The Shield 4: Wisdom - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 13, 2025
- P L U N D E R E R
- Jun 12
- 3 min read
We've spent the last two weeks looking at the different types of shields mentioned in the Bible. Some may wonder why. The simplest answer is because they are important. And we know they're important because they're mentioned in the Bible. Far too many of us are unaware of the specific tools available to Christians in their spiritual arsenal. Kingdom Keys that always make the difference.
Having considered the Shields of Salvation, Favor, and Faith, we examine the Shield of Wisdom today and learn its role in our Christian journey. This shield is mentioned in Ecclesiastes 7:12 - For wisdom is a protection even as money is a protection, But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors (AMP).
Imagine that! The Bible tells us that wisdom is more of a shield than money. This, despite the oft-recited adage in Ecclesiastes 10:19, which states, People prepare a meal for enjoyment, wine makes life joyful, and money is the answer to everything (NASB). Yes, money is important, but not more important than godly wisdom. And yet, more people chase money than they do the knowledge God gives. And that love for money leads people to places where their money cannot save them. Wisdom, however, could have been the protection that would have mattered in those circumstances.
Queen Esther illustrates how wisdom can protect an entire people group. Her predecessor's lack of wisdom opened the door for her rise. And when the genocide of her people, the Israelites, was imminent, she fasted (alongside her community) for three days. She emerged from her time at the feet of God as the most powerful person not just in the Persian kingdom, but in the world. She walked with so much favor that her husband offered her half of his kingdom without her asking for anything. In the end, he ensured her request to save her people was fulfilled, and their oppressor's evil plan was foiled. Money and wealth played no role in her ability to save lives. It was God's wisdom that made the difference.
Then there's Daniel. He was a captive when he arrived in Babylon after his nation had been defeated. And yet, it was the knowledge God gave him that ensured he rose to prominence in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. He went on to serve at least five different kings. Not because he had money or fame but because he had access to the wisdom of the Lord, and it was clear that God's hand was upon him. That wisdom shielded him from the many wicked schemes of his enemies, which included being thrown into the lions' den. Instead of being torn to shreds, the lions remained calm and had their fill when Daniel's accusers took his place. This is what the Shield of Wisdom can do for someone who understands that worldly wisdom will eventually fail, but the knowledge God gives cannot falter.
Just as Esther, Daniel, and many others tapped into the stream of God's wisdom, so can we as those who believe in Jesus, His Son. And even more so because we have a deposit of God's Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). It is through Him that God's children access wisdom and wield it as a shield that silences satan, making it impotent. After all, we know the devil lacks wisdom. If you are yet to give your life to Christ and thus have not received the Holy Spirit, today is the day to make that choice (see the post below for more on this). Do so and receive the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Frankly, wisdom is one of the many benefits available for those who submit to Jesus and His Father. With it comes the protection everyone needs, especially the way things are going in this world.
And for those who already walk in humility with the Lord as believers, it is time to seek God's wisdom on everything that concerns you. That is the only way to avoid the pitfalls of life designed to lead you astray and open you up to the sudden disaster that befalls the wicked (Proverbs 3:25-26). May the good Lord help us all, IJN Amen.
To learn more, please read:
FINAL MESSAGE
If you are someone who regularly reads the word of the day or some daily devotional, God bless you. I know the Lord will reward you for the efforts you make to encounter and engage with His word each day.
That said, I want to encourage you to go further. Don't be satisfied with spiritual milk when you can have solid food that will fill you.
1 Peter 2:2 - Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
Hebrews 5:14 - But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
It is not abnormal for us all to…
CLOSING PRAYER
Hallelujah to the Lord our God! The Sovereign Lord. The Alpha and Omega.
Thank You Father for another day of fellowship with the brethren. Take all the glory, our Redeemer.
As we close today's gathering, we call on You for favor and grace to surround those who honored You through Praise and Pray (for others) today. Take them by the hand, lead them as they should go, by green pastures and calm waters. May they enjoy Your ease and experience Your miracles. IJMN, keep them safe, that we will meet again and again to glorify Your Holy Name.
Fill them with Your wisdom that it be a shield that protects them from the plans and schemes of the…
LAST 10 MINUTES
Glory be to the Lord God Almighty! He is the God who protects and preserves us all.
He has given us His Shield of Wisdom, and we have access to it because of our affiliation with His Son, Jesus Christ!
Why don't you give God thanks for His wisdom that you are a beneficiary of? You can access wisdom in the Bible, through His Spirit, and even through spirit-field teachers who share what they've learned from the Lord with the rest of us.
What a blessing!
Now that you've thanked Him, pray to always seek His wisdom instead of the wisdom of the world. Call on Him for the gift of discerning of spirits, so you turn to…
Father, You see and know the troubles of this world, and I come before You to ask for Your help to reach Peppers.
Lord, lift the trouble of this world from the shoulders of Your children. Restore to them what was lost and let them be like those who dreamed when You restored Zion (Psalm 126:1). May they remember the promise of Christ made in John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” May they each rest in the peace of Christ that He gave believers in John 14:27.
Through Him, all those who call Him Lord…