Meditation Journey Day 14

Hi Friend,

I trust you have noticed each of the verbs of Proverbs 2:1-5 intensify as we move through the passage. “Receive … store/hide … incline/turn… apply … call out … cry aloud … seek/look for … search” are all verbs that build a tribute to wisdom and understanding’s importance. Remember “Wisdom is the insight and knowledge of the true nature of life and things. It is the theory and ability to view life from God’s perspective. Understanding is the doing of that wisdom.”

Do you wonder why God instructs us so intensely to seek Wisdom and Understanding? The answer is important for us to press on, but first please read the passage.

My son, if you receive my words and store up my commands within you, inclining your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for wisdom (insight) and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then (and only then) you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

My Child, if you will receive … store/hide … incline/turn… apply … call out … cry aloud … seek/look for … search for wisdom and understanding,

The short answer for the intense verbs is: It is harder than we think to gain wisdom and understanding.

In Isaiah 55 God tells us something about ourselves that we must daily embrace to walk in continual humility, “…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This is important information because it reminds us we cannot live the Christian life without Him. (John 15:5) We cannot not be fruitful and glorify our Father without His Spirit freely flowing through us. Our hearts are naturally hard toward God and more obtuse to Him than we can imagine. The Holy Spirit uses these verb “tools” to soften our hearts and break up the hard soil so His Word can grow fruit in us. This empowers us to walk in the Spirit and follow Jesus.

Many Christians begin following Christ by the Holy Spirit’s power, but they stop focusing on Jesus through His word. (Galatians 3:3) They stop gaining wisdom and understanding from the Spirit and the Word and begin to follow the religious rules of the people or organization around them.

These verbs: receive … store/hide … incline/turn… apply … call out … cry aloud … seek/look for … search for are tools that the Spirit with the Word uses to open our hearts to fellowship in the Presence of God. Remember the goal and purpose of our journey is not just to gain spiritual knowledge or principles or even have an experience with God. The goal of following Jesus is to be with Him, to know Him, to become like Him and share the communion of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Apostle John captures this sweetly in the opening to his first letter: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life– the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us– that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.  And we are writing these things so that your joy may be complete.”

Friend, I am writing this to you because I so desire you to share the joy of The Lord. My joy in Jesus grows daily as I walk His ways and think His thoughts meditating on the beauty of the Lord. His Presence is too sweet to hoard!

Observation: We will gain Wisdom and Understanding by using the verbs tools: receive … store/hide … incline/turn… apply … call out … cry aloud … seek/look for … search to open our earthly hearts to His Spirit and Word. (Please note there are many other verb “tools” that the Spirit will also use! These are just the ones in Proverbs 2:1-5)

Interpretation: The goal of this process and using these tools is to share the Eternal Life of God; to grow in our likeness to The Son and to glorify the Father. The joy that results from this fellowship with God will empower us to impact others with the love of Jesus too!

Application Prayer: Father, thank you for Your Word and the verb “tools” the Holy Spirit uses in our hearts to open the Word to us. Help us, Lord God, to diligently walk in Your ways, to receive Your thoughts and enter more fully into Your fellowship. In Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

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Thanks for listening. I trust you remember that our daily meditative journey is a process of how to grow deeper in Christ. Later on you will be meditating on passages chosen by God and using these principles to allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart.

I hope you will pray for me and all the others that are on this journey. You may also want to send me comments, suggestions or questions. I promise I will respond to each inquiry.