Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Many times we use these words interchangeably, but there is a difference.

Knowledge is taking in information or facts. We are all knowledgeable about something: cars, how to do something, and even the Bible.

Now wisdom - wisdom is about how we use the knowledge or the information we have acquired.

For example, if someone goes to school to be a doctor and they take in information and facts about the body, how it works, and how the body may or may not be healed - it is just knowledge until they take the knowledge and begin helping people. Then it is wisdom.

The same with someone who is knowledgeable about scripture. They may take in information and facts of the who’s, what’s and where’s of the Bible, but it is only when they take it to heart and begin living it out that it becomes wisdom.

The same goes for resting in the Lord. We may have the knowledge that we need to rest in the Lord. We may know what resting in the Lord means: being in His Word, trusting in His promises, choosing to invite Him to some alone time, being still in His presence, and allowing Him to comfort you, guide you, and speak to you.

But do we have the wisdom that we need to rest in the Lord? Have we taken it to heart and chose to rest in Him? Do we live it out?

What keeps you from taking the knowledge of the need to rest in the Lord and wisely living it out?

For me, I have had different phases that lead to the lack of resting in the Lord. It began with the lack of knowledge of God’s Word and His promises. I can’t rest in His promises if I don’t know what they are.

Then I think it was just choosing not to; instead, I was resting in my own abilities, my own knowledge. Sometimes I would have to sacrifice to spend quiet time in the Lord’s presence. I would have to get up earlier, say no to lunch with a friend, or allow the bed not to be made. I did not want to give up the busyness or thought I couldn't give up the busyness of life to spend time with the Lord.

I still have moments of allowing the busyness of life to take time from the Lord, but I reel it in much faster. I begin to miss Him and our time together and the peace He fills me with when I spend time with Him.

Right now life is one of the hardest times I have had in a long time, but I have chosen to rest in His love, promises, and presence, and He has lovingly revealed the actions and heart issues that need to be dealt with in the situation.

He has given me peace and knowledge about how to love when down deep I don’t want to. He has opened my eyes to see people how he does (at least I am trying to).

By resting in the Lord we become wiser, stronger, more loving. We live a life that honors Him. We get closer and know Him deeper. But the most important thing about spending time with the Lord is that He is delighted to be with us. He desires us to choose to be with Him!

Take the knowledge of resting in the Lord to the wisdom of resting in the Lord and begin living it out! Honor and delight in the Lord and choose to take time to be with Him, even if it means sacrificing the business of life!