November 12, 2025 Devo

One of our fatal flaws as human beings is believing we’re smarter than we really are. A great example of that was in a survey that San Diego State University did with its graduating seniors some years ago. They asked the question, “What do you believe is your greatest asset as you head out to your place in the world?” Two of the graduating seniors wrote “Intelligence.” Both of them misspelled it! My guess is that these two soon had a rude awakening after graduation.
Let’s all humble ourselves today and say this out loud: “I’m not that smart.” Now, say it again and MEAN it! It hurts a bit to admit, but it’s true. It’s not that we don’t know anything. It’s just that we don’t know nearly as much as we lead ourselves to believe. That’s why the “fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.” We get smart when we admit we don’t know everything. We get even smarter when we seek God’s counsel for our lives. But we get WISE when we actually FOLLOW the Lord’s advice!
The word “fear” that’s used here has a root meaning of “surrender.” It is the idea that I yield my decisions to the counsel of God. This is so key. The “fear of the Lord” is not praying about a situation by simply telling God what you’re going to do and asking Him to bless it. That’s telling God to walk BEHIND you, not IN FRONT of you! “True wisdom” is seeking God’s advice, waiting for His answer, and then following the answer He gives you. God can bless your life a lot more if you’ll let Him help you make the right choices rather than always going to Him to help you clean up the bad ones you made by not listening and waiting.
Maybe there’s something that you’ve been determined to do your way, and you need to let go and do it God’s way. God’s way is not just what’s pleasing to God, it’s what’s BEST for us! The psalmist is right. Surrendering to the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. So wise up. Give it up, give it over, and ask God to help you get better at seeking Him the first time around. Then take a deep breath and say again, “I’m not that smart.” Congratulations. You just got wiser. That’s God’s Word for you today.