DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUE BENEFITS
Prov 3:1-2
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
NIV
I am not sure why I am reminded not to forget his teaching. Is it that easy for me or any believer to forget the teachings of God? Can be I so distracted by the ways of the world I would completely forget? I suppose if his teachings were merely in my mind and not hidden deep within my heart, it could be possible. If it were simply as I think so am I then I could forget and think about the world instead then I would he as the world. But not only should I remember his teachings, but also keep them in my heart, deep within my being. They should be a vital part of the very core of my life. These teachings, these commands are essential to the very fabric of who I am. I would be a lost soul, a useless being, without purpose or cause without them. I would simply be wandering through existence until death relieved me of the anguish and pain of life only to find a more fervent anguish and pain after death, at least for a season until the flames of the lake consumed me. That kind of living is not for me, I have chosen to remember his teachings and to hide his commands within my heart. I believe the purpose is not so I will have a prolonged life, although that surely is one of the results. The purpose I am sure is because I will be a use to my lord and enhance his Kingdom in some way, being glory and praise to him because of my remembering his teachings and keeping his commands in my heart. But still because I do this, he will also prolong my life, which I think is because I am useful to him here. He already has prolonged my life, I should have died ten years ago, but he gave me more years. He also has given me shaalowm, peace, prosperity and health. I am at rest with him, and his working in my life. I have a spiritual prosperity which goes so far above and beyond any material gain this world could provide. His provides for my welfare and my health, sustaining me through the course of my life. I surely believe this is all for the cause of the Kingdom. All that I am is for the Kingdom. My life, my wellbeing, my health all is so I can be a useful part of his Kingdom. What other purpose could there be. Does he bless me with all this so I can spend my life in self-indulgence? Yes, there are pleasures he gives me in the world, such as my wife, my children and grandchildren. Yes he blesses me with material goods for my comfort and enjoyment. But I still believe the true blessing of a prolonged life and prosperity is for the benefit of his Kingdom. These are the true benefits.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Stay the Course
DEVOTION
PROVERBS
STAY THE COURSE
Prov 2:20-22
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
NIV
This is the desire of my heart, to walk in the ways of good men and to keep to the paths of the righteous. Why would I ever want to do anything else? There can be nothing good, but only the destruction of my very being, my soul, my spirit, if I were to engage in anything else, and not walk in the ways of good men. I know the path of the righteous is a narrow path, not because there is no wiggle room on either side, but because there are so few on it. The path certainly is not righteous because of the goodness or righteousness of those who walk it. No, it is the righteous path because it is established that way by Jesus. I believe the path is quite large, even wide enough for many to travel it together, for God would love nothing else for all his creation to be on it. It is sad that is not the case, but at the same time I am glad I am on the path, that I walk in the ways of good men. Sure I am not perfect nor am I without failures or should I say sin. But God does not say it is the path of perfect men, but good men. This path surely leads to the land flowing with milk and honey, the paradise of God. This is the land I want to live in. This is the place where the upright, those who have traveled the life following after God, will dwell. Again the only reason I could possibly live in this land as being blameless is surely not because of me, but because of Jesus. He has declared me blameless, or rendered me innocent because of Jesus. I can walk this path, and live in this land because I have accepted the provision God made for me in Jesus. This is an incredible blessing. I still cannot understand why some people would refuse this great gift. Why anyone would want to be cut off from the land. Yet I think even worse would be to be torn from it, once having been granted entrance. Is that possible? It sounds as if once I had accepted Christ and have been walking in the ways of good men, and keeping on the path of the righteous, that at some point I decide to stop, and to no longer be faithful to those ways, and wander from the path, that I would also be torn from the land. Ah, God has not torn me from it, but it is I who tare me away. I would cut myself off from it; I would tare myself away from it by not being faithful to the ways of good men, and not keeping on the path. So I must stay the course.
PROVERBS
STAY THE COURSE
Prov 2:20-22
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
NIV
This is the desire of my heart, to walk in the ways of good men and to keep to the paths of the righteous. Why would I ever want to do anything else? There can be nothing good, but only the destruction of my very being, my soul, my spirit, if I were to engage in anything else, and not walk in the ways of good men. I know the path of the righteous is a narrow path, not because there is no wiggle room on either side, but because there are so few on it. The path certainly is not righteous because of the goodness or righteousness of those who walk it. No, it is the righteous path because it is established that way by Jesus. I believe the path is quite large, even wide enough for many to travel it together, for God would love nothing else for all his creation to be on it. It is sad that is not the case, but at the same time I am glad I am on the path, that I walk in the ways of good men. Sure I am not perfect nor am I without failures or should I say sin. But God does not say it is the path of perfect men, but good men. This path surely leads to the land flowing with milk and honey, the paradise of God. This is the land I want to live in. This is the place where the upright, those who have traveled the life following after God, will dwell. Again the only reason I could possibly live in this land as being blameless is surely not because of me, but because of Jesus. He has declared me blameless, or rendered me innocent because of Jesus. I can walk this path, and live in this land because I have accepted the provision God made for me in Jesus. This is an incredible blessing. I still cannot understand why some people would refuse this great gift. Why anyone would want to be cut off from the land. Yet I think even worse would be to be torn from it, once having been granted entrance. Is that possible? It sounds as if once I had accepted Christ and have been walking in the ways of good men, and keeping on the path of the righteous, that at some point I decide to stop, and to no longer be faithful to those ways, and wander from the path, that I would also be torn from the land. Ah, God has not torn me from it, but it is I who tare me away. I would cut myself off from it; I would tare myself away from it by not being faithful to the ways of good men, and not keeping on the path. So I must stay the course.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saved Me
DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SAVED ME
Prov 2:16-19
16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
NIV
Is this truly all about a woman of the night? I think not, for the story line is actually speaking about a whole generation of adulteress people. A generation of people who were created by God for God but have turned they back on him and have engaged in an affair with idolatry. They have turned to worship the things of the world. The lure of fine things, gold, success, fame, and self-gratification have and the like have drawn them away from their first love. The dark lord uses such seductive words and ways to steal away souls from the partner of their youth. I cannot allow those words to have an influence on my being; I resist the sweet sounding lies of the world and her lord. I cannot understand how a person could forfeit eternal life, and all the glories and splendor which awaits in the everlasting presence of God, including eternal peace and joy, for the temporal pleasures of this seductive temptress, whose real identity is hidden to many, but I know him as the devil, Satan, the dark lord of the world. I but only have to read the end of the big book to know this statement is true about those who follow after this adulteress, this evil one. They will be thrown into the lake of sulfur and perish. How foolish to think the pleasures of the world are worth all that. How foolish to think one can indulge in passionate intercourse with the world and escape the end result, the truly deadly disease of which only one cure exists. The cure, of course, is repenting, turning away from this illicit affair and turn to Jesus. There can be no relationship, no going to the temple and engaging in prostitution when a person is the bride of Christ. That is the picture I see. I am the bride of Christ and I cannot be having an affair with the world. I cannot desire her, or the pleasures she offers me. My Lord has all I need. Although he does provide me with all the material goods I would need, and even some of the pleasures within the physical realm of this world, I am not in relationship with them, nor worship them. They are merely the blessings given to me by my Lord, who knows I need to have them in order to live in the lifestyle he has chosen for me, so I may serve him within the segment of society he has directed me to. They are but tools to serve me in my efforts to further the Kingdom of God. I shall not leave my Lord, to follow after the path of the dark lord and his disguise as the temptress of pleasure. Wisdom has shown me the truth. It has saved me.
PROVERBS
SAVED ME
Prov 2:16-19
16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
NIV
Is this truly all about a woman of the night? I think not, for the story line is actually speaking about a whole generation of adulteress people. A generation of people who were created by God for God but have turned they back on him and have engaged in an affair with idolatry. They have turned to worship the things of the world. The lure of fine things, gold, success, fame, and self-gratification have and the like have drawn them away from their first love. The dark lord uses such seductive words and ways to steal away souls from the partner of their youth. I cannot allow those words to have an influence on my being; I resist the sweet sounding lies of the world and her lord. I cannot understand how a person could forfeit eternal life, and all the glories and splendor which awaits in the everlasting presence of God, including eternal peace and joy, for the temporal pleasures of this seductive temptress, whose real identity is hidden to many, but I know him as the devil, Satan, the dark lord of the world. I but only have to read the end of the big book to know this statement is true about those who follow after this adulteress, this evil one. They will be thrown into the lake of sulfur and perish. How foolish to think the pleasures of the world are worth all that. How foolish to think one can indulge in passionate intercourse with the world and escape the end result, the truly deadly disease of which only one cure exists. The cure, of course, is repenting, turning away from this illicit affair and turn to Jesus. There can be no relationship, no going to the temple and engaging in prostitution when a person is the bride of Christ. That is the picture I see. I am the bride of Christ and I cannot be having an affair with the world. I cannot desire her, or the pleasures she offers me. My Lord has all I need. Although he does provide me with all the material goods I would need, and even some of the pleasures within the physical realm of this world, I am not in relationship with them, nor worship them. They are merely the blessings given to me by my Lord, who knows I need to have them in order to live in the lifestyle he has chosen for me, so I may serve him within the segment of society he has directed me to. They are but tools to serve me in my efforts to further the Kingdom of God. I shall not leave my Lord, to follow after the path of the dark lord and his disguise as the temptress of pleasure. Wisdom has shown me the truth. It has saved me.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wisdom Is At My Side
DEVOTION
PROVERBS
WISDOM IS AT MY SIDE
Prov 2:12-15
2 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
NIV
I wonder if this implies that some who used to walk the straight path are now walking in darks ways. That surely would require the wisdom of God to discern who and where they would be. I think it might be possible with the aid of the dark lord for these men to have established a false front, a façade in order to hide their evil doings as well as to deceive others into believing they are still following God in order to lure the immature believers away from the real truth. Perhaps the temptation of fame and fortune is more than they can overcome. Wisdom can save me from their evil snare, their plots to overthrow the truth of the Gospel with a perverted version. I think today as in the days of Solomon this wisdom is in the form of the Holy Spirit, who gives the power to discern between the real truth and the true believer and the false teachings of those who have been lured to the dark side. I cannot allow that kind of message to even take any kind of root within my being, I cannot even give one moment of consideration to them and they message, for that would be thinking it might have some merit. I know without question the dark lord knows the scripture and will use men to teach just enough of the real truth intermixed, intermingled with untruth in order to deceive the unsuspecting weak minded believer, those who seem to be tossed back and forth and blown here and there by that cunning and craftiness of those evil men. But wisdom will keep that from happening. Wisdom is by far the key to having a fine tuned heart for the truth of God. With wisdom at my side I can see their true form; I can look behind the façade and see the rotting frame, the crumbling foundation and broken bricks of their lives. How could I survive without this wisdom? I do not think I could. If I were standing alone I believe I would be without that power to see and I might well not only be deceived by their perverse words, but I might well be one of them. But that is not the case; I am not and will not be deceived, for wisdom is at my side and in my heart.
PROVERBS
WISDOM IS AT MY SIDE
Prov 2:12-15
2 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
NIV
I wonder if this implies that some who used to walk the straight path are now walking in darks ways. That surely would require the wisdom of God to discern who and where they would be. I think it might be possible with the aid of the dark lord for these men to have established a false front, a façade in order to hide their evil doings as well as to deceive others into believing they are still following God in order to lure the immature believers away from the real truth. Perhaps the temptation of fame and fortune is more than they can overcome. Wisdom can save me from their evil snare, their plots to overthrow the truth of the Gospel with a perverted version. I think today as in the days of Solomon this wisdom is in the form of the Holy Spirit, who gives the power to discern between the real truth and the true believer and the false teachings of those who have been lured to the dark side. I cannot allow that kind of message to even take any kind of root within my being, I cannot even give one moment of consideration to them and they message, for that would be thinking it might have some merit. I know without question the dark lord knows the scripture and will use men to teach just enough of the real truth intermixed, intermingled with untruth in order to deceive the unsuspecting weak minded believer, those who seem to be tossed back and forth and blown here and there by that cunning and craftiness of those evil men. But wisdom will keep that from happening. Wisdom is by far the key to having a fine tuned heart for the truth of God. With wisdom at my side I can see their true form; I can look behind the façade and see the rotting frame, the crumbling foundation and broken bricks of their lives. How could I survive without this wisdom? I do not think I could. If I were standing alone I believe I would be without that power to see and I might well not only be deceived by their perverse words, but I might well be one of them. But that is not the case; I am not and will not be deceived, for wisdom is at my side and in my heart.
Monday, September 26, 2011
I Understand
DEVOTION
PROVERBS
I UNDERSTAND
Prov 2:9-11
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
NIV
If I turn, apply, cry and search and God gives me the wisdom, knowledge and understanding including the victory and his shield and guards my path, then I will understand what is right and just and fair, every good path. It is a partnership in a sense for I do not think God will give all of that unless I do my part, not that he is unwilling to give to me, or anyone for that matter, but unless I search for him and all he has, he will not force it on me against my will. So having done my part, wisdom has entered my heart. A bold statement to say, yet I have not said it, God has. So I will have wisdom concerning him, I am confident of, but surely not wisdom regarding the world. I am assured of God and his ways, I have seen him in action all too often in my life, directing my path, healing my body, providing my needs and so much more. The knowledge that he loves and cares for me surely pleasures my soul. I think so many people attempt to find pleasure in so many things of the world or actually pleasure in themselves, being filled with so much of themselves they cannot even think about seeking God. Although they might believe it is pleasure, it has escaped them. True pleasure comes from God. The pleasure of knowing him and his ways, the pleasure of seeing him working for me, in me and through me far exceeds any pleasure of this world. Yet I must say, that knowing him does allow me to enjoy so much of what he created for me in and on the earth. I think that is a distinction, the things of the world and all that is on the earth. He brings so much pleasure to my being as I enjoy his creation, seeing the wonders of his design, observing his creativity and the beauty of it all. This may well be a part of the way he brings pleasure to my soul. But also in the knowledge that I will not end here, but someday I will enter into the physical presence of my Lord, in another place he has prepared for me. So this discretion, this having a plan to follow after God, to look to him for all I am, all I have, and all I do and having the hope in him for life eternal along with the understanding God gives will protect and guard me against any attempt of the evil one to lure me into his trap. I understand!
PROVERBS
I UNDERSTAND
Prov 2:9-11
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
NIV
If I turn, apply, cry and search and God gives me the wisdom, knowledge and understanding including the victory and his shield and guards my path, then I will understand what is right and just and fair, every good path. It is a partnership in a sense for I do not think God will give all of that unless I do my part, not that he is unwilling to give to me, or anyone for that matter, but unless I search for him and all he has, he will not force it on me against my will. So having done my part, wisdom has entered my heart. A bold statement to say, yet I have not said it, God has. So I will have wisdom concerning him, I am confident of, but surely not wisdom regarding the world. I am assured of God and his ways, I have seen him in action all too often in my life, directing my path, healing my body, providing my needs and so much more. The knowledge that he loves and cares for me surely pleasures my soul. I think so many people attempt to find pleasure in so many things of the world or actually pleasure in themselves, being filled with so much of themselves they cannot even think about seeking God. Although they might believe it is pleasure, it has escaped them. True pleasure comes from God. The pleasure of knowing him and his ways, the pleasure of seeing him working for me, in me and through me far exceeds any pleasure of this world. Yet I must say, that knowing him does allow me to enjoy so much of what he created for me in and on the earth. I think that is a distinction, the things of the world and all that is on the earth. He brings so much pleasure to my being as I enjoy his creation, seeing the wonders of his design, observing his creativity and the beauty of it all. This may well be a part of the way he brings pleasure to my soul. But also in the knowledge that I will not end here, but someday I will enter into the physical presence of my Lord, in another place he has prepared for me. So this discretion, this having a plan to follow after God, to look to him for all I am, all I have, and all I do and having the hope in him for life eternal along with the understanding God gives will protect and guard me against any attempt of the evil one to lure me into his trap. I understand!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Eternally
DEVOTION
PROVERBS
ETERNALLY
Prov 2:6-8
6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
NIV
I do not understand how anyone could refute the simple fact that the Lord gives wisdom. I think I am a shining example of such generosity. In and of myself have never much been known as being very wise, or smart for that matter. But for whatever reason God has decided to give me wisdom, at list in his ways. I am not even sure if I what any of the world’s wisdom, or wisdom in the ways of the world, I should say. No, I think I will just stick with wisdom from him about him and knowledge about who he is, how is interacts with his creation and how I am to live. I believe I have experienced so much victory already in my life, since I accepted Christ, I am not sure if I should expect anymore, yet I know more is to come. Is that prideful to say I have had so much victory because that would be assuming I am upright? I am not sure that upright means sinless, as much as it means to walk a straight path with God, not ever giving up on my relationship with me. I do know that I can walk blameless, or in the sense of the original word, rendered innocent because it is God who has rendered me blameless, not I. And as such, being rendered blameless by him I am protected by his shield. I can stand behind his shield, which will never fail, and be kept safe from those flaming arrows of the evil one. Again, I cannot understand why anyone would what to be alone in this world, without the protection of God’s shield. Is it because they love the darkness? Is it because they what nothing more than to please every desire of their heart, which is inclined to evil all the time? I think I am actually no different in the basic idea, but I made a choice to resist that and to follow God and accept being made new, to be born again. I am so thankful that he guards the course of my life and he protects the way I travel. How could I be where I am if he had not guarded the course of my life? How could I do what I do if he has not been protecting my way? I am convinced if God has not been guarding and protecting me and the way I live, I would have been dead a long time ago, and that death would have been without the grace of God. I would not only have experienced the first death but also the second. But that is not the case, for he has provided me with a way to escape the second death. He has given me wisdom, knowledge and understanding in the meaning of uprightness and being rendered blameless through the blood of Jesus Christ. He has provided his shield to me and he has been will continue to guard my life in him. How grateful can I be? Eternally! How faithful can I be? Eternally!
PROVERBS
ETERNALLY
Prov 2:6-8
6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
NIV
I do not understand how anyone could refute the simple fact that the Lord gives wisdom. I think I am a shining example of such generosity. In and of myself have never much been known as being very wise, or smart for that matter. But for whatever reason God has decided to give me wisdom, at list in his ways. I am not even sure if I what any of the world’s wisdom, or wisdom in the ways of the world, I should say. No, I think I will just stick with wisdom from him about him and knowledge about who he is, how is interacts with his creation and how I am to live. I believe I have experienced so much victory already in my life, since I accepted Christ, I am not sure if I should expect anymore, yet I know more is to come. Is that prideful to say I have had so much victory because that would be assuming I am upright? I am not sure that upright means sinless, as much as it means to walk a straight path with God, not ever giving up on my relationship with me. I do know that I can walk blameless, or in the sense of the original word, rendered innocent because it is God who has rendered me blameless, not I. And as such, being rendered blameless by him I am protected by his shield. I can stand behind his shield, which will never fail, and be kept safe from those flaming arrows of the evil one. Again, I cannot understand why anyone would what to be alone in this world, without the protection of God’s shield. Is it because they love the darkness? Is it because they what nothing more than to please every desire of their heart, which is inclined to evil all the time? I think I am actually no different in the basic idea, but I made a choice to resist that and to follow God and accept being made new, to be born again. I am so thankful that he guards the course of my life and he protects the way I travel. How could I be where I am if he had not guarded the course of my life? How could I do what I do if he has not been protecting my way? I am convinced if God has not been guarding and protecting me and the way I live, I would have been dead a long time ago, and that death would have been without the grace of God. I would not only have experienced the first death but also the second. But that is not the case, for he has provided me with a way to escape the second death. He has given me wisdom, knowledge and understanding in the meaning of uprightness and being rendered blameless through the blood of Jesus Christ. He has provided his shield to me and he has been will continue to guard my life in him. How grateful can I be? Eternally! How faithful can I be? Eternally!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Search
DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SEARCH
Prov 2:1-5
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
NIV
Here is where the true stuff of value is for storing up. So many people in the world think that gold and silver hold value and attempt to store as much of it up as possible for the future day, which may never arrive. But here is the real stuff. I cannot listen to the voices of men, and their plans for fame, fortune and security. I must keep my ear turned and tuned in to the voice of God, his wisdom and I must apply my heart to understanding. What good does it do to listen to wisdom if I do not apply it to my life? I think so many consider the search for the knowledge the for the sake of knowledge as the end all of life. But if not application of such knowledge or in this case wisdom occurs, perhaps then it is without worth. Wisdom in itself it of great value, but I must apply to my life if it is going to be of value to me. I see I also must call out for insight. I think that speaks so directly to the fact I have no insight within my own being. I would think as a creation of God he would have given me some, but maybe not the insight regarding him and who he is and his wisdom. So I must call out and cry aloud for this understanding. I must seek after it, with all due diligence, forsaking all worldly wisdom, which is nothing but foolishness to him. Do I search for it as if it is of great value? Do I hunt for it as if it were some hidden treasure which would provide me with unlimited wealth? I think I do. I think I am after this treasure with great effort. Maybe I have not always been. Maybe I have sought after it sort of half-heartedly, appearing to look for it, but also keeping a watch out for my own desires. I think this has to be my desire, to find this treasure, to search high and low, to make every effort to take hold of it. This journey of devotions is one of my steps in that direction. It is a discipline of searching for his wisdom, his understanding, his insight into life and the purpose of it. I believe I have found so much, and yet I still need more of that applying to my heart part. That may be the most difficult part of all. But as I continue to search, as I continue to call out and cry aloud, as I continue to look for it as hidden treasure I am confident I in my understanding of my fear, my reverence for the Lord and I am assured I will find the knowledge of God. Daily I search.
PROVERBS
SEARCH
Prov 2:1-5
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
NIV
Here is where the true stuff of value is for storing up. So many people in the world think that gold and silver hold value and attempt to store as much of it up as possible for the future day, which may never arrive. But here is the real stuff. I cannot listen to the voices of men, and their plans for fame, fortune and security. I must keep my ear turned and tuned in to the voice of God, his wisdom and I must apply my heart to understanding. What good does it do to listen to wisdom if I do not apply it to my life? I think so many consider the search for the knowledge the for the sake of knowledge as the end all of life. But if not application of such knowledge or in this case wisdom occurs, perhaps then it is without worth. Wisdom in itself it of great value, but I must apply to my life if it is going to be of value to me. I see I also must call out for insight. I think that speaks so directly to the fact I have no insight within my own being. I would think as a creation of God he would have given me some, but maybe not the insight regarding him and who he is and his wisdom. So I must call out and cry aloud for this understanding. I must seek after it, with all due diligence, forsaking all worldly wisdom, which is nothing but foolishness to him. Do I search for it as if it is of great value? Do I hunt for it as if it were some hidden treasure which would provide me with unlimited wealth? I think I do. I think I am after this treasure with great effort. Maybe I have not always been. Maybe I have sought after it sort of half-heartedly, appearing to look for it, but also keeping a watch out for my own desires. I think this has to be my desire, to find this treasure, to search high and low, to make every effort to take hold of it. This journey of devotions is one of my steps in that direction. It is a discipline of searching for his wisdom, his understanding, his insight into life and the purpose of it. I believe I have found so much, and yet I still need more of that applying to my heart part. That may be the most difficult part of all. But as I continue to search, as I continue to call out and cry aloud, as I continue to look for it as hidden treasure I am confident I in my understanding of my fear, my reverence for the Lord and I am assured I will find the knowledge of God. Daily I search.
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