Weekly Magazine | Discernment and Wisdom
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Dear Friends,
Have you ever wished God’s direction came with a flashing sign?
We want to make wise choices, follow the right path, and say yes to what He is asking of us. But when life feels noisy—when fear, expectations, and distractions crowd our thoughts—it can be difficult to recognize His voice.
Sometimes we pray, open our Bibles, and sincerely seek God, yet still feel unsure about what to do next.
Our founder, Jill Briscoe, described wisdom and discernment as:
“The know-how to know when and what to say or do in a complicated situation"
How do we recognize God’s voice? How can we remain faithful when the way forward is unclear? And what does it look like to trust Him when we do not have all the answers?
As you read this week, we pray these articles encourage you to keep seeking God and listening for His direction. You may not receive every answer at once, but you can trust that He is faithful to guide His children—one step at a time.
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
Should I Stay or Should I Go? | Lori Ann Wood
Through the lens of her own "boomer" life, Lori Ann Wood discovers that true wisdom isn't always about which direction you choose, rather, it's about remaining rooted in Christ no matter where the road leads. A tender reflection on faithfulness, abiding, and the quiet heroism of staying.
How Do I Discern God's Will? | Lynda Hunter Bjorklund
If you've ever wished for a hotline to heaven, this one's for you. Lynda Hunter Bjorklund walks us through three reliable ways God speaks: through circumstances, the Holy Spirit, and His Word. She says finding His will may be closer than we think.
Becoming a Wise Woman of God | Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe reminds us that wisdom isn't reserved for theologians or those with perfect spiritual track records. It's a gift available to every woman who asks — practical, Spirit-given, and desperately needed in a complicated world.
Also:
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Wisdom in Abiding.
By Lori Ann Wood
I don’t know about you, but I have struggled with being confident in my discernment as an adult. Somehow, believing I had wisdom was easier when I was younger. That kind of rootedness is what Scripture calls abiding, and it may be the deepest form of discernment available to us. As a teenager and young adult, decisions seemed more black-and-white. But it turns out, wisdom depends less on our actual decision, and more on how deeply we are rooted in God.
My husband and I were high school sweethearts, both attending the same area-wide rural school for grades 9-12. He returned recently for a class reunion. Many of our classmates still live in that small farming community. Over the years since leaving, forming a family elsewhere, and burying my parents there, I’ve considered what I missed by not staying.
The Choice to Leave
I grew up assuming that the valiant were those who ventured out, who moved into unknown lands, who left the safety of home. But I am learning that perhaps our truest, bravest heroes are the ones who stayed.
Sometimes I still feel guilty that I didn’t stay, or at least that I never seriously considered it. Following grad school, I turned down Dad’s offer to go into business with him in his accounting practice in my small hometown. I raised three of my parents’ grandchildren five hours away. They lived their last decades alone, with no relative closer than a half day’s drive.
How would my life—and theirs—be different if I had stayed?
