I have heard your prayer, and because you did not ask for riches, honor, a long life, nor for the death of your enemies but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people, I will give you what you asked for." He stood before God as a learner.

Solomon was a witness to the countries around him about the kind of God he served. As the years went by, his knowledge of God and His love for Him increased. All the nations nearby began to admire the kind of God that Solomon served.

Taking on Goliath wasn’t a mindless leap of faith when you consider the encounters David had experienced with lions and bears. It must have looked mindless to some, but imagine how heaven roared with pride as David “ran quickly to the battle line to meet him.” When he chased down Goliath, he wasn’t on some spiritually psychotic rampage. Rather, he was listening to a different voice–a voice that is not easily heard by conventional wisdom.

In the life of David and of many others throughout history, God sometimes makes a mess of human wisdom and causes us all to leave a little room for the unimaginable to happen. While there are moments when God has called people to trust His Word more than conventional wisdom, these moments rarely involve suspending the sense of discernment. The two never seem to be mutually exclusive. Maybe the assumption that God wants us to use our brain and make good choices isn’t faulty at all. But knowing what we know about humanity, can we be totally confident in human wisdom alone? 

One way you can always count on God speaking to you is through His Word. One of the qualities Scripture credits the Bereans as having was their willingness to test the words of people against the Word of God: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11, 12).

The Bereans’ “eagerness” was a teachable spirit that was hungry for truth and direction. This stood in contrast to the spiritual leaders in Christ’s day who knew the Scriptures backward and forward but failed to connect their knowledge to the person of Christ who stood before them: “ â??You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life’ ” (John 5:39, 40). How could they not see? I think the wise man captured it well when he said, “There is a way that seems right to a man, / but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Reason plays a role in understanding the will of God. But there are times when all the clear thinking in the world doesn’t make God’s will any easier to understand and do.

At some point, we simply have to throw the book of human wisdom out because the wisdom of God confounds the wisdom of man. 

When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of “heresy.” In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.

Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Protestant churches that have followed in the steps of Rome by forming alliance with worldly powers have manifested a similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience. . . .

It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy–the beast. Said Paul: “There” shall “come a falling away, . . . and that man of sin be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3. So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast. –The Great Controversy, 443.

Nimrod was the epitome of the pride and arrogance that befell the human race when it decided to go it alone without God. He was self-sufficient, but not in a godly or admirable way. In many ways, there is nothing wrong with self-sufficiency; the Bible counsels Christians to work hard and provide for themselves. “Go to the ant, you sluggard!” the Bible counsels us. “Consider her ways and be wise. Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6–8). This is followed by a warning that poverty comes quickly to the lazy.

Nimrod’s self-sufficiency was different, however. He was self-sufficient in an arrogant sense, wanting nothing to do with the rule of a sovereign God over his life. He is the embodiment of the sentiment that led Adam and Eve to ignore the word of God and eat from the tree. He was an arrogant and violent man who saw other human beings as an opportunity to better his own situation. 

When we lose hope, dark clouds of despair hang over our heads. The future appears gloomy and everything about tomorrow uncertain. But hope leads us from what is to what can be. It paints tomorrow in an array of bright colors. It lifts our spirits from the mud below to the heavens above.

Ana Jacob put it beautifully when she wrote, "The wings of hope carry us, soaring high above the driving winds of life."

William Shakespeare added, "The miserable have no other medicine but only hope."

Hope is not some wishy-washy, vague longing for a better future. It is not baseless desire or an uncertain expectation with no real certainty or assurance. In the ancient Scriptures hope is a strong, confident expectation based on the unchangeable promises of God with the certainty that the thing you hope for will be accomplished.

The first requirement necessary to change from an earthbound sinner to heaven-bound saint is what Jesus described as a rebirth. Christians call it conversion. Speaking to a secretive nighttime visitor named Nicodemus, Jesus stated, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3).

Nicodemus was an upstanding member of the Jewish ruling council, and he came from a background that taught that his nation composed God's chosen people and that the only way to be a true Jew is to be born a Jew. He pressed Jesus for an explanation. "How can someone be born when they are old?" he wanted to know. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" (verse 4).

Playing right into His companion's mind-set, Jesus set the record straight. "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit" (verse 5). With these few words, Christ revealed that the door to salvation was wide open to anyone, anywhere, regardless of genetics. He also pointed directly to the source of this transformation-the Holy Spirit. Being born of Jewish parents made you a Jew. Being born of the Spirit made you a child of God.

There are many parallels between Moses’ time and ours, but I will mention three in particular. First, in both cases, God delivers His people from the powers of evil in the world. He delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and guided them to their Promised Land. In our day, He will deliver His people from the tyranny of the end-time demonic forces of evil in the world and take us to our heavenly home.

Second, in Moses’ day, God used ten plagues to punish Pharaoh and force him to let the Israelites go. In our day, He will use seven plagues to punish the wicked and set the stage for His second coming.

And third, God always uses humans to assist Him in accomplishing His purposes. He used Moses to challenge Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses didn’t do this alone. There’s no way that Moses could have delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage without God’s help. God did the heavy lifting. Moses trusted God to be with him. When God does something significant in our world, He also commissions people to do their part. And so it will be during the final crisis. 

Sometimes my own life feels like one big blur of survival from holiday to birthday to school to doctor’s office to mealtime to bedtime and back again. I am always running, and running late. There is constantly an urgent matter pressing, whether it be the next meal everyone is “starving!” for, the next appointment, the school pickup, or someone having a mini crisis. It is hard to split my attention between four kids, a husband, and a house. It is hard sometimes to just explain what I’ve done all day, or even all month, except to say that it’s been a blur.

And yet, opposed to this mess of madness and mayhem that is life with littles, God calls me into His presence to be still. “Be still, and know that I am God,” He invites (Psalm 46:10). As if I should know how to do that. Oh, I can be still–out cold on the couch during an accidental afternoon nap. But if I’m awake? My mind, and usually my body, are anything but still. I can be still when I’m hidden in my closet, eating the very last piece of chocolate in the house, while a little voice inquires from the bedroom doorway, “Mommy? Are you in here?” I can be still when the kids peek in to see whether I’m awake for the morning. But that’s about all I know of being still. Am I supposed to find time alone (hahaha) to sit somewhere in solitude and silence (HAHAHAHA) for a spell? Well that’s unlikely, except in the bathroom–no, wait, never mind, not even there. . . .

Being still before the Lord sometimes means simply letting go.

This is good news for those of us in mommyland, who find stillness and quiet hard commodities to come by. It means that even if our surroundings are in chaos, our souls can be anchored deep in the stillness that comes from certainty in God’s power.

Human beings were made to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine. The truth is that many have become indoor zombies. Too many people in this generation are not getting the benefit of being outdoors. We sit in front of our computers, smartphones, tablets, and TVs. However, this kind of lifestyle increases the risk for sickness and disease. There is healing power in nature; it is God’s physician. Why not make a conscious effort to spend more time in nature? It will improve your physical and mental health. . . .

Air pollution endangers our health. Children and senior citizens are the most vulnerable. Harmful gases are emitted by cars, trucks, buses, trains, and factories, which send carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and methane into the air we breathe. This polluted air, especially in the cities, is a major cause of respiratory problems and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Those with existing heart disease are at dramatically increased risk of heart attack and stroke. . . .

Our environment is vital to our health. It is either health restoring or health destroying. The more we live in harmony with God’s original plan, the healthier we will be. Spending time outdoors in pure, fresh air makes a difference. Relaxing in nature restores our minds and bodies. It soothes our nerves and restores our health. The sights and sounds of nature are God’s blessings to us. He has provided them to give us health of body, mind, and spirit.

Give your family the freedom and blessings of a weekly Sabbath. You’ve been given divine permission not to think about anything work related (either at the workplace or at home) every seven days for a whole twenty-four hours. In fact, God commands everyone to take this break (Exodus 20:8–11). What an incredible gift God has given to you and your family! An entire twenty-four-hour period to focus on Him and His creation, which includes your mate and your children. You can rest without feeling guilty. It’s kind of like walking into heaven. Celebrate this gift every week; don’t leave it wrapped on the shelf. You need it for maximum productivity and a full love cup. Don’t cheat yourself (or God).

In addition to a weekly time-out, every parent needs a bit of time alone each day. Parents need private places where they can put themselves back together without phone calls, doorbells, text messages, and the TV disturbing them. Healthy parents also need projects, interests, and hobbies that bring them a sense of satisfaction and remind them of their competence.

You are a child of the King. Treat yourself like royalty, even if others forget. “Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1).

In one of His most famous parables, Jesus told the story of a man who was robbed and beaten up, then left half dead on the side of the road to Jericho, a rugged and barren road through the Judean wilderness. A couple of “respectable” folks passed by without wanting to risk getting involved, staying at a safe distance. Then came the unlikely hero of Jesus’ story–a “despised Samaritan” traveler who noticed the injured man and “felt compassion for him” (Luke 10:33, NLT).

While the priest and the Levite would have risked their ceremonial purity to stop to help the beaten man, anyone stopping on that roadside would have been taking a risk that the robbers were still in the area. But motivated by compassion, the Samaritan stopped and set about tending to the man’s wounds. He then went even further, committing to pay the costs of the man’s ongoing care and recovery at the closest inn (see Luke 10:35). In Jesus’ story, the Samaritan risked himself, risked getting involved, risked inconvenience and cost–because he had compassion.

Jesus told this story in response to a leading question from a lawyer about who was the “neighbor” that the law required him to love. Jesus did not quibble. His summary answer was, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). Fear and prejudice do not discount our call to love, to serve, and to help. Compassion must be stronger than fear. As outrageous and offensive as it would have been to His original audience, Jesus was telling them to be “a good Samaritan”–before that became a cliché–and insisting that a good Samaritan was someone to keep an eye out for.