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The benefit of life wisdom becomes more evident as we grow older. Our past with its failures, mistakes and hurts can become the embers we utilize to fan the flame of traversing what lies ahead. The quest to be better tomorrow than we have been today often seems daunting, yet is becoming more essential in days of confusion and uncertainty. It is necessary then, as we celebrate another birthday of this great nation, to find wisdom from our past and become more intentional about our future.

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7 NLT

Not all knowledge leads to worthy life wisdom. The source of our truth will always determine the legitimacy of the wisdom we seek to follow. We must be cautious to take what is “said” by someone without also considering their informational source.

I have learned scripture’s use of the word fear is equated to trust. Fearing the Lord is trusting in the Lord. When we trust in Him, we are not putting our hope, trust and source of wisdom in the folly of the world. Trusting in the Lord and seeking His truth as the foundation of the wisdom we live by creates a serenity in life that cannot be manufactured by human efforts.

As our nation turns another year older, I pray that it will become another year wiser. Friends, I know you expect a pastor to say this, but if we continue to refuse to trust in the Lord and to fear Him, we will never find the wisdom to see transformation in the state of our present national existence. I pray we can find a way to truly unite as a people, a nation and the children of God!

The Lord continues to graciously wait upon His people to live in the hope of His wisdom as we learn to trust in Him!

That is Good News!

Rev. Brad McKenzie is Lead Pastor at Orange First Church of the Nazarene, 3810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange.