IS
THE GATE AJAR?
Proverbs 2:3-5
" Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift
up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver,
and search
for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear
of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God."
Our feisty dog, Shadow, loves to explore
the neighborhood. Every chance she gets, she darts out of
the backyard and heads
up the street looking for a new adventure. Recently, I came
home from work to discover the backyard gate ajar. This could
mean only one thing…Shadow was roaming free somewhere
in the neighborhood. I hopped in my car and began slowly driving
up and down the cul-de-sacs in search of a small, black dog
lurking around unsuspecting fire hydrants or mailboxes. I kept
my front windows rolled down and every few seconds I would holler, "Shadow.
H-e-r-e Shadow." Up and down the streets I went, until
finally I heard the unmistakable sound of her jingling tags.
There she was, darting down a driveway having just introduced
herself to someone's garbage cans.
My search for our lost dog reminds me
of the way Solomon describes the search for wisdom. In Proverbs
2, Solomon writes that wisdom
is the product of a diligent search. He challenges us to "cry
out" for it with a loud voice, "seek" it like
silver, and "search" for it like a hidden
treasure. If we put forth this kind of effort, he says, our
reward will be "the knowledge of God."
How often do you "cry out" for wisdom? When is the
last time you set out on a diligent search for it? Wisdom is
crucial if we are going to successfully navigate life. The problem
is most people search for wisdom in all the wrong places. People
usually seek wisdom in the form of preconceived ideas, stereotypical
prejudices, or just plain bad advice. But Solomon goes on to
point out that it is the "Lord who gives wisdom" and "from
His mouth come knowledge and understanding (v. 6)." In
other words, unless you are looking in the right place, you
will not be able to find wisdom.
When I set out to find Shadow, I did
not go across town. I knew she had to be in our neighborhood.
When you set out to
find wisdom, you must limit your search to the neighborhood
of God's Word. God's Word is "a lamp" to our feet
and "a light" to our path (Ps. 119:105). "The
entirety of His Word is truth. And every one of His righteous
judgments endures forever (Ps. 119:160).” The search for
wisdom begins and ends with God's Word-The Bible.
Let me encourage you to examine your
spiritual property today. Is the gate ajar? Perhaps it is
time to renew your search for
wisdom by diving into God's Word. Perhaps it is time to cry
out with the Psalmist: "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous
things from Your law (Ps. 119:18).”
J.B. Hixson, Th.M.
Associate Pastor
Grace Bible Church of Houston
jb@hixson.org
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