Just in case you haven’t figured out where I’m at in Bible reading, I’ve been in the book of Proverbs the last few days. And it’s good timing. I’m in need of wisdom. I’m trying very hard to stay spiritually focused on a matter of the heart, but there’s been an issue with my heart far longer than the issue that caused the heart attack.
Proverbs Proverbs 4:23 says Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
As I’ve told you before. I have issues. Lots of them! But that’s not the verse that caused me to ponder this morning and examine my issues. It was Proverbs 8:17 ~
SEEK ME EARLY
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
I do love the Lord, and I realize that in seeking His will through His word, it’s always best to try and discover His plan before you jump off the cliff, or open your mouth, or volunteer, again. Or possibly choke the life out of someone. That’s why I don’t necessarily think that the word “early” always refers to the time of day. Perhaps it means “before disaster.”
The old adage “The early bird gets the worm,” is only good if you’re the bird. The worm really gets the short end of the stick. Perhaps if he’d prayed about direction before he came up out of the earth, he’d be having a picnic with friends today. But what I got more than anything out of this verse today is that God loves devoted children. He knows we don’t have all the answers. And where Siri falls short on answers, God never does!
SEEK ME FULLY
Jeremiah 29:13 ~ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Far, far too often I not only fall short but I stop short of where God needs me to be. I search for His wisdom until I grow weary, or something shiny takes me away and then I lose the train of thought that brought me to His station. The process of finding the answer isn’t always as easy as just opening up the book. That’s where we start, but there’s prayer and conversations with God. In order to fully understand what it is that God wants us to understand He wants His children to be serious about it.
I have issues there too. I want answers but more often than not I want the Readers Digest condensed version with the answer key in the back.
True story.
SEEK ME ONLY
Deuteronomy 4:28-30
28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Seeking the wisdom of men and using the ways of the world for guidance always fails in comparison to what can be obtained by speaking to the Savior. We forget that. It’s so easy to desire a conversation with people we can touch, or look at the examples of people who have succeeded in our area of need. And although there’s nothing wrong with either of those things, God is an exclusive God. He won’t be added to a list of possible solutions. He is the solution.
I had to remind myself of that today. I can’t fix stupid. Some things and some people are beyond my control. But what is within my control is my reaction to the world around me.
- If someone is in need… seek God’s provision, perhaps you have it.
- If someone’s in pain… seek God’s comfort, perhaps your words can bring it.
- If someone’s in harms way… seek God’s protection, perhaps your request will summon the powers of Heaven.
- If someone’s in need of answers… seek God’s wisdom, perhaps you’re the vessel.
The reality of it is, you may or may not be the means God uses to fix a situation. But He wants to hear from you. The problem may be your own, He wants to hear from you. He is the Lord thy God. 100% yours. And 100% mine. He hears every word we speak (or think). Give everything to Him, early, fully, only. Thy God.