A WISE MAN IS STRONG - Proverbs 24:5
Proverbs 24:5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Go find a world class athlete who does not train. The athlete understands that they must remain at the top of their game. If they do not maintain the top of their game, then there is some new person who is at the top of their game ready to replace them. It does not matter what the sport is, the athlete will train so as to get better.
The same should be true in our spiritual life. Scripture tells us that a wise man will be strong when it comes to facing trials and temptations. A wise man will be strong when it comes to sharing with others the truth that is within him. However, the wise man does not allow himself to think that he fully understands the ways of God.
A wise man will continue to take time to study the ways of God so that he will increase in strength. A wise man will always be looking for ways that he can expand his ministry here on this earth. A wise man will not allow Satan to lull him into a position where he becomes week and is thus susceptible to temptation.
Samuel was a wise man who heard from God at a very young age. However, if you study the life of Samuel, you will see that this was not the only time he heard from God. Throughout his life he heard the voice of God. Samuel anointed two kings as a direct result of hearing from God. Samuel advised Saul on multiple occasions as to what he was to do based upon what God told him. Samuel built upon his reputation as being a judge in Israel by not simply having been a man who heard God once. Because of the constant communication with God that Samuel had, people understood that Samuel was the leader of the nation.
Solomon was a man who was very wise. However, Solomon did not take the time to increase his strength. Instead, Solomon rested in his wisdom and as a result, we see that Solomon started marrying many foreign women. These women were able to lead Solomon astray to the point that he was building high places for the false gods of his wives. Solomon may have been one of the wisest men that had ever lived, but he allowed his strength to fade and become of little effect in his latter days.
Solomon was destroyed because he disobeyed God by marrying women that God had told the Israelites that they were not supposed to marry. Rather than marrying women of the nation of Israel who served the living God, Solomon pursued the women of different faiths. Solomon slowly destroyed his effectiveness for God by making small compromises. The more he compromised, the weaker his faith became.
What is the status of your faith today? Are you stronger than you were one year ago? Are you weaker than you were one year ago? Is your faith stagnant and about the same? When was the last time you heard from God about the direction you are to go? When was the last time you prayed for an entire hour? What was the last verse that you memorized and how long ago was it? How many chapters of the Bible did you read yesterday, last week, last month, and last year?
You are a child of God and HE has a purpose for your life here on this earth. If you are going to be effective for HIM, then you need to spend time adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life. Do not rest on what the Lord told you yesterday. You need to hear from God today. Do not grow stagnant in your spiritual life, seek God today.