May 13 – Growing in Wisdom and Courage

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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we
have devotional conversations

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rooted in Scripture and relevant
for today.

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May 13th Growing in wisdom and
courage Life can feel like a lot

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sometimes.
Like genuinely a lot.

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Between school demands, the
pressure to figure out your

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future, navigating friendships
that shift, and the constant

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noise of social media telling
you who you should be, it’s easy

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to feel pulled in every
direction at once.

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And underneath all of that
busyness, there’s often a

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quieter question, Am I actually
going to be OK?

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Proverbs chapter 15, verse 33
gives us something solid to hold

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onto.
The fear of the Lord teaches a

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man wisdom and humility comes
before honor.

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This fear isn’t about being
terrified of God.

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It’s about recognizing how great
He is and how much we need His

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guidance.
It’s the posture of a person who

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says, I don’t have all the
answers, but I know who does.

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And that posture, humble, open,
reverent, is actually the

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starting point of real wisdom.
Not academic wisdom, not St.

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smarts, but the kind of deep
grounded knowing that helps you

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make good choices when
everything around you feels

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uncertain.
Then Psalm 53, verse 5 says

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something striking there.
They are in great fear.

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For God is with the generation
of the righteous.

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God is with his people.
Not just in the good moments,

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not just when things go
smoothly, but especially in the

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hard ones, when fear tries to
creep in, when peer pressure

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makes the wrong choice look
appealing, when you feel

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outnumbered or outpaced, God is
right there, and that changes

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things.
Courage isn’t the absence of

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fear.
Courage is taking the next step

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in the right direction, even
when you’re afraid, because you

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know you’re not taking it alone.
And then First Corinthians

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chapter 16, verses 1 to 2 brings
in something unexpected.

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Paul gives practical
instructions about setting aside

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money consistently every week as
an act of generosity and

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obedience.
It might seem like an odd thing

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to drop into a conversation
about wisdom and courage, but

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there’s something deeply
important here.

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Wisdom isn’t just about what you
think or feel.

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It shows up in your daily
habits, the small, intentional

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choices you make over and over
again, the way you handle your

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money, your time, your energy,
the quiet, consistent actions

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that nobody necessarily
applauds, but that reflect a

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heart that’s submitted to God.
Here’s the connection.

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Big courage is usually built
from small consistency.

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You don’t suddenly become brave
in one dramatic moment.

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You become brave by making one
honest choice, then another,

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then another, by practicing
integrity when it’s

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inconvenient, by giving when you
could be keeping, by choosing

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what’s right when nobody’s
watching.

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Those daily decisions are the
training ground for the bigger

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moments that will come.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed

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right now, you don’t need to
solve everything at once.

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Start with today.
Ask God for wisdom in this

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moment.
Take one humble step.

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Make one intentional choice that
honors Him and trust that He is

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with you the way He has always
been with the generation of

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those who walk in His ways.
Wisdom and courage aren’t

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personality traits you either
have or you don’t.

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They’re the fruit of trusting
God one day at a time.

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Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank You for

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being with me even when life
feels overwhelming and

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confusing.
I don’t always know the right

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move, but I trust that You do.
Teach me to walk in genuine

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wisdom, not just in big
decisions, but in the small

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daily habits that shape who I’m
becoming.

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Give me courage that comes from
knowing you’re beside me, and

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help me to make consistent,
intentional choices that reflect

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your heart.
I want my life to honor you in

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every ordinary moment in Jesus
name, Amen.

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What if the battles hitting your
family are not random and your

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home can become a place where
darkness loses every right to

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stay?
The Secured Home is a powerful

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six book prayer series for
believers who want to guard

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their households with biblical
authority, peace, and confidence

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in Jesus Christ.
Book 1, Guarded Thresholds,

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fortifies every doorway, room,
and entry point with prayerful

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protection.
Book 2, Cleansed Rooms, helps

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reclaim spaces marked by fear,
unrest, and spiritual

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defilement.
Book 3, Closed Breaches, exposes

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hidden access points and severs
every agreement with darkness.

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Book 4, Broken Assignments,
confronts oppression, torment,

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and attacks against your family.
Book 5, Consecrated Walls,

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dedicates every space and rhythm
of the home to God.

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Book 6, Abiding Peace, shows how
to maintain spiritual order,

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rest, and holy presence every
day.

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Order now on Amazon or visit
prayerscripts.org.

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Now I invite you to spend time
with God in today’s three-year

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Bible reading plan.
Proverbs chapter 15 Verse 33

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World English Bible The fear of
Yahweh teaches wisdom before

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honor is humility.
Psalm Chapter 53 World English

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Bible The fool has said in his
heart there is no God.

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They are corrupt and have done
abominable iniquity.

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There is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven on

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the children of men to see if
there are any who understood,

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who seek after God.
Every one of them has gone back.

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They have become filthy
together.

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There is no one who does good.
No, not one have the workers of

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iniquity, no knowledge who eat
up my people as they eat bread

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and don’t call on God.
There they were in great fear

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where No Fear was.
For God has scattered the bones

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of him who encamps against you.
You have put them to shame

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because God has rejected them.
Oh, that the salvation of Israel

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would come out of Zion.
When God brings back his people

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from captivity, then Jacob shall
rejoice, and Israel shall be

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glad.
First Corinthians Chapter 16,

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World English Bible Now
concerning the collection for

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the Saints, as I commanded the
assemblies of Galatia, you do

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likewise on the first day of
every week.

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Let each one of you save as he
may prosper, that no collections

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are made.
When I come, When I arrive, I

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will send whoever you approve
with letters to carry your

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gracious gift to Jerusalem.
If it is appropriate for me to

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go also, they will go with me.
But I will come to you when I

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have passed through Macedonia,
for I am passing through

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Macedonia.
But with you it may be that I

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will stay, or even winter that
you may send me on my journey

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wherever I go.
For I do not wish to see you now

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in passing, but I hope to stay a
while with you if the Lord

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permits.
But I will stay at Ephesus until

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Pentecost, for a great and
effective door has opened to me,

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and there are many adversaries.
Now if Timothy comes, see that

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he is with you without fear, for
he does the work of the Lord, as

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I also do.
Therefore let no one despise

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him, but set him forward on his
journey in peace, that he may

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come to me, for I expect him
with the brothers.

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Now concerning Apollo’s the
brother, I strongly urged him to

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come to you with the brothers,
and it was not at all his desire

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to come now.
But he will come when he has an

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opportunity.
Watch, stand firm in the faith,

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be courageous, be strong, let
all that you do be done in love.

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Now I beg you, brothers, you
know the House of Stefanas, that

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it is the first fruits of a
Cheya, and that they have set

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themselves to serve the Saints,
that you also be in subjection

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to such and to everyone who
helps in the work and laborers.

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I rejoice at the coming of
Stefanas Fortunatus and a

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Chaikis.
For that which was lacking on

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your part they supplied, for
they refreshed my spirit and

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yours.
Therefore acknowledge those who

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are like that.
The Assemblies of Asia greet

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you.
Aquila and Priscilla greet you

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much in the Lord, together with
the assembly that is in their

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house.
All the brothers greet you,

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greet one another with a holy
kiss.

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This greeting is by me, Paul,
with my own hand.

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If any man doesn’t love the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be cursed.

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Come, Lord, the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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My love to all of you in Christ
Jesus, Amen.

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Thanks for joining us on Bible
Chat, where Scripture meets

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everyday life.
If today’s devotional encouraged

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you, share it with a friend and
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you won’t miss the next
conversation.

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Until next time, stay rooted in
truth, anchored in hope, and

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walking daily with.
Jesus.