Success Secrets From Jesus – Day 4 – Wisdom and Understanding

WISDOM

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ And, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
—Matthew 4:5–7

The first thing to point our here is that Satan knows the scripture! He would not have been able to quote it to Jesus otherwise! Yet, Jesus would not listen to Satan’s words because He understood that Satan had no wisdom.

Jesus knew Satan had no wisdom for two reasons:

• He knew that it is the Holy Spirit who gives life (John 6:63)
• He understood that the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it – Ecclesiastes 7:12 (NKJV).

Putting it together, He understood that wisdom can only come from the words spoken by the Holy Spirit. So Jesus neglected the words of Satan and focused on the life bringing words of the Holy Spirit.

Light-bulb moment: Just because the ‘right’ words are being used does not mean the words are ‘right’ for the specific circumstance/situation

Build Your Understanding of People and the Subject Matter
While knowledge start us on the road to success, it by no means guarantees success. Success requires that we build our understanding of any subject matter. Only then can we apply the knowledge we do have in such a way to bring success.

The same principle applies to people. It is important to know the underlined motivation behind the advice people are giving us. If the heart behind the advice is evil, then it is likely that the planned effects of following the advice will be evil – even if the advice sounds good.

The way to understand a person is by placing close attention to them – examining their heart and seeing if their life generally matches up with their words. Of course, if the person speaking to you is Satan, there is nothing to examine, rebuke him instantly.

Today, too many people know people but do not understand them!

Light-bulb moment: While knowledge can explain past and present behavior, only understanding can go the extra mile to explain that behavior and predict future behavior.

Here is the key takeaway: Knowledge – Wisdom  = Failure and Defeat!

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding – Proverbs 4:7

Check out Looking to Superman – The secret to success in life on superchampinc for more practical tips the experience of Jesus teaches us on being successful.