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Growing up, math was always my least favorite subject (sorry math enthusiasts). Although it was challenging and not very enjoyable, I did find a comfort in the fact that math had absolutes. 2+2 would always equal 4. One year we learned that you can use mathematical equations in reasoning. Maybe those of you who have suffered through proofs remember the classic if/then statement.
It goes a little something like this:
If I eat an entire box of Oreos, then I will get sick.
In this example, eating the whole box is the hypothesis and getting sick is the conclusion. This is a conditional statement. The statement is only considered false if the hypothesis is true but the conclusion is false. Pretty simple concept. As humans, we pick up pretty quickly. In fact, you have probably used dozens of conditional statements today! If I watch another show on Netflix, then I will be late for my meeting. If I don’t charge my phone, then it will be dead. If I don’t get my iced coffee, then I will be sad (maybe that’s just me). At this point you may be slightly confused. Why are we talking about high school math? Good question! Check this out!
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ears 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 hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5
Right there, clear as day I saw it! As I was reading this chapter in Proverbs something inside clicked. Some things of the Lord can be hard to decipher and take time to understand, but the Lord wanted to make this point abundantly clear. So clear in fact that we can make a mathematical equation that is ALWAYS true. Let me spell it out for you.
IF:
- you receive my words
- you treasure up my commandments
- you make your ears attentive to wisdom
- you incline your heart to understanding
- you call out for insight
- you raise your voice for understanding
- you seek it like silver
- you search for it as hidden treasure
THEN:
- you will understand the fear of the Lord
- you will find the knowledge of God
What does this mean? It means we can be absolutely positive that when we actively seek the Lord and treasure His word that we will begin to understand the fear of the Lord. And we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom and knowledge help us lead better and care for others well. How comforting to know that every time we choose to seek Him, He will always be found! We can go to the Word and every time walk away with better understanding of who He is and who we are in Him. It is clear that as we put in the effort (incline, call, seek, search,etc.) God will always reveal more of Himself to us. This is true every time.
Cool.
photo credit: via photopin (license)
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