Tag: understanding

• Beware the Smart Person Trap

  6Do not add to his [God’s] words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.–Proverbs 30

  bradshawjoel

  November 30, 2025

  proverbs

  add, bible, blog, cult, devo, important, nuance, opinion, proverbs 30, proverbs 3:5, smart, subtract, thoughts, trap, understanding

• A Heart of Understanding

   9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”–1 Kings 3 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  (Deuteronomy 6:4)

  bradshawjoel

  September 12, 2025

  1 kings

  1 kings 3, bible, devo, heart, judge, life, shema, solomon, understanding, wisdom

• All [1-minute read]

  5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to Him,  and He will make your paths straight.–Proverbs 3 Here is an exercise I like to lead people through when they feel distant from God but don’t know how to communicate why. Take each line…

  bradshawjoel

  April 3, 2024

  proverbs

  all, bible, devo, faith, God, heart, hope, perspective, proverbs 3, questions, submit, trust, understanding

• Opened [1-minute read]

  45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…–Luke 24 The word for ‘opened’ was used only here and in Acts 16 where God opened the heart of a woman named Lydia. Here, Jesus opened their minds to understand. With Lydia, God opened her heart to serve. Here are a few points to encourage you.…

  bradshawjoel

  March 23, 2024

  luke

  bible, bible study, christian, devo, faith, God, heart, holy spirit, hope, jesus, Luke 24, pastor, perspective, trust, understanding

• Key Heart Questions

  5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge Him,  and He will make your paths straight.–Proverbs 3 Here is an exercise I like to lead people through when they feel distant from God but don’t know how to communicate why. Take each line of…

  bradshawjoel

  October 3, 2023

  proverbs

  acknowledge, bible, christian, devo, devotional, faith, God, heart, hope, perspective, proverbs 3, questions, submit, trust, understanding

• The Mind of Christ

  14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16for, “Who has…

  bradshawjoel

  August 13, 2023

  1 Corinthians

  1 Corinthians, 1 corinthians 2, actions, attitude, bible, biblical, biblical counseling, change, christ, christian, devo, devotional, discernment, faith, feelings, God, heart, holy spirit, hope, jesus, mind, mind of christ, motivations, perspective, priorities, process, sanctification, theology, thoughts, understanding, words

• Don’t Add to the Bible

  6Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.–Proverbs 30 Most people reading these words are not going to be adding a new chapter to the Bible or trying to discredit God in any way. But does this proverb have something to indeed keep in mind for the…

  bradshawjoel

  April 30, 2023

  proverbs

  add, bible, christian, election, God, microphone, new, opinion, perspective, predestination, proverbs, proverbs 30, selfishness, subtract, sufficient, understanding, words

• Shame and Joy

  7The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.–Proverbs 28 It almost seems impossible that Jesus didn’t have this proverb on his mind when he gave his famous parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Let’s use that passage to illustrate. A father had…

  bradshawjoel

  October 28, 2022

  proverbs

  bible, christian, father, glutton, God, jesus, joy, Luke 15, prodigal, prodigal son, proverb, proverbs, proverbs 28, shame, son, understanding, wisdom, wise