Thought for December 16

 History:

  • 1631: Mt. Vesuvius erupts killing about 3000
  • 1773: Boston Tea Party
  • 1811: New Madrid earthquake
  • 1897: Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention organized at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington DC--evangelize Africa
  • 1908: First credit union in the US
  • 1930: Bobby Jones wins Sullivan Award as best amateur athlete
  • 1951: "Dragnet" premiers in black and white
  • 1953: First White House press conference
  • 1962: "Lawrence of Arabia" released
  • 1970: "Love Story" released
  • 1972: Dolphins complete undefeated season, 14-0
  • 1985: "The Color Purple" premiers
  • Born: Catherine of Argon, George Whitfield, Beethoven, Jane Austen, Noel Coward, Margaret Meade, Arthur C Clarke [2001 A Space Odyssey], Frank DeFord, Liv Ullman, Lesley Stahl, Don Myer, Yosemite Sam, Refrigerator Perry
  • Died: Wilhelm Grimm [Fairy Tales], Somerset Maugham, Colonel Sanders, Lee Van Cleef, Dan Fogelberg
Thought:
Turned to the first 6 verses of Proverbs 2 this morning. I have underlined these verses and written notes in the margin. 2:6 reminds us that the source of all wisdom and true understanding is God. If we lack wisdom, where do we go? We go to the source---God! The first 5 verses tell us how we are to go to God seeking wisdom. I need to be reminded of this often--especially when I begin to rely on my own wisdom or listen to the so-called experts of this world. 

When we seek wisdom from God:
  • We must start by being willing to accept and receive His wisdom [2:1]. God will not force His wisdom on us. God's wisdom is foolishness to man unless God reveals His truth. Likewise, the wisdom of man is foolishness to God. His wisdom is not of this world. So we begin seeking by acknowledging that we will receive and accept His wisdom. How do you feel when someone asks for your advice/wisdom and then does the opposite of what you say? Sometimes I find myself asking God for His wisdom and if He agrees with me, I accept it. But if He does not agree with me, I may choose to follow my own wisdom--ultimate disaster. 
  • We must treasure the wisdom we receive [2:1]. Notice the word "treasure"--place a high value. Consider it of highest importance. 
  • Getting wisdom requires paying attention [2:2]. I have to make myself attentive to God's word. I don't just have the words enter one ear and go out the other [as my mother would say], I pay attention. We all have talked to our children and by looking in their eyes known that their minds were far away. If we want wisdom, we need to shut out the interference and really listen to God-His written Word, word we get from a sermon, a teacher, a friend. We need to open our ears to listen to Jesus and the Holy Spirit in prayer. 
  • But the ears are not enough [2:2]. We must open our hearts to understand. As a child or student, I could hear the truth and grasp it with my mind, but it did not penetrate or change my heart. Pilate heard the claims of Christ; he knew Christ was innocent of the charges; he comprehended that the Jewish leaders were not honest; but he washed his hands. He did not let the truth penetrate his heart. 
  • We must ask for discernment [2:3]. Here I think it means we need to pray for wisdom, beg for understanding. And we must do it with patience and perseverance [2:4]. If we treasure it [2:1], then we seek it like we seek a treasure. Treasure seekers give up everything for the treasure they seek, They are persistent, obsessed, single-minded. So when we ask for wisdom, we do not give up asking. We persist. 
  • Now notice the result of wanting God's wisdom, seeking God's wisdom, searching for God's wisdom---we will come to fear the Lord and discover [have revealed to us] the knowledge of God. Notice the connection--in seeking wisdom we get to know God and in knowing God we get wisdom--we know what God loves, what God hates, what God desires. And that is wisdom.
Blessings
Larry



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