March 2

Mar 2 - Today from Proverbs 2 we look at verses 1-5
"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."

My reading from the gospels this morning was from Mark chapter 4 where we find the parable of the sower. As I read the parable, and the first five verses of Proverbs 2, a clear thought came to mind; we cannot make a seed grow, only God can do that. But, we CAN do everything in our power to protect that seed and see that it grows to fruition. That is primarily what both of these passages are about. In the parable of the sower, Jesus reveals that the seed is the word of God. Every seed has the same potential, and God intends for it to be fruitful in our lives. Today's proverb starts out with the sowing of the seed, "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands . . ." The Father has done His part. Now He tells us to do ours, and it requires effort and perseverance. And faith. When you hold a tiny seed in your hand you cannot see the fruit, only a small hard stone-like object. It takes faith to see the fruit at this stage. The seed is placed in soil. It must be received as the word of God. If not, the devil immediately snatches it away. Once received, here comes our responsibility of perseverance. If we see the seed take root and expect immediate fruit, we become shallow soil. At the first sign of trouble, we abandon the Word of God and proceed to do it our own way. Crop failure. Not because God's Word failed, but because we did not persevere. Some get through the initial troubles and do persevere. God's Word grows in those people and they begin to mature. But there are more enemies out there, Jesus says. Worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and desires for other things choke the maturing Word. Crop failure. Not because God's Word failed, but because we became distracted and placed our attentions elsewhere. It is through patience and perseverance that the Word of our Father bears fruit in our lives. His Word is good seed, and will never fail. But if the soil fails, it doesn't matter how good the seed is, there will be no harvest.
That is the basic lesson of today's Proverb. Receive the Father's instruction and promises, knowing that He watches over them to see them to fruition. Then persevere in guarding that word. Apply your heart to understanding, it keeps the soil loose and fertile. Cry aloud for understanding, it keeps you properly focused. Search for it as for hidden treasure, you will see the development of deep roots. The greatest reward of a fruitful life is to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God - it speaks of relationship. And that, after all, is what God desires of us. It is the reason he sent His Word in the first place, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Not to condemn us, but to redeem us and restore us unto the Father. Be encouraged. Persevere. God is faithful and His Word endures forever.