Proverbs 2: The Knowledge of God- Reading God's Word: Laila Wahba

Proverbs 2:1-5

“My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

 making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

 yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

 if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God”.

Knowing God is no easy task but oh such a worthy task. It needs willingness on our part, a discipline and an effort.

Here, the writer of Proverbs tells us of  seven things we need to do to get to know God:

1.   Receive God’s words: God has given us His word, all we need to do is receive it  but not just as a Bible that is leather bound and has your name etched on it, no you need to

2.   Treasure God’s commandments: When you treasure something, you put it in a precious place, you talk proudly of owning it, you want to take care of it, maybe even build a special place to display it for everyone to see. So what are we doing with God’s commandments? Treasuring God’s commandments might sometimes make people jeer at us, make fun of us. That is why as we do this, we need to

3.   Make your ear attentive to wisdom: Here comes our part. What are we going to do about the treasure that God has given us? Make your ear attentive. In this world and the cacophony of voices that bombard us from every corner: TV, radio, internet, YouTube, friends, phone. God is urging us to willfully make our ears attentive to WISDOM. I personally find it difficult, but it is a training, a daily training. If we train to be physically fit, how much more should we train our spirits to be fit.

4.   Incline your heart to understanding: Now comes the heart. WE cannot just hear God’s words and leave it at that, but when we hear, we need to react. So incline your heart to understanding; willingly. This will never happen in haste, this takes time; time spent in God’s Presence, sitting on His lap, putting my face in His shoulder like a child shy and afraid of a new place an new people.

5.   Call out for insight: calling out has a note of insistence, of perseverance. Lord I am calling out for perception, for understanding, for vision, for discernment.

6.   Raise your voice for understanding: and as if calling out is not enough, I will raise my voice even more, until I get what I need from God: understanding, wisdom, knowledge.

7.   Seek understanding like silver and search for it like hidden treasures: Pursue it whatever it costs, whatever you need to sell to get it, whatever you need to give up, whatever time you spend, cause only then, will you achieve…

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.