Wisdom for the Way: Wise Words for Busy People (Hardback)

Preface.............................................................14
No Success Without Wisdom...........................................18
The ABCs of Love....................................................19
Real Riches.........................................................20
Power to Overcome...................................................21
God's Plan for Hope.................................................22
Five Cheers for Mom.................................................23
God's New Morning Message...........................................24
No Fear of Failure..................................................25
A Loving Father.....................................................26
Precepts and Principles.............................................27
Friendly People, Thoughtful People..................................28
Don't Get Burned!...................................................29
Pull in the Anchor..................................................30
Segments of Solitude................................................31
God's Hand on Your Life.............................................32
Giving God First Place..............................................33
Alone with God......................................................34
It Is Finished......................................................35
Two Are Better Than One.............................................36
Honest to the Core..................................................37
A Well-Chosen Word..................................................38
The Secret Is Acceptance............................................39
Dangerous Disillusionment...........................................40
Heavenly Hindsight..................................................41
Checking Up on Your Job.............................................42
Moral Character.....................................................43
Celebrate Life!.....................................................44
God's Instruction Book..............................................45
Give God Your Worries...............................................46
The Sweet Taste of Success?.........................................47
Free of Stress......................................................48
No Island of Second Chance..........................................50
A Fruitful Life.....................................................51
Full of Grace and Truth.............................................52
"Good Job!".........................................................53
Savor Satisfaction..................................................54
Money Can't Buy Everything..........................................55
God—Incomprehensible!...............................................56
Sunrise, Sunset.....................................................57
The Weight of Worry.................................................58
Reach Out to Others.................................................59
Wonderfully Made....................................................60
The Object of God's Concern.........................................61
Take Life as It Comes...............................................62
God's Way Is Right..................................................63
God Knows Our Limits................................................64
Unity and Humility..................................................65
From God's Vantage Point............................................66
Confident Contentment...............................................67
Helping the World on to God.........................................68
Absolute Silence....................................................69
Faith or Presumption?...............................................70
The One Thing We Can Change.........................................71
Seek Righteousness..................................................72
Two Key Attitudes...................................................73
Amazing Grace.......................................................74
If Only ............................................................75
One Day at a Time...................................................76
Hope Is More than Dreaming..........................................77
Perfect Trust.......................................................80
The Great Gift of Fidelity..........................................81
God Is There, Every Hour............................................82
A Present Help......................................................83
God Is in Charge....................................................84
Keep to the Quest...................................................85
Big-Picture Perspective.............................................86
Glorify God to the Maximum..........................................87
We Weep and Pray, Grow and Learn....................................88
Understanding and Obedience.........................................89
Life in Living Color................................................90
A Sweet, Winsome Melody.............................................91
Enduring Faith......................................................92
A Proper Perspective................................................93
Claim God's Grace...................................................94
The Riddles of Life.................................................95
Serving Is Essential................................................96
God Is Awesome!.....................................................97
Worry Is Distracting................................................98
No Mass-Produced Saints.............................................99
God in Our Conversation............................................100
Considering Quitting?..............................................101
Stand Tall, Stand Firm.............................................102
Invincible, Immutable, and Infinite................................103
Let God Do the Exalting............................................104
A Deliberate Trust.................................................105
Care and Concern for Others........................................106
Living a Holy Life.................................................107
No Place for Pride.................................................108
God's Topsy-Turvy Ways.............................................109
God Speaks to the Quiet Heart......................................110
A Giant Step Toward Maturity.......................................112
Sow Generously, Reap Generously....................................113
Seeking Success....................................................114
Magnificent Relief.................................................115
What to Do with Worry..............................................116
Meaningful Memorials...............................................117
Sacred Serendipity.................................................118
Forever Discontented...............................................119
Outrageous Joy.....................................................120
The Sheltering Tree of Friendship..................................121
Priorities for Parents.............................................122
The Impossible Is God's Ideal......................................123
A Beautiful Balance................................................124
Heed God's Promptings..............................................125
Wisdom in the Wilderness...........................................126
A Worry or Two or Three ...........................................127
God's Truth Incarnated.............................................128
Beautiful in God's Time............................................129
Wisdom Just in Time................................................130
The Sovereign Potter...............................................131
God Made Me........................................................132
Leave It to God....................................................133
Our Will or God's Will?............................................134
Grace for Every Shade of Sorrow....................................135
Take It by Faith...................................................136
A Dead-End Road....................................................137
Great-Hearted Souls................................................138
A Cluttered, Complicated World.....................................139
Perfect in Him.....................................................140
Root Out Rebellion.................................................141
A Radical Decision.................................................144
God's Gracious Liberty.............................................145
Light and Truth....................................................146
God Takes Care of You..............................................147
Triumphant Hope....................................................148
Your Work Is Not in Vain...........................................149
A Rare Commodity...................................................150
Let Go, Relax......................................................151
God Shows Himself Strong...........................................152
In the Palm of God's Hand..........................................153
Everybody "Act Medium".............................................154
Bless the Day of Rest..............................................155
Accept and Affirm Each Other.......................................156
The Whirlpool of Wickedness........................................157
Get Eternity Securely in Place.....................................158
A Heart for the Task...............................................159
Affection and Affirmation..........................................160
Time Well-Spent....................................................161
Safe in God's Hands................................................162
The Benefits of Solitude...........................................163
If God Says It Will Be, It Will Be.................................164
The Central Piece of Life's Puzzle.................................165
Count Your Blessings...............................................166
Our Guide for Life.................................................167
The Power of Reconciliation........................................168
Discover the Depths of God.........................................169
Let God Handle It..................................................170
True Excellence....................................................171
Painted by God's Fingers...........................................172
Still, Small Nudges................................................173
Worry Is Worthless.................................................174
An Attitude of Humility............................................176
Divine Relief......................................................177
Brilliant Days, Broken Days........................................178
Watch Those Choices................................................179
Forget the Past....................................................180
Managing Mistreatment..............................................181
A Cavalier Culture.................................................182
Let Go and Let God.................................................183
The End of the Story...............................................184
Leisure Is Free....................................................185
Aligned to God's Will..............................................186
A Rat in the Corner of Life........................................187
Deflating Pride....................................................188
The Soul Belongs to God............................................189
We Want Relief.....................................................190
A Dad's Greatest Gift..............................................191
Face to Face with God..............................................192
Hold onto God's Hand...............................................193
Sensitive Rather than Strong.......................................194
God's Mysterious Plan..............................................195
The Heartbeat of the Home..........................................196
Humble in Heart....................................................197
A Message for the Marketplace......................................198
Faith for the Future...............................................199
Your Fingerprints or God's?........................................200
A Joyful Heart.....................................................201
God's Will and Ways................................................202
Our Weakness, His Strength.........................................203
Walking with God...................................................204
Self-Control Is Inner Strength.....................................205
Diligence and Faithfulness.........................................208
Only Character Endures.............................................209
Hurried, Harried Homes?............................................210
The Beauty of God's Holiness.......................................211
Undeserved Kindness................................................212
Stop the Blame Game................................................213
Welcome Wise Rebukes...............................................214
Stubborn Sometimes.................................................215
Developing Secure Children.........................................216
The Fairest Flower.................................................217
God Is All in All..................................................218
Let God Build Your House...........................................219
Nothing Helps Like Hope............................................220
The Pursuit of Happiness...........................................221
Hand-in-Hand.......................................................222
The Blessed Life...................................................223
Do the Good You Can................................................224
God Is in Control..................................................225
Our Job Is to Obey.................................................226
A Storehouse of Promises...........................................227
An Unshakable Foundation...........................................228
You Are God's Personal Concern.....................................229
All Walls Finally Fall.............................................230
An Attitude of Satisfaction........................................231
Hope Revived.......................................................232
The Urgency of the Hour............................................233
Pleasure and Pain..................................................234
Look Heavenward....................................................235
Tender and Tolerant................................................236
A Light for the Path...............................................237
Choose Your Attitude...............................................238
You Lost. Get Over It..............................................240
Shared Joy Is Double Joy...........................................241
God Never Leads Us Astray..........................................242
Knowing Your Child.................................................243
A Place for Prayer.................................................244
Joy Throughout Our Days............................................245
Selfish Desires or God's Desires?..................................246
Mercy Beyond Misery................................................247
Developing Inward Beauty...........................................248
The Image of God's Son.............................................249
A Perfect Plan.....................................................250
Sails Set Toward Joy...............................................251
The Will to Do God's Will..........................................252
Sensitive Hearts...................................................253
Give All You Have..................................................254
Vision, Vitality, and Victory......................................255
Hearts to Trust, Minds to Rest.....................................256
Slow but Sure......................................................257
Praise and Adoration...............................................258
We Need Each Other.................................................259
Solid as Stone.....................................................260
Is the Motive Right?...............................................261
A String of Moments................................................262
God Is Bigger than Our Excuses.....................................263
Stop Running Scared................................................264
Prayer Is Private Devotion.........................................265
A Position We Can't Fill...........................................266
A Positive Perspective.............................................267
God's Ways Defy Explanation........................................268
Mother's Indelible Impression......................................269
God Supplies Reinforcements........................................270
We Need Discipline.................................................272
The Race Is On.....................................................273
Salt and Light.....................................................274
God's Great Faithfulness...........................................275
Endurance Finds Favor with God.....................................276
An Endless Litany..................................................277
Not One Lost Moment................................................278
The Difference Makes the Difference................................279
Solitude and Serenity..............................................280
Happily Ever After?................................................281
When the Going Gets Rough..........................................282
The Book of Books..................................................283
Spiritual Fuel.....................................................284
Do Little Things Well..............................................285
Trust Without Reservation..........................................286
Just the Right Message.............................................287
An Extraordinary Day...............................................288
Lord, Keep Me Balanced.............................................289
No One Is Insignificant............................................290
Accountable to Each Other..........................................291
Praising Personal Worth............................................292
Finding Fulfillment................................................293
Focus First on God.................................................294
Get Out of the Rut.................................................295
God Reigns Over All................................................296
Trust God for the Next Step........................................297
Moral Purity.......................................................298
Perspectives and Preferences.......................................299
Genuine Enjoyment..................................................300
We're All Clay Pots................................................301
Sincere Faith at Home..............................................304
In the Shadow of the Savior........................................305
God Does Mysterious Things.........................................306
Don't Expect Approval..............................................307
In the World, Not of It............................................308
God Is Trustworthy.................................................309
Choose Joy!........................................................310
Mercy for the Miserable............................................311
Let God Open the Doors.............................................312
Flexible and Willing...............................................313
God Loves Us Still.................................................314
Biblical Thinking..................................................315
God's Pastures Are Green...........................................316
Stop Running Scared................................................317
The Significance of One............................................318
Still and Quiet Streams............................................319
Abundant Life......................................................320
Eyes Trained on God................................................321
Suffering Simplifies Life..........................................322
Simply and Silently................................................323
The Plan in a Child's Heart........................................324
Mark Your Meeting Place............................................325
Free of Anxiety....................................................326
Take Heart!........................................................327
The Response of Worship............................................328
Discernment and Courage............................................329
Genuine Encouragement..............................................330
Accountability Is Wise.............................................331
A Listening Heart..................................................332
Held in Highest Regard.............................................333
God Is There and He Is Not Silent..................................334
God's Gracious Love................................................336
"Someday" May Never Come...........................................337
The Preparation Process............................................338
An Excellent Wife..................................................339
God's In Charge....................................................340
An Unselfish Attitude..............................................341
Enough Is Enough...................................................342
God Bends Over to Listen...........................................343
Thoughts of Excellence.............................................344
Father of Mercies..................................................345
Our Shepherd Leads the Way.........................................346
Open Hands, Open Hearts............................................347
Promote Peace......................................................348
God Doesn't Do Standard Things.....................................349
Focus Fully on God.................................................350
Endurance Is the Secret............................................351
A Steady Stream of Love............................................352
Holiness Is Part of the Process....................................353
Love Yourself, Love Your Wife......................................354
Sweeter than Honey.................................................355
The Godly Take God Seriously.......................................356
An Endless Cycle...................................................357
You're in Good Hands...............................................358
God Renovates Our Souls............................................359
Honest-to-Goodness Men.............................................360
Hearts that Are His................................................361
Integrity and Honesty..............................................362
Walking by Faith...................................................363
Set Yourself Apart.................................................364
Free to Fly........................................................365
Shaped by God......................................................368
Infectious Joy.....................................................369
Depending Wholly on God............................................370
Getting Acquainted with Christ.....................................371
Skimming the Treetops..............................................372
God's Applause.....................................................373
Prefer Giving......................................................374
Emmanuel—God with Us...............................................375
A Dash of Panic....................................................376
A Gallery of Memories..............................................377
Ask God to Take Charge.............................................378
Remember the Right, Forget the Wrong...............................379
God's Presence and Power...........................................380
Just Say "No!".....................................................381
Everyone Is Included...............................................382
Make a Difference..................................................383
No Shortcuts.......................................................384
Expect the Unexpected..............................................385
The Goal Is Hope...................................................386
One Day at a Time..................................................387
Marvels and Mysteries of the Deep..................................388
Relief Instead of Revenge..........................................389
The Schoolroom of Life.............................................390
The Eternal I AM...................................................391
Think Differently..................................................392
God's Ultimate Design..............................................393
Mimic God..........................................................394
Sharing Freely.....................................................395
A Servant's Heart..................................................396
Do What Is Right...................................................397
God Promises Wisdom................................................398
Acknowledgments....................................................399

Chapter One

No Success
Without Wisdom

Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

Ecclesiastes 10:10

* I don't know of a hotter subject today than success. Magazine articles, books, seminars, and sermons promote it. But success is seldom linked with wisdom. Chances are good that if we would pick up last Sundays paper and read it through, we'd come across twenty or more references to success, yet find nothing added regarding wisdom. In today's hype about success, wisdom is conspicuous by its absence. Outside of biblical literature and biblically based books, we hardly even come across the word....

    [Wisdom] may not give us great popularity and wealth and it may not mean that we will be the most respected in our field or that we will have the most significant voice in the company, but ultimately, as God gauges it, we will be successful.

Chapter One

No Success
Without Wisdom

Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

Ecclesiastes 10:10

* I don't know of a hotter subject today than success. Magazine articles, books, seminars, and sermons promote it. But success is seldom linked with wisdom. Chances are good that if we would pick up last Sundays paper and read it through, we'd come across twenty or more references to success, yet find nothing added regarding wisdom. In today's hype about success, wisdom is conspicuous by its absence. Outside of biblical literature and biblically based books, we hardly even come across the word....

    [Wisdom] may not give us great popularity and wealth and it may not mean that we will be the most respected in our field or that we will have the most significant voice in the company, but ultimately, as God gauges it, we will be successful.