11 JULY

THE SECRETS REVEALED (5)

“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”  (Psalms 51:6)

We should always act in wisdom and truth, making use of all we have learnt, through the power and the revelations of the Holy Spirit. Let me share with you an instructive story, titled “The three secrets of wisdom.” A man once captured a bird and placed it in a cage. “Give me my freedom, sir!” cried the bird. Startled that the bird was talking to him, the man listened as it continued. “I am no use to you sir, for I have no beautiful feathers to look, at nor am I able to sing beautiful songs, and I am too small to eat. If, however, you promise to grant me my freedom, I will reveal to you three secrets of wisdom.” The man agreed, so the bird taught him: “1. do not grieve over things that have already happened; 2. do not wish for that which is unattainable; 3. do not believe in that which cannot be possible.”

Impressed with these secrets, the man set the little bird free and it flew to a branch high up in a tree, laughing. “Why do you laugh?” the man asked. “Because I so easily won my freedom” replied the bird. “You humans pride yourselves on being the wisest of the creatures, yet I a tiny bird, have outwitted you. Within my belly lies a diamond, the size of a hen’s egg. If you had not let me go, you would have been a wealthy man.” Immediately, the man became angry, sad and depressed. He attempted to recapture it, but to no avail. The little bird was always beyond his reach. Finally, the little bird called out. “Listen to me, O man. When you granted me freedom, I revealed three things to you; yet you almost instantly forgot them. Do not grieve over things that have already happened, but you are still grieving that you gave me my freedom. You should not wish for things that you cannot obtain, and yet you wish to get me back. You should not believe that which is impossible, and yet you believe that I am carrying inside me a diamond as large as a hen’s egg, although I myself am only half the size of a hen’s egg.” And with that the little bird flew away. (Adapted from Otto Knoop’s “Die drei Sprüche,” Ostmärkische Sagen, Märchen und Erzählungen.

ACTION: Resolve to be a doer, and not a mere hearer of God’s Word.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to daily apply the principles of wisdom and victorious living that you have continued to teach me from your Word.