Proverbs 2-4.26.22
Scripture
Proverbs 2:1-5
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Observation
Do you really want to know God? Then study His word!
Understanding
Have you ever really wanted to learn something and put in the time and effort required? Maybe you learned to play an instrument. Or you worked to qualify for a sports team or to become a master in a particular field. These things didn’t happen because you had a passing interest. They happened because you practiced, and studied, and put in an incredible amount of time and effort. I’ve always wanted to play an instrument, but not bad enough to apply myself consistently. I’ve taken some piano lessons and I can play a couple of chords on the guitar, but I haven’t reached a level that I can say I “play” either instrument. But for me, finishing my bachelor’s degree was important enough to spend many years and many thousands of dollars to get that degree (even though I was in my 50s!).
Proverbs says that if we want to really know God, we can, but we need to truly seek Him. We’re not going to get there with lackluster, inconsistent effort. We need to truly value getting to know Him and search for His wisdom as we would search for treasure. And where are we going to search for Him? Like Pastor Levi said on Sunday, “Have you heard – God has a book out!”
Life Application
Proverbs says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear God is to know Him as He is and respond accordingly (John MacArthur). To know Him, I’ve got to go to His word. I’ve got to study it and memorize it and make it a part of my life.
I’m challenging myself to memorize a couple of verses each week for the next month. So when you see me on Sunday, hold me accountable and make me quote some scripture!
-Debbie Dunn