Daily Devotional For Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Today is another day the Lord has made and we can be glad and rejoice in it. Learning is a part of life. Learning mathematics, biology, chemistry, history, and etc are subjects we take and learn the basics of them. Some people love to learn. They read books and absorb from them the truth they contain. Others, well, ever since they got out of either high school or college, haven’t picked up a book since. I love to read. My library at home is filled with hundreds of books I have read and now with digital reading, my computer has a library of books I have read.
In the old days when it came to a trade, the person wanting to learn that trade shadowed a mentor, someone very skilled in it. They not only learned that trade, but they learned from the vast experience of that person in that trade. When we were young, we were full of questions, asking that person over and over this question and that question. They knew and we knew we were ignorant in it. But as we age and get older, pride can creep in and we are less likely to ask those questions. It takes humility to ask questions. It takes a willingness to admit you’re not the expert. For me, if I want to learn something new, I am full of questions. To me, asking those questions helps me reduce errors and mistakes down the road.
We don’t like to admit we don’t know—especially in church. I want to give you permission to say without shame, “I don’t know much about that.” I want to encourage you to make the effort to find one or two people whose faith you respect, or a small group or a community group where there is no judgment or finger pointing. Ask questions and study Scripture to find the answers. Invite someone who has been on the journey longer than you to recommend good books, or even join you. None of us knows enough, so let’s be learners together.
As I said above, one of the best teachers in life are our mistakes. Hopefully we learn from them and take the wisdom we gained and use it so that we do not make that same mistake again in the future. When you read the Old Testament, it seems the Hebrews and then eventually the Israelites never learned from their mistakes. Over and and over they would promise, “We will do all that the Lord requires,” only to eventually do just the opposite.
God would punish them , they would cry out and repent and God would remove the punishment. Did they learn? NO! They would go back and make the same mistake again, which was to disobey the Lord. Makes you wonder, “Why?” doesn’t it? The Bible says this in Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel” (NASB).
Many of you will recognize the name Woody Allen. He is one of the top comedic directors in Hollywood. Journalist Steve Silverman shares an interview that Woody Allen gave in People Magazine in 2005:
“In 1969, Woody Allen directed his first movie, Take the Money and Run. It was critically acclaimed, and throughout the next three decades Allen became one of the most prolific and beloved comedic filmmakers of the 20th century. In 1992, however, Allen's personal life trumped his work on the big screen when he admitted to having an affair with the adopted daughter of his long-time girlfriend, Mia Farrow. The girl, Soon-yi Previn, was 21 at the time. Despite a vicious custody battle with Farrow over other children, Allen and Previn continued their relationship and were married in 1997, when Allen was 62 years old.
In a November 2005 interview with Vanity Fair, Allen admitted that he had made some mistakes in his life: "I'm sure there are things that I might have done differently. Probably in retrospect I should have bowed out of that relationship [with Farrow] much earlier than I did." But Allen, who was about to turn 70 at the time of the interview, admitted that age had not brought discretion: "I've gained no wisdom, no insight, no mellowing. I would make all the same mistakes again, today” (Source: Stephen M. Silverman, "Woody Breaks Silence on Soon-Yi Scandal," People.com, 11-9-05).
If you are like me, it may sicken, appall and anger you that Wood Allen engaged in an affair with the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow. Yes, she was 21 at the time and an adult, but Allen should have known better and acted like Mia Farrow's caring boyfriend to her daughter – protective. The fact that he said he never learned from the sin and mistakes and if put back into the same situation again, would do the same thing again, tells you a lot.
This week set some goals to learn more about God, the Bible, and your relationship to Jesus Christ. Quit making excuses. Quit making the same mistakes. Push yourself, stretch yourself and learn from the Lord and your mistakes. Learning more about God through Scripture strengthens our faith. God’s Word to us is our guide for living a transformed life and it helps us to reduce our mistakes in life.
Questions To Consider
- What mistakes have you learned from in life? How can you take what you learned and help someone else with it.
- Besides social media, or text messages, or emails, what is the last book you have read to help you grow in your relationship with Christ? If you can’t remember, or haven’t read a book, what does that tell you about your hunger to grow in Christ? If you would like to know some good books to read just ask me – I’ll be glad to suggest some to you.
- Though Woody Allen was initially charged with molestation, he wasn’t tried for them because Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter was an adult at the time and he eventually married her. Had you done the interview with Woody Allen, what lessons would you suggest he learn from his mistakes?
- Do you ever let the fear of mistakes paralyze you from attempting? Why or why not? If so, in which areas?
- Based on Proverbs 1:5 above, who do you need to go to and learn truths from Scripture so that you become wiser?
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 9:9, “Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, thank You for the Guidebook of Your Word, and thank You for Your Holy Spirit who gives me wisdom and understanding. I am deeply grateful for those You have brought to stand alongside and teach me. Grant me the humility to confess, “I don’t know”, so I can more freely seek Your answers, and be confident You will hear. In Jesus’ name, Amen."
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly