Opening Verse
“For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”
— Ecclesiastes 7:12 (KJV)
Introduction
When you feel unequipped, uncertain, or confused, the issue might not be what’s missing around you—it might be what’s missing within you. Wisdom is not something we find on a shelf. It is something God plants in us when we seek Him sincerely.
Devotional Story
He entered the store with a mission: to find what he thought he needed. But as he walked up and down the aisles, everything looked picked over. Shelves that once were full now stood nearly bare. Only two items remained, and they weren’t what he had in mind.
Behind the counter stood a man; confident, composed, and absolutely mistaken. “We’re fully stocked,” he said with a straight face. But the young man looked again and saw the truth: almost nothing was there.
He felt the weight of frustration rise. He was trying to get ready for something. He needed tools, something solid to face the unknown. But he was surrounded by emptiness and misdirection. That clerk’s voice, firm yet clueless, rang out again: “You just aren’t looking hard enough.”
He left the store discouraged, but as he walked away, something clicked in his spirit. Maybe the store wasn’t supposed to supply him. Maybe the real inventory was supposed to come from God. That night, instead of searching another shelf, he opened the Word. What he found there was more than supply; it was life.
What This Means
We often chase after physical or emotional tools to help us feel “prepared”: advice from others, confidence boosts, or even distractions. But real equipping begins with wisdom from God. You can have money, skills, or connections and still feel empty. But wisdom gives life to those who have it.
The man in the store is like many of us; looking in the wrong place for strength. The clerk? That could be the voice of pride, false security, or even worldly advice that tells you you’re fine when you’re not.
Think About This
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Are you mistaking noise for wisdom?
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Have you been listening to voices that sound sure but aren’t anchored in truth?
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Are you depending on what’s “in stock” in the world when God wants you to seek what’s eternal?
Prayer
Lord, I don’t want to walk through life half-prepared and deceived. Open my eyes to the truth. Show me when I’m relying on the wrong sources. Give me the kind of wisdom that only You can provide: the kind that gives life, clarity, and peace. I want Your truth over my own perception. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Closing Verse
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
— James 1:5 (KJV)
