Devotionals for the Heart: Wisdom

Gaining Wisdom Through Repetition
A devotional by Heidy De La Cruz

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

—Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV)

Have you ever read a book or a Bible study several times because the content was so captivating?

I did the Bible study “Create in Me a Heart of Wisdom” by (in)courage ministries twice because it was that good! And I’ll probably read through it again multiple times because there is wisdom in this study, practical steps to gain wisdom, and reminders that God is our ultimate source of wisdom.

Through this study, I’ve learned two important facts: not everyone is wise and not everyone will gain wisdom. However, if put into practice, like habits, timing, and repetition, everyone who wishes to be wise can gain wisdom. In week five of this study, the writer (Melissa Zaldivar) talks about how wisdom is learned through practice.

Zaldivar wrote, “I learned that a habit is built when we commit to doing the same thing more than once. When it comes to wisdom, we don’t only have to consider or apply it one time. No, we have the chance to really build that muscle by continually turning to Jesus and asking Him what’s best.”

When I read that, it hit me hard because I recently experienced health issues with my son, and I must admit I didn’t turn to God first for answers. It wasn’t until the situation was becoming desperate that I turned to God and prayed for wisdom and guidance. That, my friends, should have been my first step. That’s wisdom. That needs to become a habit for me and for all of us.

Think about the last time you went through hardship. Did you seek God first for guidance and answers? If not, this is a habit that needs to be built, and it’s done with practice and with time. Part of wisdom is knowing that we must run to God first with every inconvenience. Yes, He places people in our lives to guide us and provide advice, but in the end, we need to discern and ask Him if that advice is Godly or not.

After running to God, asking for guidance, and asking for prayers from people in my circle, things started to take a turn. The light was starting to show at the end of the tunnel, but in the middle of the darkness, it was hard. God didn’t promise we wouldn’t go through hardships, but He promised to be there with us. The wisdom I gained in this situation is that I need to create the habit of going to God first with everything. It was something I forgot.

So today, I am giving you this reminder to go to God first. Go to Him for everything and anything. Let’s make it a habit to have a continuous conversation with Him throughout our day. Go to Him first, especially for the hard stuff. He has the answer for it all.

Let's Pray: Lord, I pray for whoever is reading this and may be in the middle of something hard. Remind them to go to You first. I pray that everyone reading this devotional today will gain the wisdom and the habit of going to God first whenever challenges come up and whenever an answer is needed. Thank you, God, for the challenges we go through, as they make us stronger and provide wisdom. Remind us that we cannot do anything without You but we can do everything with you. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Perfect Wisdom of Our God” by Keith & Kristyn Getty. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Heidy De La Cruz is a published writer/author and podcaster. She writes the weekly newsletter “Into My Thoughts” on Substack where she shares personal development content, life experiences with life lessons, and faith-based encouragement posts.

Heidy is the host of “The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast” where immigrants share their stories about moving to the United States. She is also a podcast coach and helps those who desire to host their own show launch.

Heidy holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and a bachelor's degree in Psychology. She works as a Medical Coding Analyst.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, watching movies, and spending time with her husband and their two kids.

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Connect with Heidy:
Website: https://heidydelacruz.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/