Give and Get

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
GIVE AND GET
Prov 4:5-9
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. 7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. 8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor."
NIV
I think I am getting the picture here about wisdom and understanding. I think I am seeing the call from God for me to seek his wisely ways and the meaning of it. I think I have gotten a hold of this idea for sure and I am certainly I will not forsake his wisely ways, his wisdom for some dumb idea of this world, for I know without question that I will be protected by it. When wisdom guides my choices, they are always good. When Wisdom illuminates my path, it is always headed toward Godly ways. If I did not have this wisdom, I am absolutely convinced my decisions would be stupid, they would be like all those decisions the ungodly make, chasing after the ways of the world, rather than the ways of God. No doubt some of them are good people, but just stupid, because they do not have the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world is simply foolishness to God, and so why would I want the worlds wisdom when God’s is available and free for the asking. Yet,how could understanding cost all that I have? I suppose it does cost my own self, and that is all I have. Surely I cannot buy understanding from God. Certainly there is nothing of this world I have to offer to him for understanding. The only gift, the only thing of value to him that I own is me. The question I must ask myself is if I have given all of me to him in order to gain this understanding, this meaning of all his ways. I think I have, but maybe I am still holding out a portion, not fully surrendering all of me. I am still me, I still have my own thoughts, and feelings even though I have accepted Jesus, and become a new creature in Christ. I still do things which I enjoy doing, spending time on hobbies and such, not fully engaged one hundred percent of the time doing something for the Kingdom. Does that qualify as not fully giving me, not costing all I have? I do not spend my whole day in pursuit of understanding, but then God does expect me to do the things I must do in order to provide for my family, but then the greatest provision is making sure they know Jesus. What about that phrase “so heavenly minded no earthly good”? Just a phrase maybe devised my Satan to deceive believers into forsaking wisdom and understanding for just a little portion of the world’s way. No, I think I should stand firm on this, I need to pursue wisdom and understanding at all cost. If I appear like a fool to the world because I trust God completely, so be it. If I look like I am being too simply minded in believing God has and will continue to provide all I have and will ever need, then that is just the way it is going to be. If it costs me some worldly gain, I have no problem with that. If it costs me more of me, I am willing and ready to give more of me to his ways, his cause, and his kingdom.