He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. [Luke 1:17 NLT]
The prophetic word uttered by Malachi included turning "the hearts of children to their fathers." Perhaps the angelic word spoken by Gabriel omitted that part because of the natural reaction that kids have to parents who love them? It reminds me that that the kindness of God leads each of us to repentance.
In some sense, repentance is an act that follows the acceptance of godly wisdom. Sometimes we see this in reverse when the phrase "the fear of the Lord leads to wisdom" is used in the scriptures. To fear, or be in awe of, God is wisdom in and of itself. And this wisdom is not an end unto itself.
As John preached in the wilderness many accepted the wisdom of his words and repented of their rebelliousness towards God. As these traversed the baptismal waters of the Jordan they gained a new wisdom. A wisdom that turned their hearts to God and to each other.
Thank you Lord for the wisdom that you have given me. I confess my need for more wisdom.
... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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