Pursuit of Wisdom in PROVERBS Formatted Paperback interior Modified

A COMPELLING 31-DAY JOURNEY
THROUGH PROVERBS TO PURSUE WISDOM

FOR GODLY LIVING

Pursuit of Wisdom

in

PROVERBS

Nikki Pinkney
Ezekiel Family Services, LLC

Copyyright © 2020 Nikki Pinkney

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to our daughters Janasha Carter
and Jashia Pinkney and all the young adults who have
inspired me to seek wisdom for my life and to impart
wisdom into theirs. Wisdom is the needful thing for Holy
Spirit empowered living. I wrote this book to continue
sharing wisdom with our girls, for them to pass it on to their
children and the generations after them. I can see my
children sitting with their children saying, “Your
grandmother wrote this book.”

I devote this book to my husband who has shared the
responsibility of imparting wisdom to our daughters. He has
loved his girls since they arrived on this Earth. He is for sure
a Girl-dad and they are Daddy’s girls.

I also dedicate this book to all the people who sowed
wisdom into me on this journey called life: my parents,
siblings, pastors, family, friends, coaches, and counselors.

I thank you, Holy Spirit for leading me on this path to
pursue wisdom. I am excited about what you will reveal to

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me on our journey together to heighten my awareness of
your wisdom and to share your wisdom with the person
reading this book right now!

To all my readers, let us JUMP IN! There is a “Pursuit”
for all 31 days of the month! Wisdom will speak to you on
any topic you choose to read. You will discover what the
Holy Spirit wants to say to you personally as you read each
devotional.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication............................................................................. iii
Table of Contents .................................................................. v
Introduction ........................................................................... 1
Pursuit 1: Wisdom ................................................................. 4
Pursuit 2: Confusion .............................................................. 7
Pursuit 3: Trust .................................................................... 11
Pursuit 4: Peace ................................................................... 14
Pursuit5: Lust....................................................................... 17
Pursuit 6: Laziness............................................................... 20
Pursuit 7: Flattery ................................................................ 23
Pursuit 8: Knowledge .......................................................... 27
Pursuit 9: Fear...................................................................... 31
Pursuit 10: Integrity............................................................. 35
Pursuit 11: Gossip................................................................ 39
Pursuit 12: Anger................................................................. 43
Pursuit 13: Prosperity .......................................................... 46
Pursuit 14: Jealousy............................................................. 50
Pursuit 15: Joy ..................................................................... 54

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Pursuit 16: Pride .................................................................. 58
Pursuit 17: Love................................................................... 62
Pursuit 18: Giving................................................................ 66
Pursuit 19: Obedience.......................................................... 69
Pursuit 20: Drinking ............................................................ 72
Pursuit 21: Quarrelsome ...................................................... 76
Pursuit 22: Heart .................................................................. 80
Pursuit 23: Discipline .......................................................... 84
Pursuit 24: Envy .................................................................. 88
Pursuit 25: Patience ............................................................. 91
Pursuit 26: Honor................................................................. 95
Pursuit 27: Friendship.......................................................... 98
Pursuit 28: Greed ............................................................... 101
Pursuit 29: People Pleasing ............................................... 104
Pursuit 30: Weary .............................................................. 107
Pursuit 31: Charm .............................................................. 111
Pursuit of Wisdom Continued ........................................... 115
Wisdom Speaks ................................................................. 116
Reflection........................................................................... 117
Thank You ......................................................................... 118

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INTRODUCTION

The desire to write this book was birthed at the
culmination of a 21-day fast with my church. As I
began to think about what book I was going to write next, I
remembered I just finished reading Proverbs during my fast.
I heard “read each Proverb and write about our conversation
each day.” I was like okay; I can do that. This will be fun.
However, I did not start writing the book until three months
later when I was stuck in the house because of a virus called
Corona. Everyone was regulated to stay in the house for
social distancing. I had to work from home all day, and I
had moments when I was busy and moments when I had
absolutely nothing to do. I had a lot of extra time on my
hands. I did not have to commute back and forth to work,
the days seemed longer, and my weekends were starting to
mesh with the other days of the week. Sometimes I could
not remember what day of the week it was. I decided to put
all this time to good use and write.

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My life started crashing in on me in my twenties. I had
a dream one night, and in my dream, I saw myself reading
the bible. I was not attending church at the time or even
thinking about church. When I woke up, I had a desire to
read the bible. I went out that day and bought a bible. When
I got home that night, I was excited about reading. How
many of you know, I had no clue where to start. Too funny!
The bible was completely foreign to me; as I stumbled
through the pages, I came upon Proverbs. I noticed it had 31
chapters, and I decided to start there, reading one chapter a
day. This was the beginning of my Pursuit of Wisdom.

Proverbs was very intriguing to me. At that age I was
extremely critical, judgmental, and broken. Everything in
my life was about right and wrong. I was not interested in the
bible transforming me at the time, I just wanted a way to
make people wrong, justify my actions, and make my
situation better, ha! The Book of Proverbs fit those motives
at that time, but little did I know, it was going to change the
way I think, live, feel about others and myself. It has
become my go-to book in the bible and the place to
recommend as a starting point to every new believer I
mentor.

Proverbs is the basis for WISDOM, describes
WISDOM, and details the benefits of WISDOM. I

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discovered how to use Proverbs as my conscience guide
from the Holy Spirit to deal with life’s expected and
unexpected turns. This is my go-to book in the bible when I
need guidance. As you read this devotional, I pray you will
enjoy the Proverbs, stories, lessons, and quotes the Holy
Spirit led me to share with you. I see you inspired,
motivated, transformed, captivated, healed, and moving
forward in whatever area of your life the Holy Spirit reveals
and heals as you spend time daily in these Proverbs
devotionals. So put your seatbelts on and come along for the
ride with me through the Book of Proverbs as we discover
what the Holy Spirit wants to say to us.

From my heart to your heart, let wisdom guide you and
“Be A Powerful You.”

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1Pursuit of Wisdom

WISDOM

PROVERBS 1:2-4
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and
discipline, to help them understand the insights of
the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live
disciplined and successful lives, to help them do
what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will

give insight to the simple, knowledge and
discernment to the young. [New Living

Translation (NLT)]

I remember when I was young, I thought I knew
everything. I loved my parents, but I thought they were
too strict and did not know what was going on in my world;
they were too old to know. I remember my dad telling me,
you can try to outsmart me, and I may not catch you the first
time you do something I told you not to, but when I do catch

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you, your punishment will be for all the times I did not catch
you. I thought I was clever enough to outsmart him where he
would not catch me at all. I knew nothing about wisdom,
discipline, or discernment. All I know is my parents would
always find out my mischievous behaviors. My parents
called it intuition. I called it wisdom.

Wisdom shouts out in the streets to get humanity’s
attention. In chapter 1, I was tuned in to the Holy Spirit,
highlighting why Proverbs was written in verses 2-4. I was
reminded of the need for discipline, knowledge, and wisdom.
I thought of moments in the bible when the wisdom of God
came to lead His people from their self-centeredness and
back to him. One example of this was demonstrated when
David was enticed by his own lustful desires to have sex
with Bathsheba while she was still a married woman. God
had to send Nathan to present a scenario that would show
David the error of his behaviors so wisdom could lead him to
repentance and turn his heart back to God (2 Samuel 1:1-12).

I love how God is always trying to get wisdom to us.
Do not ever think God will leave you without his wisdom.
He is always trying to bring wisdom into your awareness; the
key is are you paying attention and listening to hear his
voice. Wisdom says, “Come listen to my counsel. I will
share my heart with you and make you wise” (Proverbs 1:23
NLT).

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Wisdom Nugget
Knowledge is limited – Wisdom is unlimited.
Pray: Holy Spirit, thank you for loving me enough to impart
wisdom in me. Teach me how to express your discipline,
discernment, and integrity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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CONFUSION

PROVERBS 2:1-6
My child, listen to what I say and treasure my

commands. Tune your ears to wisdom and
concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight

and ask for understanding. Search for them as
you would for silver; seek them like hidden
treasures. Then you will understand what it
means to fear the LORD, and you will gain
knowledge of God. For the LORD grants

wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and
understanding. (NLT)

Many people experience confusion every day.
Confusion is a lack of understanding and a state of
being unclear about something. One thing I know is God is
not the author of confusion. He is very clear with his

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instructions. When I start to feel confused about something,
I know I have taken in too much information. I have noticed
confusion sets in when I am rushed to make a decision, when
I want to control the outcome, when I take on too many
people’s opinions, and when I have heard the Holy Spirit’s
instructions and I don’t want to obey. In verses 1-2 it clearly
says, “My children, listen to what I say, and treasure my
commands. Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on
understanding.” That sounds clear to me. However, I can
hear your thoughts saying, Well what if I don’t hear his
commands? My answer is tuning your ear to hear and wait
until understanding and wisdom come. Then you will know
what he commands.

What Holy Spirit highlighted in Proverbs today is the
prerequisite God gives for fearing him, how to gain the
knowledge of God, and where the knowledge and
understanding of God come from. Fear of God is to
reverence him, honor him, love him, and not want to
disappoint him. To have this kind of relationship and
closeness with God it is crucial to listen to him, tune an ear
to wisdom, concentrate on understanding his ways and
nature, cry out to him for understanding and search for him
like you would a hidden treasure. God is the only one who
can grant WISDOM! God’s wisdom surpasses your

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understanding and takes you into his understanding,
revealing his mind to you.

God revealed his mind to Noah. God actually told Noah
what he was going to do to the earth. Noah had information
no one else had or knew. This information is divine wisdom.
God told Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family
because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take
with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male
and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a
male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird,
male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout
the earth. Seven days from now, I will send rain on the earth
for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face
of the earth every living creature I have made. And Noah
did all that the Lord commanded him” [Genesis 7:1-5 New
International Version (NIV)].

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Wisdom Nugget
God is the author of wisdom not confusion.
Pray: Holy Spirit, thank you for allowing me to hear the
thoughts of God. I will continuously surrender to your voice,
truth, guidance, and obey your commands. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

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3Pursuit of Wisdom

TRUST

PROVERBS 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding

in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

Sometimes things are so uncertain and trusting God is a
challenge, then worrying takes over our lives. When
answers are not readily available this causes the soul to
wrestle with questions that are not answered. This is the time
God says trust me. Sitting in my home quarantined with a
shelter-in-place order put in place by the Governor of
Maryland requires me to stay in the house and this is
uncomfortable at times. This virus is causing a pandemic in
the world and challenging me and the rest of the world to
trust God with little understanding of what is really

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happening. The media reports change every day and the
world is in a panic. The panic messages have caused people
to worry, be depressed, and anxious. I have found myself
coming against feelings of worry, depression, and anxiety by
resting in God’s peace, remembering his love has never
failed me, and remaining in FAITH that God will provide
wisdom, understanding, and provision right when I need it
just as he did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in
Daniel 3:16-28.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to trust God in a
time where the nation was serving other gods and the King
Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to bow down to a gold image
he set up. They honored the king but did not bow down to
his god; they worshipped the one and only God of Abraham.
They trusted God to protect them all the way into the fiery
furnace. They chose not to be moved by the times they were
living in and the wickedness that was happening around
them. I am sure there were moments they were uncertain
about what was going on, but they were willing to trust God
all the way to what appeared to be death. Are you willing to
follow God all the way to your death? Death means
separation. Are you willing to exchange the life you know,
for the life God wants to give you? This is what spiritual
death looks like. You realizing Jesus came and died a death

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for all the sins and shortcomings you will ever have. You
just have to be willing to take the chance to trust his love for
you and believe he knows who he created you to be. Give
up life as you know it today, seeing yourself as wise in your
own eyes, dismissing correction or counsel from others, and
allowing yourself to experience the incomparable love,
provision, and protection God wants to give you like he did
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Trust God and trust the
God in people.

Wisdom Nugget
Worry is the fruit of Fear—Trust is the fruit of Faith.

Pray: Holy Spirit, I trust you and lean not on my own
understanding. I acknowledge you in my decisions, obey
your voice, and allow you to direct my path. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

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4Pursuit of Wisdom

PEACE

PROVERBS 4:20-24
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen
carefully to my words. Do not lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they
bring life to those who find them, and healing to
their whole body. Guard your heart above all
else, for it determines the course of your life.
Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt

speech. (NLT)

Peace is a position. One has to conscientiously decide to
stay in peace. Life circumstances fight for our attention
all the time to distract us from peace and bring confusion.
As the scripture states, pay attention to what God says, listen
to his words, do not lose sight of them, let them penetrate
deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find

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them. This is what keeps your mind in perfect peace and in
alignment with the Holy Spirit on the inside of you.

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who
worries all the time? Their “what if” questions can make
you want to jump off a cliff. They live so much in the past
or future, they do not know what is presently going on in
front of them. I am sure many of you have found yourselves
in this space in life before. I know I have. It is not a good
feeling. The worries of life will steal all your peace.
Thinking repeatedly on the same things can cause you to
become mentally and physically sick. This is one of the
reasons I believe God sent the Holy Spirit as your comforter
because he knew you would have difficulty allowing him to
be your peace. He left you his peace. His peace comes out
of your heart; that is why you have to guard your hearts and
be mindful of the words that come out of your mouth
because you believe what you say. John 14:27 [English
Standard Version, (ESV)] says, “Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do, I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
God gave you freedom from disturbance in his peace. This
is a gift you have, but you have to learn how to exercise this
in your life. If life has thrown you a curve ball and your
peace has been shaken, remember, God has given you peace

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on the inside, ask him to show you the way back to his
peace. You have to let peace guide you. If you are
considering a decision and you do not have peace, wait until
you have peace to finalize your decision. If your conscience
is not at peace when you make the decision, then there are
more things you may need to consider before you finalize the
decision. Set peace as your highest goal and everything will
move in sync with your peace.

Wisdom Nugget
Stop looking for peace on the outside—it is in you.

Pray: Thank you, God for peace. Holy Spirit be in me. I tap
into the peace on the inside of me. You are my peace, Holy
Spirit, and I surrender to you on the inside of me. In Jesus’
name, Amen.

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5Pursuit of Wisdom

LUST

PROVERBS 5:21-23
My son pay attention to my wisdom; listen
carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show
discernment, and your lips will express what you
have learned. For the lips of an immoral woman
are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother
than oil. But in the end, she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword. (NLT)

Lust can show up in many ways. Typically, the first
thing that comes to mind is sexual urges, but it can be
cravings, uncontrolled desires, and urges for something. In
this Proverb you are urged to pay attention to wisdom and
listen to wise counsel and then you will have discernment
and speak from a place of wisdom and not lustful desires.

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Wisdom keeps you safe and your heart turned toward
God. When you rely only on your intellect and experiences,
you can be enticed into situations that will get you in trouble,
like adulterous relationships, addictions, gossip, and other
things. Lustful desires can rule your life if you live without
self-control and wisdom. Solomon had wisdom, but no self-
control because he allowed lust to lure him to sleep with a
woman God told him not to have sexual encounters with.
God did not want the Israelites to worship foreign gods, so
he warned them not to marry anyone who was not from
Israel. Solomon loved women from Moab, Ammon, and
Edom, and others from Sidon and the land of the Hittites.
These wives led Solomon to worship other gods. God knew
Solomon’s heart would be led astray by the other women
because they served other gods. You can find this story in 1
Kings 11. Lust confuses you, making you think what you
want is a need. When you feel like your needs are not
getting met, you disobey God to meet them. This leads to a
spiritual separation from your focus on God. You lose sight
of what God told you (wisdom) and are focused on what
makes you feel good. This is the great foolishness
referenced in Proverbs 5:23 (NLT) that says, “He will die for
lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great
foolishness.”

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I know there have been many times I have read
information, I have experienced things, and received advice
from people and did not take the time to ask the Holy Spirit
how to apply the information, if it is relevant for my life, or
even how to act on what I am aware of. I just jumped out
there to create the outcome I desired in my foolishness. I am
so thankful that I have a loving and gracious God who gently
guides me back with his wisdom and love. Remember God’s
love will always guide you to love, not lust.

Wisdom Nugget
Lust is rooted in fear, there is no fear in perfect love.

Pray: Thank you, God, for your perfect love. I am grateful
that your love does not keep records of wrong and teaches
me how to live a disciplined and selfless life free from lust.
Your unconditional love covers all my weaknesses and
teaches me how to create space for others to embrace their
weaknesses. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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6Pursuit of Wisdom

LAZINESS

PROVERBS 6:6-11
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise! Though
they have no prince or governor or ruler to make
them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering
food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long
will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little
extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding
of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on
you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an

armed robber. [The Living Bible (TLB)]

Laziness means the unwillingness to work or idleness. I
know I have felt both of these ways before in my life:
idleness, and unwillingness to work. These actions produce
poverty like the scripture states. They are mindsets that

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interrupt productivity in life. This productivity can be
physical (neglecting work duties), mental (taking the easy
way out, shortcuts, or quick schemes), and spiritual
(neglecting to pray, read scripture, or spend time getting to
know God). Sometimes these are deliberate decisions you
choose to make concerning a situation, and sometimes they
are unconscious decisions you make. Either way it is a
learned way of being that does not benefit your life or the
lives of the people you love. Wisdom says be like the ant
and be productive in all seasons of your life. Do not sleep or
slumber on your dreams, saying I will do it tomorrow
because poverty will pounce on you like a bandit, scarcity
will attack you like an armed robber, and before you know it
your dreams will be forgotten.

God gave us gifts and talents for his glory. These gifts
and talents are to provide resources (such as money,
businesses, food, shelter, etc.) for yourself and others.
Working brings profit, confidence, strength, and satisfaction,
especially when you are doing it unto the Lord and not man.
Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) says, “Good planning and hard work
lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”
Working in integrity is important as well. Laziness can
tempt you to take shortcuts to avoid responsibility and hard
work. The prodigal son is a good example of someone who

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did not want to work but wanted the rewards of working. He
received his portion of his father’s inheritance and ran off
without helping the father or older brother continue to care
for their estate. He packed all his belongings and left and
wasted all his wealth on himself. He was physically,
mentally, and spiritually lazy and that resulted in his poverty
and eating with the pigs (Luke 15:11-32). God’s will is for
us to enjoy health and prosper, but this has to be your will
too because God will not override your will (3 John 1:2).

Wisdom Nugget
Laziness may seem attractive,
but it is a silent killer of dreams.

Pray: Holy Spirit, make me aware of the destructive
mindsets and behaviors that are lazy. Show me the root of
any laziness in my life. Ignite dreams and visions in my
heart and give me strategies to accomplish what you put
inside of me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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7Pursuit of Wisdom

FLATTERY

PROVERBS 7:1-5
Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my
commands. Obey my commands and live! Guard
my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie
them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them
deep within your heart. Love wisdom like a sister;
make insight a beloved member of your family.

Let them protect you from an affair with an
immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a

promiscuous woman. (NLT)

Flattery, many of us have been under the influence of
this dangerous praise. Excessive and insincere praise
given specifically to further one’s own interests. Reading this
Proverb, I was drawn in at the way this woman enticed the
man to come and sleep with her. I have seen how this

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happens with men and women. Men and women are enticed
through flattery to do things they normally would not do.
The praise of people can cause you to make decisions to
please people from a place of curiosity, ignorance, approval,
or lust. Under the influence of the praise, you can forget
everything God has instructed you to do. The instructions
the Holy Spirit gives must be written deep in your heart.
God’s commands are instructions for godly living. His
commands will surely keep you off any path you are on that
he is not a part of.

Solomon gives plenty instances of flattery from women
enticing him to disobey God’s commands and worshipping
their golden image gods after he disobeyed God’s
instructions not to sleep with them. These women were not
looking to compliment Solomon on his wisdom; they wanted
their own way. There is a difference between flattery and
compliments. The difference is the motive. Compliments
are sincere acknowledgments of admiration spoken to praise
someone and flattery is insincere acknowledgment in hopes
to gain one’s way through praise and approval.

Flattery leads you astray from the wisdom of God and
causes you to comprise for encouragement and approval. It
feeds one’s need to please or fix. When someone needs to fix
other people’s problems to feel better or get the approval of a

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person to feel better, they are ensnared in the trap of flattery.
Flattery praise baits insecure people and gets them to doubt
what God has imparted in them to stand in truth and wisdom.
Flattery is very deceptive. This is why Proverbs warns
against flattery and instructs us to obey God’s commands
and live!

Have you ever been baited by flattery? I have. My love
language is words of affirmation, so this was an easy way for
someone to deceive me in my ignorance. I thought everyone
was as sincere as I was with praise. I learned on many
occasions this was not the case. After much disappointment
and hurt, I began to cling to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
and discern people’s motives when they praise me, and I
give all the praise back to God. I am now no longer
disappointed in people’s insincere flattery because if I give
the praise to God, I get the praise from God; therefore, no
man can hurt me unless I choose to be hurt. They can impact
me with their behavior, but I get to choose how that behavior
impacts me when I am not a slave to their praise.

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Wisdom Nugget
Flattery seems harmless, but it is fatal.
Pray: Holy Spirit, I acknowledge praise and approval from
you. Remind me that I only have an audience of one and
that is you! When people praise me, remind me to be
thankful but to include you in the praise, so my heart stays
humble in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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8Pursuit of Wisdom

KNOWLEDGE

PROVERBS 8:4-8
I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all
people. You simple people, use good judgment.

You foolish people, show some understanding.
Listen to me! For I have important things to tell

you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the
truth and detest every kind of deception. My
advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or

crooked in it. (NLT)

Knowledge is information. The source of the
information is what makes the knowledge truth or a
lie. Truth can only come from Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the
Word of God to humanity. Jesus is the TRUTH, the Holy
Spirit is the spirit of TRUTH, and the word of God is
TRUTH. These are the 3 different ways God communicates

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the truth to humanity. God speaks to Jesus, Jesus speaks to
the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit communicates with
humanity. Wisdom is the voice of the Holy Spirit. In John
16:12-13 (NLT) Jesus says, “There is so much I want to tell
you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth
comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on
his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you
about the future.” You should always seek the knowledge of
God. The way God thinks and applies information. You
learn the way God thinks through the word of God. The
Holy Spirit then aligns you to the mind of Christ through
awareness. Holy Spirit will bring you into the awareness of
God’s ways, nature, and character. Once you have the
awareness, Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom on how to
act in accordance with the ways of God. There is another
kind of knowledge that humanity operates from and that is
the knowledge of the world (academics, science, and
experience). Operating from the knowledge of the world is
when you take information you learned through education
and experience and act on it without the wisdom and
guidance of the Holy Spirit; you respond and act out of your
emotions or past experiences. Only the Holy Spirit knows
the way God wants things done and his will for what he
needs done.

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You live between two worlds, Heaven and Earth. That
is why John had to remind you that “We are in this world,
not of this world” in John 17:14-16, and in Romans 12:2-4
(NIV) he tells us, “Do not conform to the patterns of this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his
good, pleasing and perfect will.” Both of these worlds
communicate knowledge to you through thoughts all day,
every day. God can use revelation knowledge of himself and
knowledge you attain from education and experience for his
purpose. The key ingredient in both sources of knowledge is
to seek God, listen, and act on what the Holy Spirit has
instructed. In the event that you move too hastily on your
own agenda, God gives you grace and mercy, and he is great
enough to get you back on track with his plans and purposes.
However, the wise thing to do is as wisdom commanded in
Proverbs 8:6-7 (NLT), which says, “Listen to me! For I have
important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I
speak the truth.”

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Wisdom Nugget
Knowledge is not power, wisdom is.
Pray: Holy Spirit, lead me into your truth. I will seek you
for all truth and not look to the world for understanding. I
acknowledge you and will let you direct my path. In Jesus’
name, Amen.

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9Pursuit of Wisdom

FEAR

PROVERBS 9:10-12
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good
judgment. Wisdom will multiply your days and
add years to your life. If you become wise, you
will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom,

you will be the one to suffer. (NLT)

People have added several expansions using fear as an
acronym. Here are a few of them: Fear Everything And
Run; Face Everything And Rise; and False Evidence
Appearing Real. I have used the last one several times to
propel myself from fear to faith. I am aware that there are
two kinds of fear. There is the reverential fear from emotions
this proverb is speaking of and the spirit of fear the enemy
torments people with to try to get them to become slaves too.

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The spirit of fear uses life situations to trigger distressing
emotions with a threat of danger, evil, or pain. It does not
matter if the threat is real or an illusion, the feeling is an
abnormal instance of fear. Reverential fear is a profound
emotional awe and honor in a sacred way. This is the only
fear you should operate from in the Lord.

The spirit of fear is mentioned throughout the bible in
many ways because it is the camouflaged spirit the enemy
uses to get us distracted and off the path and purpose God
has for us in life. Fear shows up in all kinds of expressed
ways in life and many people do not know the root of the
emotion is a spirit of fear. A few of those expressed ways
are withdrawal, anger, anxiety, depression, doubt, and
control. The spirit of fear is the root of these expressed
emotions. Isaiah 41:13 (NIV) says, “For I am the Lord your
God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do
not fear, I will help you.” God is a present help when the
spirit of fear tries to deceive us into no longer trusting God.
When God was calling Moses to go to Egypt to deliver the
Israelites, the spirit of fear gripped Moses. You can hear the
fear in his responses to God’s instructions. God’s first
instruction was for Moses to Go, lead the Israelites out of
Egypt. Moses’ response was, “I am not a great man! How
can I be the one to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out
of Egypt?” [Exodus 3:10-11 Easy to Read Version (ERV)].

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The spirit of fear triggered him to look at his human
limitations. God was not asking Moses to do anything on his
own and he did not require him to be great. The spirit of fear
causes people to speak from a space of self-protection or
survival. Moses loved God, but did not trust God to protect
him. His mind could not wrap around why God was asking
him to go to Egypt and save the Egyptians. He debated with
God all the way to Exodus 4:17 until he finally asked his
father Jethro to let him go back to Egypt to see if his people
were still alive.

When you have a reverential fear of the Lord it is the
foundation of wisdom and our knowledge of God results in
good judgment. You can make a choice not to live from the
spirit of fear, but in the reverential fear of the Lord!

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Wisdom Nugget
Fear is the result of a lack of wisdom.
Pray: Holy Spirit, today I choose not to give the spirit of
fear power in my life. You have given me power, love, and a
sound mind. I choose to surrender my mind to your wisdom
and good judgment. I live by faith, not fear. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

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10Pursuit of Wisdom

INTEGRITY

PROVERBS 10:9, 29
People with integrity walk safely, but those who
follow crooked paths will be exposed. The way of
the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,

but it destroys the wicked. (NLT)

Integrity is not popular in a world where people will do
whatever it takes to get what they want. In the Old
Testament, the Hebrew word translated “integrity” means
“the condition of being without blemish, completeness,
perfection, sincerity, soundness, uprightness, wholeness.”
Integrity in the New Testament means “honesty and
adherence to a pattern of good works.” When people show
consistency in their uncompromising moral and ethical
values, they are persecuted. Jesus knew what it was like to
be persecuted for his moral values. He was the living truth

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amongst humanity, and he was persecuted for being the light
that exposed their darkness.

When you stand in this world with your
uncompromising integrity you expose where people do
compromise their integrity and that comes with persecution,
backbiting, and blame. We live in a world where people do
not want to take responsibility for their motives and actions.
It is easier to say someone caused you to do something or be
a certain way, than to take responsibility for how you choose
to act or be. I always believe, the truth will reveal itself, and
the truth stands alone. Now this does not mean that people
will accept the truth. They can see the truth but will not be
honest about what they see at the risk of exposing their
dishonest ways. This can be very frustrating for people who
value honesty and loyalty.

When Jesus was led into the wilderness, it was an
awesome example of him holding to the integrity of the word
in the face of temptation. Satan tried to challenge Jesus’
identity, but Jesus stood strong and uncompromising in the
integrity of the word of God and his mission as the Son of
God. If you follow Jesus’ example, you will be prepared
when Satan comes to challenge the word of God that you
stand on. When God gives you a word; the enemy will be
quick to come and snatch it from you. This is clearly

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described in the parable that Jesus gives in Mark 4:13-20.
This is the parable of the farmer who plants seed by taking
God’s word to people. Jesus then describes the types of soil
the seeds are planted in and shows you how Satan comes and
snatches the word of God based on the soil the seed is
planted in to describe the types of fruit that will be produced.

If your soil is treated properly and is in the word of God,
your fruit sprouts out as integrity, honesty, completeness,
soundness, uprightness, and many other characteristics of
God. This is how you walk safely in confidence with the
Holy Spirit.

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Wisdom Nugget
Do not violate the integrity of your word.
Your actions authenticate your word.

Pray: Holy Spirit, prompt me when I am violating the
integrity of my own word and being disobedient to your
voice. I acknowledge that you are with me, in me, and
operate through me for the purpose of the kingdom of God
and I am your ambassador on this Earth. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

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11Pursuit of Wisdom

GOSSIP

PROVERBS 11:13
A gossip goes around telling secrets,
but those who are trustworthy can keep a

confidence. (NLT)

Gossip, hmmm, everyone should be familiar with this
word. I believe everyone has been on the receiving
end of some gossip. I think people have their own version of
what gossip is. According to the dictionary, gossip is
unconstrained conversation or reports about people, typically
involving details that are not confirmed as being true.
Gossiping can hurt all parties involved. It hurts the person
who is being discussed, the person(s) receiving the
information, and the person(s) delivering the information.
All parties involved are subject to information in an
untrustworthy manner, and the words said can impact

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everyone’s soul in a negative way. It causes misconceived
perceptions of people who are not authentic.

Our words are powerful. The saying “sticks and stones
may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a lie!
Words hurt and damage the innermost parts of your soul and
cause trauma that people live out all their lives. How
powerful are words if God formed the Earth with his words
(Genesis 1:1-3)? Your words create the world that you live
in. Whatever you speak, you will have because your belief
system aligns with what you say, and what you say becomes
your reality. If you want to know what a person believes,
listen to what they say and then watch what they do because
that is who they are. If someone comes up to you like gurl,
“Pray for Martha, I think her brother’s wife left him, and he
wants to commit suicide.” They started the conversation off
this way and did not even greet you. Be mindful, this is
probably gossip camouflaged as a prayer request in order to
share information about someone else. Sometimes people
experience highs when they hear about other people’s
problems. It makes them feel like their life is better. It is
easy to look at other people’s lives and talk about them
because it distracts the person from looking at their own life.
An example of this was used when David slept with
Bathsheba. He was blinded to his choices, evil desires, and

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actions, until Nathan the prophet came to him and used a
story of a rich man and a poor man to get David to see his
actions (2 Samuel 12:1-31). If the Lord did what he did to
David every time people talked about someone with
malicious intent because they think they are better, their
opinions are more worthy, or they are the Holy Spirit and
can fix someone’s life, they would probably be like
Zachariah when God shut his mouth for not believing
Gabriel about the birth of his son, John. People would not be
able to talk until they believed God and spoke accordingly.
Be a safe place people can authentically share themselves.
Show yourself trustworthy and keep information
confidential. Be the friend you want people to be to you.
God wants to trust you with his secrets and people do too.

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Wisdom Nugget
Gossiping perishes when wisdom enters the room.

Pray: Holy Spirit, guide me in discerning the motives of my
conversations and those of others. I will speak on only
things that are noble, true, pure, and praiseworthy. I will
look for ways to encourage, motivate, uplift, and inspire
people to be authentic and powerful, just the way you created
them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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12Pursuit of Wisdom

ANGER

PROVERBS 12:16
A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays

calm when insulted. (NLT)

Becoming quick-tempered can be a choice extremely
easy to make during times of high stress, uncertainty,
and fear, such as a pandemic. I am taking this journey
through Proverbs for wisdom during a time when it is really
needed in my life. Reading a Proverb every day during these
times is very therapeutic and helps me not be quick-
tempered, but calm and present to what the Holy Spirit wants
to say. When the soul is insulted and offended it wants to
react instead of responding.

Anger is a choice. It is an emotion. This emotion is only
a trigger that something deeper is happening. When this

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emotion shows up, you can choose to either fight or take
flight. But what if you take a moment to be present to the
emotion of anger. Why is it there? Why did it show up?
What is it trying to communicate to you? These are
questions I ask myself when anger begins to rise up. James
says, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become
angry” (James 1:19 NIV). I believe he instructed the saints
this way because he was aware of the tendency to get angry
prematurely.

Peter was a great example of getting angry prematurely
when he cut off the high priest’s ear who arrested Jesus. He
was protecting Jesus! This emotion does the same thing with
you; it wants to protect you from any harm. Jesus had been
trying to explain to the disciples this moment would come,
but they did not want to be with this part of Jesus’ reality.
Their natural understanding could not comprehend the
supernatural purpose that had to take place.

So just as Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall
I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” the same is true
for you. You have to put away anger towards people and
situations and seek wisdom to understand the supernatural
things happening. Remember you wrestle not against flesh
and blood but against principalities, against powers, against
rulers of this dark world (Ephesians 6:12). The only anger

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