32.y. “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it”

 

Matthew 13:18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

 Proverbs 1:7   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 Proverbs 1:20-22    Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:  “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

 Proverbs 2:1-6   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.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

 John 3:19-20    And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

 Hebrews 2:1   Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Satan is always on the watch to hinder the Word of God from having any depth in the lives of people. He is very clever and the father of all lies. He will find any and all weaknesses in a person and exploit them to keep a person from growing in depth and width in the Word of God and commitment to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. He will cast doubt, incite fear, promote anger, cause division, produce lust, marginalize greed, promote pride, invoke jealousy, harden hearts, deafen ears, stiffen necks, create chaos, insert busyness, and whatever else he can do to keep peoples lives from deeply grounded commitment to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all they think, say, and do.  

We ought to never be content with our current understanding and knowledge of the things of God. Certainly, we must be content with what we know so far for it is the basis of our faith and walk with God. However, a plant must be watered and weeded if there is to be growth and fruit produced. 

When we truly and deeply commit and above all else, strive to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do, it is then we will find our desire to produce continued growth and the things of this world and the lies and falsehoods promoted by Satan (though they come at us like thousands of arrows shot from a strong bow) will not hit. They will be recognized/discerned and put in their proper place like weeds plucked from a garden and cast aside to die.

4.d. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.

Nehemiah 8:13  On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.

Proverbs 2:1-6    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.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 8:33-34   Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.  Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.

Mark 6:33-34    When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Blessed is the one who listens.  I wonder if we truly cherish God’s word.  Are we inching our hearts to understanding?  Are our ears attentive? Are we calling out for understanding?  Are we seeking God’s word for hidden treasures?  Do we hear instruction? Are we watching and waiting to hear and be led? God’s compassion, grace, mercy, purpose, plan, and love are revealed to those who seek it.  It is one thing to desire and seek God’s word and another to just be exposed to it.  There is a difference.  Exposure is not necessarily something that is desired but rather something that just happens.  If we take this approach to God’s word there is no effort, no commitment, no longing, no searching for it like a hidden treasure.

Now is a good time to examine our heart, mind, and soul to see if we are searching God’s word for hidden treasures or are content with complacent exposure.

Being Ready

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Psalms 90:12  So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalms 39:4     “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Deuteronomy 32:29     If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Ecclesiastes 9:10    Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Luke 12:35     “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,  and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.  Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.  If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!  But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.  You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

John 9:4     We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

Ephesians 5:16     making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Proverbs 2:2     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.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 4:5     Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 7:1     My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;  keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;  bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,

Proverbs 8:32     “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways.  Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.  Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.  For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,  but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 16:16     How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 22:17     Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

Proverbs 23:12     Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

Proverbs 18:1     Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.  A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Jude 1:19     It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

Being ready at all times is much different than thinking about being ready.  Being ready and living ready is putting the Word of God into action in our lives.  Thinking about being ready is just that, stuff moving through our head and no action to follow it up.  God’s will must be a desired and sought after presence in our lives. This desire and seeking keep us actionable for His purpose and plans.  Reread these verses and as is says in Proverbs 22:17     Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

Receive my words

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

“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;”

Psalms 34:9  Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Proverbs 4:1   Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

Proverbs 7:24  And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 8:17  I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Proverbs 22:6   Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ecclesiastes 11:9  Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.  Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:1  Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

Isaiah 28:9   “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message?

Matthew 18:2  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them  and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“Listen to my words”, “humble yourself”, “be attentive”, “remember your creator”, “seek diligently”, and “fear (reverence and respect) God” are all spoken with the intent of the hearer taking action – making a choice to do it or not.  We make choice each day on how we will act, what we will say, how we will react, what we expose our eyes to, and what we listen to.  Staying close to God, seeking Him, humbly serving Him, listening to Him, and obeying Him will certainly guide the previous choices and how we face each day.  One path seeks only what is right in our own eyes and the other seeks what is right in God’s eyes.