Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2

"My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God."
Proverbs 2:1-5

To truly discern the "fear of the Lord" we need to seek Him with all our heart. It begins by "receiving His words." Many people reject the Lord and wisdom because they are content with their sin and they know enough already. They are not willing to receive.

The next step is to "treasure His commandment." This goes beyond merely receiving the words but treasuring them, placing a high value on them, recognizing they are the way to life. The things that we treasure we protect from harm and theft. We place honor upon them and display them for others to see. Are you protecting God's word from harm, from the destructive lies of the enemy? Are you meditating and thinking about God's word, hiding it in your heart so that it cannot be stolen or forgotten? Do you publicly display His word so that others can see the beauty and truth contained therein?

The third step is to "make our ear attentive." We need to intentionally listen to the voice of the Lord. God has given us ears, but we are not always tuned into His voice.

The fourth step is "incline your heart." We must open our heart, our will, our emotions to receive from the Lord, to gain understanding. At this point we are making a choice to engage our heart with the Lord. By the time we have completed the process, verse 10 says that "wisdom will enter our heart" - our emotions will have been affected to desire the wise way naturally. Wisdom will become part of us and our natural choices. Sometimes we don't "feel" like doing the right thing, but if we follow this four step process and continue on to the next step, our emotions will change and wisdom will "enter our hearts."

The final step is to pursue the Lord, the truth and His word ("cry for discernment...search for her as for hidden treasure"). Wisdom is not always obvious. Knowing the right way involves digging into the truth and requires a relentless passion for Him, not willing to compromise.

Proverbs 2 is one of my favorite chapters in proverbs. I could go on and on. In your "search for hidden treasures" today, what has the Lord shown you?