Today’s thought “If you receive my words …” (March 24)

Today’s thought

“If you receive my words …”

(March 24)

What a powerful little word “if” can be! It can be like a wheel, it can turn things and situations into the right – or wrong direction! It is a challenging word for us – as to the genuineness of our thinking about what really matters in our lives and whether we really desire to follow the Master. We meditated on the use of this little word in today’s reading of Proverbs 2. It starts

“… if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments … making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding”.

Our “heart” is the seat of our conscience!

Yes, if you and I build up our way of thinking and develop our character in this way – what then? Note how the word “if” occurs in the next three verses!

“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 …”.

Visualize the word pictures painted here, the developing dedication of mind to become fully wise in receiving and treasuring up God’s words to reach a profound understanding – of what?

The genuineness of our relationship with our Lord depends on how we have used what we have received, how much we really do “search for” its real and full meaning with our heart – not just our intellect.

And what will we understand as a result? Verse 5 tells us,

“then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God”.

Wonderful, far beyond the understanding we develop from studying, comparing and analysing God’s word. When we “receive my words” in this way, we develop a real relationship with God, a “fear”, the utter awe of what he must be.

And when trouble comes – and it is surely looming ever larger in our godless world, then, to quote Psalm 91 that we read last month,

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High … will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place … no evil shall be allowed to befall you …” (verses 1,8-10).

Returning to our Proverbs chapter, we see a parallel message as it tells us,

“The LORD gives wisdom … he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints” (verses 6-8)

– so let us receive his words and “call out for insight” day after day responding to each one of the “ifs” in this chapter in a positive way.