Oct 16-19

Whats been hitting home lately...

Proverbs 1-8 have been really impacting my heart over the last 2-3 weeks. I'm going to pick my most favorite verses for ya'll to chew on if ya want. Have a great week of fasting and focusing on the Lord!!

Proverbs 1: basically the first 6 verses map out the practical ways in which meditating on and walking out the next chapters in this book will help us in the spiritual and natural. Its a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Just think of how Daniel was such a man of wisdom and knowledge, even at such a young age or even how Jesus grew in wisdom and stature in the sight of God and men. (Luke 2:52) We too can have this! We can attain this too the same degree!!

2To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
3To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
4To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,
5A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

Verse 7 is the clincher on how we can truly attain these things listed in v.1-6
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

2 things I'd like to point out from this:
(1) Proverbs 8:13
13"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.

So this verse takes care of the 1st part of Proverbs 1:7 but what about the 2nd part? How do I grow to love wisdom and instruction?

(2) Proverbs 1:23
23"Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

In this verse it is Wisdom who is speaking and declaring these things. If we seek after Wisdom and realize His ways are so much higher and greater and if we submit ourselves to His leadership and discipline then He will give us a spirit of excellence and of understanding that will allow us to seek more diligently after such a high calling as stated in Proverbs 1:2-6.

Proverbs 2:1-7 solidifies this:
1My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
6For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

Guys this is what we want!!!! This is Ephesians 1:17-19
17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

Everything prayed for in this prayer can be found by simply choosing to follow the Lord and seek after His wisdom (as stated in Proverbs 1-8 and the verses i highlighted). Its the Yes in our hearts and drives us deeper and deeper into the knowledge and discernment of God that will cause us to love Him.

Proverbs 4:4 and 7 state this simply and directly. This is how we should live, this is what we want in our hearts:

4Then he taught me and said to me,
"Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;
5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6"Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

The only way to get wisdom or understanding is to GET IT!!! You must decide in your heart if you want it. And once you say yes to it and seek it out you WILL find it. And find an abundance of it!

So i urge all on this fast team and anyone else who reads this blog to read Proverbs 1-8 sometime this week. And to decide in your hearts that you will seek after the wisdom and understanding of God!! Be Blessed!!

-Drew