Last night for your reading pleasure I posted Proverbs 2:1-5 as my blog post. I believe that posting that verse alone could speak volumes in and of itself. I have been looking and meditating over those verse for a few days now as I have been thinking about the transformation we all are called to as lovers of Jesus. I believe a large number of verses in the Bible could point to the fact we as lovers of Jesus are called to a transformation not just in our life when we decide to start chasing after Jesus but also a daily transformation as we desire to look more and more like our Savior and less and less like the world. I think Proverbs 2:1-5 can help lead us in that daily transformation, so here are a few of the thoughts I have had over the last few days as the Spirit of God illuminates the text in my heart.
#1- I find it interesting that both the ear and the heart need to be attentive to wisdom and understanding from God. What this is telling me is that a life of love and desire for Jesus that is transforming is not a half way project. We must put our entire being, both the mind and the passions, into the life of growth. If anything we do is only done half way and with 50% effort it never is complete and looks awful. That means in order to experience full and true growth in Christ, we need 100% of ourselves in the process. We need to give our ears to listening to God and our hearts into the full change that is called for. Putting full effort into growth then will lead to the treasure aspects mentioned in verse 1. We can only truly find that great and perfect treasure in God when we put everything into it.
#2- The 4 verbs mentioned in verses 3 and 4 show me that there is a human responsibility to change. We can not just sit back and wait for God to grow and mature us, we need to get off our laurels and do something. The 4 verbs mentioned are calling, raising, seeking, and searching. We are commanded to call out to God for insight and raise our voice for understanding. This means only God has the answers to what we need and not the world. Where do we turn when we need help in what to do, God or the world? These verses say we need to turn first and only to God for the knowledge in the way of life that loves Jesus. After we call out we are to seek for and search it out. This shows God is not merely going to put the answers right on our lap but we are to seek and find what He is telling us. We are to search out for the answers from God like we would search out a treasure.
#3- I love the phrase "fear of the Lord". Do we really fear God? I will someday explore the concept of fearing the Lord, but for now it brings a few things to mind. First, Jesus is called a lion in the Bible. We fear the power and furious nature of the lion, do we fear God in the same way as we fear a lion? Second, God is the Creator if of all things. God at any moment has the power to wipe out His creation, like a potter could destroy his clay. Do we fear God in the fact He could kill us in any moment? Third, God is all powerful, which means He controls all the actions that happen in our lives. Do we truly live in fear with God because He is the only person that has total control over everything we deal with?
Proverbs 2:1-5 has given me great comfort over the last few days as I have tried to understand what a life that loves Jesus looks like. It has reminded me to seek and call on God as I fear Him and am more transformed into the image of His son.
No comments:
Post a Comment