Long days of summer are quietly receding as the evenings come earlier along with the relief of cooler air it brings.  The tomatoes are still coming on, which is good – we had my favorite sandwich for lunch and we will do so again later this week.  We want to be sure we have enough for Celinda to can some later this month.

Not much happening in our neck of the woods today – but football will take up the slack!  Art :-)

Proverbs 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

² So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

³ Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

⁴ If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

⁵ Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

Who knew following Christ required work?  That takes effort on our part.

First we have to study the Bible, we must read with an intent to memorize its truths, holding the verses close to our hearts so they are readily available to us.  That takes effort on our part.

We must listen to Him, which requires time in prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to not only dwell within us but to apply God’s Word to our everyday life.  Dwelling on His Word and seeking to understand all He offers us.  That takes effort on our part.

We pray for that understanding, we continually ask Him for His Wisdom and guidance that we can serve Him, not blindly, but with purpose and knowledge of what we are doing is for God.  That takes effort on our part. 

We pour over His Word, spend time in prayer, asking for guidance and wisdom striving to understand.  Not breezing through His Word as we might a magazine, but delving into it as a miner searches the earth for those shiny flakes of gold and silver, not letting anything stop them.  They cast off the sand and rock and check every grain to find that precious metal.  God’s Word is full of such grains of wisdom for us to pick out and use to our understanding and to His benefit.  It takes effort on our part to find that information.

As we draw closer to Him, as we learn His ways and all He has done for us we grow to respect and love Him even more.  We find the knowledge we have been searching for, hiding its truth within our hearts, seeking after God’s wisdom – all of it has become a part of us and as we serve Him we do it with more directed energy and much more effectively.  That takes effort on our part.

We understand, not only God, but that the Holy Spirit works within us and as we know His Word the Spirit can apply His Truth to us and we can impart that same Truth to others.  That takes effort on our part.

We have all had experiences where felt we were to talk to someone, maybe even a stranger, and yet, we held back.  We realized later that we were being led by the Holy Spirit, and we failed to listen to Him.  It may not have been an earth shattering failure, but we failed none the less.  It is disappointing to us, and of course to God.  It takes effort on our part to follow Him.

Having an understanding of God, how He Works, how He Loves gives us confidence in our walk upon this earth.  It is not a bravado type of confidence, but an assurance that comes from understanding and experience.  It comes from submission to Him and obedience to His commands.  Because we understand everything is based on God, we can develop that humility that helps draw others to Him; because we know it is not us, but Him that matters. 

Vs 6-8 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

⁷ He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

⁸ He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

Now, if I can just apply those truths to my life.

But I don’t have to do it by myself.  While it is incumbent on me to take time to study and listen, He gives me wisdom.  Wisdom I cannot attain on my own; He teaches me and gives me understanding of what He has taught.  He is willing to work one on one with me.  But, it takes effort on our part.

God, one on one, teaching me, WOW!  The Creator, who knows all, is willing to work one on one with me.  Can you imagine having that kind of time with the best teacher we ever had in the key areas of our profession?  Who knows what we could have accomplished with access to that kind of skill, knowledge and wisdom.  But, it also takes effort on our part.

He WANTS to lead us, not as we might lead an animal that does not understand and fights the lead; but as an animal that doesn’t understand where or why we are leading them, but trusts our judgment and does what we require of them.  An animal we have worked with and while they may not fully understand why, they understand we know why – and that is all that matters to them.  It takes time and effort to gain that trust from the animal.  That takes effort on our part.

The more time we spend with God and His Word, the more faith and trust we have in His decision in our life.  That takes effort on our part.

Being an effective and obedient Christian for God takes work.  And that takes effort on our part.

Later, Art :-)