Update: Winner of this week’s giveaway is Kathy T.
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Have you ever wished you were smarter, wiser and knew the answers to all of life’s tough questions? I know … me too!
Today, my dear friend, Liz Curtis Higgs, is joining us to share some great insights on how to gain wisdom.
Whenever Liz shares, I’m all ears. She’s one of the wisest women I know! And I love spending time with Liz, because she oozes joy. Continuously.
Liz just released her newest book, It’s Good to Be Queen, and to celebrate I’m giving away a Queen gift pack this week on my blog. More details about that later … for now let’s soak in some wisdom from Liz Curtis Higgs.
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Hanging Out with Royalty
by Liz Curtis Higgs
When the queen of Sheba heard about the wisdom of King Solomon, she traveled across the Arabian Desert to ask him some tough questions. Turned out, “nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her” (1 Kings 10:3).
Imagine having all your questions answered by one person! Like Google with skin on. But Google can serve up only the collective knowledge of humankind. King Solomon shared wisdom from on high. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).
God, the source of all wisdom, cares about everything that matters to us. That thing you think is too small, too insignificant for God’s attention? He not only cares about it, He also knows what to do about it.
Friends may offer sympathy, a tissue, a listening ear, but God brings us what we really need. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
Wisdom—even more valuable than knowledge—is ours for the asking? You bet.
A dozen years ago, Donald Rumsfeld, then U.S. Secretary of Defense, made this classic statement about knowledge: “There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know.”
Seriously? Unknown unknowns? People are still laughing about that one.
Except there really are things we don’t know we don’t know. And all those things? Those are the things God knows.
When we throw up our hands and say, “I don’t get it, Lord,” He says, “Exactly!”
”As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
I am so grateful that God gets what we don’t get, knows what we don’t know, and loves us where we are. His knowledge and insight stretch far beyond the stars, yet He graciously extends them to us.
When the queen of Sheba headed for Jerusalem with her caravan of camels, little did she know that the One who waited for her was ready to answer her every question. He waits for us as well, beloved. Just ask.
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Famous queens of the Bible? You know the good one, Queen Esther, and the bad one, Queen Jezebel. Now meet the wise one, the queen of Sheba, a remarkable woman who traveled to Jerusalem to test the mind and heart of King Solomon.
Her quest for wisdom will surprise you, challenge you, inspire you, change you. This wealthy royal from antiquity will show you how to live boldly, seek after truth, ask the right questions, encourage others, receive graciously, and honor the Lord above all. ~Liz Curtis Higgs
“You will be captivated with the
story of the queen of Sheba…”
-Lysa TerKeurst, author of the New York Times
bestseller The Best Yes
“An unparalleled feast of rich truth…
and the most divine servings of grace.”
-Ann Voskamp, author of the New York Times
bestseller One Thousand Gifts
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If you’d like to order a copy of It’s Good to Be Queen (which I highly recommend) just click one of these retailer links: Amazon CBD Barnes & Noble
To qualify for this week’s giveaway:
- Leave a comment below sharing one take-away from what Liz shared with us today.
- Help me share the news about Liz’s newest book by copying/pasting 1 of her quotes below to your favorite social media site.
“Knowing our limitations can be even more valuable than knowing our strengths.” @LizCurtisHiggs #ItsGoodtoBeQueenBook http://www.itsgoodtobequeen.me
“Our faith grows with every ask, every seek, every knock.” @LizCurtisHiggs #ItsGoodtoBeQueenBook http://www.itsgoodtobequeen.me
“God is an exceptional teacher. His lessons are practical, and His tests are open book.” @LizCurtisHiggs http://www.itsgoodtobequeen.me
Note: If you received today’s post via email, click here to link to my website where you can leave a comment. Thank you.
Queen gift pack includes: A copy of It’s Good to Be Queen (signed by Liz), earrings, hair barrettes, notepad, crown ornament, Scripture cards and some delicious candy fit for a queen.
Liz Curtis Higgs has one goal: to help women embrace the grace of God with joy and abandon. She’s the author of 32 books with 4.5 million copies in print, including her nonfiction bestseller, Bad Girls of the Bible, and her New York Times best-selling novel, Mine Is the Night. A platform veteran, she has spoken for more than 1,700 women’s conferences around the word.
Liz admits she’s a lame housekeeper, a marginal cook, and a mediocre gardener, but home is still her favorite place to land. Find her weekly Bible study blog at LizCurtisHiggs.com, and more about the queen of Sheba at ItsGoodtoBeQueen.me.
Cathy says
Liz, I love your words: “I am so grateful that God gets what we don’t get, knows what we don’t know, and loves us where we are. His knowledge and insight stretch far beyond the stars”……..
What an amazing thing!!
Dawnielle Alden says
When we throw up our hands and say, “I don’t get it, Lord,” He says, “Exactly!”
”As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
He said if we don’t worship Him, He’ll cause the rocks to cry out. When we throw up our hands in surrender to him and say we don’t get it, we are taking baby steps to learning to surrender and trust and worship Him.
Robin Puchala says
Liz, you spoke about how God knows everything & has wisdom for all our challenges. That He can answer all our questions with Divine Knowledge! You said, “Imagine having all your questions answered by one person! Like Google with skin on. But Google can serve up only the collective knowledge of humankind. King Solomon shared wisdom from on high. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).”
We are royalty…engrafted into Christ, ruling & reigning in this world through Christ! Thank you for reminding me! You & I have a Queen’s bearing…we’re big, beautiful girls! God bless you!
Michelle says
I loved the part where she said, “That thing you think is too small, too insignificant for God’s attention? He not only cares about it, He also knows what to do about it.” I needed that today. I do not use social media so I cannot post a quote, but I would love to learn the lessons from knowing more about the Queen of Sheba. I have been seeking perspective, truth, along with wisdom and understanding, from God. I am struggling with many questions, so this post really encouraged me. Thanks!
Leslie says
I quite like looking through an article that will make people think.
Also, many thanks for aplowing for me to comment!
Stephanie G. says
Thank you for sharing this post. I would love to win this giveaway! I love the part in the post that talked about how God cares about everything that matters to me and knows what to do about it!!! I needed that today. Thank you and God Bless!!!
Judy Turnbull says
It is such a relief to know that God knows everything and is control of everything and has a plan for everything! His plans are good! It’s also a relief to know that I don’t need to know everything and that I can go to him when I’m confused. What an awesome God we serve!
Sophia DeLonghi says
“God is an exceptional teacher. His lessons are practical, and His tests are open book.”
I love that quote! I have always hated to take tests as they are never that great of an indicator of what I know. But with God, even if I mess up on the test, I’m not a failure due to His saving grace and mercy. He picks me back up and brushes me off! And off we go together. Love Liz Curtiss Higgs! She is a hoot!
Sarah says
“Except there really are things we don’t know we don’t know. And all those things? Those are the things God knows.” — I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed these days and I feel like I have a lot of unknowns in my future (who doesn’t though?! Lol) but I just really loved when Liz said this because it’s such an amazing reminder that God does know! He is in control! I don’t need to worry about my future because it’s in God’s hands! (I mean just think about Jeremiah 29:11!!) Ah. What a peaceful feeling I get when I can just relax and rest in that! 💛
Rebekah says
The “unknown unknowns” made me laugh, but also reminded me of how grateful I am that God DOES know all the knows and unknowns. He has the 30,000 foot view and the microscopic view – He knows the beginnings and the endings. There is comfort in that; confidence in a God is is in total control and who does it with love and grace.
Julie Ramsey says
I am greatful for God whom we can trust and look to for wisdom. Queen Sheba is a wise women to realize she doesnt have all the answers. It is very hard to admit you need help or are wrong sometimes. But a wise person admits their error, asks for forgiveness and then moves past it. May we be given just a piece of Solmans wisdom during our lifetime.
Karen C says
What a great reminder that I often need to hear:
God, the source of all wisdom, cares about everything that matters to us. That thing you think is too small, too insignificant for God’s attention? He not only cares about it, He also knows what to do about it
Staci says
I love that I don’t always have to “get” it. That God’s ways are higher than mine. I also love how God is the ONLY one who can meet ALL my needs, no human can ever do that!
Hope says
What struck me is Liz’s discussion of the “unknown unknowns”. As humans, we just can’t see the whole picture. It actually reminds me of A.W. Tozer’s discussion of wisdom, specifically God’s wisdom, in “The Knowledge of the Holy”. This is an excerpt of what he says: “Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture. Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is this able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision” (Tozer, 1961, p. 60). Only God truly has the perfect forethought and ability to see the whole picture from beginning to end (Isaiah 55:9). Therefore He is who we should turn to for wisdom and trust in His promise that He will give generously (James 1:5).
Tozer, A.W. (1961). “The Knowledge of the Holy”. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Leighanne says
I am so thankful that when we don’t know or understand circumstances, God knows & He knows what to do about it. I am guilty of forgetting this sometimes; so thank you so much for this reminder & encouragement! I think I would love to read this new book by Liz Curtis Higgs!
Leah DiPascal says
Hi Friends!
I’ve so enjoyed reading your comments this morning. We never have to wonder if wisdom is only available for a select few. Scripture tells us in James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him/her ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Isn’t that great news? I’m grateful we serve a generous God who not only lavishes His love upon us, but also gives us wisdom to understand Him better through His living Word.
Rosemarie says
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). We truly can never understand God’s ways, we just TRUST HIM for HE KNOWS BEST.
Janice says
Wisdom is something we all need and desire, yet at times we fail to ask for it. I want wisdom and desire to seek after it like the Queen of Sheeba. We have so much to learn from her.
Melissa says
I love that we can ask God for wisdom in any situation. He cares about all the details of our lives, no matter how big or how small. We are His children and He loves us. God knows exactly what we need. Thank you for this reminder, Liz Curtis Higgs and thank you, Leah DiPascal for sharing about Liz’s book. 🙂
Joyce says
I pray every morning for wisdom and grace to understand, asking for direction for my day.
Thanks for this encouraging input.
Karen Q says
I love it that …God knows and all we have to do is ASK HIM and we can know too. I came away with knowing that I don’t ASK HIM enough. I can know too! He is the answer to all my questions.
Linda N says
The part about “unknown unknowns” struck a cord with me. It helps put a name to all the things that happen that we just don’t understand the “why’s” or “why not’s” of in life. Thank you for the chance to win the book & gift pack. What an exciting give-away!
Kathy says
Wisdom is greater than knowledge struck me. I am going back to school to finish my degree (I am 52). I think I will gain information how to help the children, but really the best information comes from the Bible.
Lisa Huber says
God knows exactly where we are and is ready- all we need to do is ask!
Sue Muoio says
Can’t wait to read this…love Liz’ honesty and insights always!
Certainly goes against our world’s thinking (and especially Confucius) 😉
“He Who Knows And Knows That He Knows Is A Wise Man – Follow Him;
He Who Knows Not And Knows Not That He Knows Not Is A Fool – Shun Him”
🙂 and we are not surprised, are we?
Robyn wentz says
It’s amazing to just soak in that God does our Unknowns and how he guards and protects us. I’m sure it’s a good thing that we don’t know everything. But I’m sure glad he does and handles it for me!
Jo says
I love that, that there are unknown unknowns that GOD Knows. There is a whole world out there that we have no idea about. The word “wisdom” has really stuck out for me lately. I’m really wanting to read about the queen of Sheeba now! : )