Proverbs 2

...More on the previous post later. Now I thought I would share one of my favourite bits of scripture.

Proverbs 2:1-6
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

I came across these verses a few years ago when I was feeling very confused and frustrated about my future. I wanted understanding and the above scripture promised that if I did those things I would get it. So I decided to test out Gods word. I thought, He’s got to do it because He’s put it in the bible.

Christmas was coming up and Matt and I were going to spend a week at him mum and dad’s. I thought that would be a great place to try it out.

Looking at the first part it talks about accepting God’s words and storing up His commands within you. I took this to mean I should be getting into the Word and getting it into me. So that was my first step...to spend a lot of time reading my bible...especially when I didn’t feel like it. As I was doing this I did my best to open my ears to hear God speak. I spent a lot of time walking around the property praying and ‘calling out for insight and crying aloud for understanding’ and when I didn’t get anything I kept ‘looking for it as for silver and searching as for hidden treasure’.

I spent a good few days on this, and while I understand that this scripture is something I should be living out every day I felt desperate times called for desperate measures. And so this went on for a few days, and every time I wanted to give up I remembered about the part on silver and hidden treasure. I knew if there was a million dollars buried somewhere on the property I wouldn’t stop until I found it...so I kept going.

At this time I had been giving God two choices about what he could do with my life...yes that’s right, I gave God the options, and as I was spending time doing the above searching and not hearing a thing and getting very frustrated, God reminded me of that and basically said ‘what do you think you are doing’ oops... it suddenly dawned on me. I felt so embarrassed and basically repented of what I had been doing. Repenting for giving God options may seem a little extreme, but that is what I wanted to do because I was limiting God in my life and that is certainly not what I want to be doing. I went to bed peaceful that night and was determined to keep searching.

The next day I spent some time praying and offering up my future to God saying to him that if he wanted me in the same place for 5 more months or 5 more years I would be ok with that as long as it was what he wanted...then I felt God tell me everything would change in less than a year...that may seem a little strange and God certainly doesn’t give me that much information all the time, but less than a year later I got pregnant with my little boy and a few months later we moved to the beautiful spot we are living now.

So now I try to live that scripture so I can be more aware of what God is doing. Of course I don't always, and sometimes have to get back into it, but it's like anything...you have to keep practicing.

And if you read the previous post you will notice that God is doing some more stuff, but this time He hasn’t given me an idea of when or what, only a strong sense that he is doing something...and sanding off a few rough edges to get me ready, ouch.

P.S. If you want to read a really amazing picture of what it is to search for wisdom as for treasure, have a read of Job 28...