God loves us unconditionally. Halleluiah! For we could never be worthy of that vast love left to our own devices, choices and flesh driven ways. Yes, His love is unconditional. There are, however, benefits that come out of that love for us that require some action on our part. Proverbs Two talks about the moral benefits of Wisdom. If you recall, a short while ago I wrote about Wisdom in Proverbs being the prophetic word for Jesus. Either way, using Wisdom or Jesus, Proverbs Two is clear in the actions we as Believers must take to obtain these benefits. For the sake of this reading I will use Wisdom/Jesus; read it with both names. Reading it as Jesus makes it more personal to me.
The actions we need to take will be in blue, the benefits will be in red. The tiny word IF plays a large part in this….IF makes it clear that whether or not we receive these benefits is totally up to us. Notice how much more we receive than is required…..hmmmm.
Proverbs 2
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom/Jesus 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.
For the LORD gives wisdom/Jesus, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.
For wisdom/Jesus will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom/Jesus will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
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Being a Christian is not some mamby-pamby spectator endeavor. Not at all! We can not passively sit back and wait for the shower of blessings to cover us. It is an active, live on-going, giving and receiving relationship that requires we (1) make decisions and choices (2) take actions and (3) take an active role participating in maintaining the relationship. It’s not a part-time activity either. It’s a lifestyle, a life altering decision to walk away from the ways and mentalities you held and surrendering to the one and only living God. It’s giving up your plans and being open to the path God has planned for you. This isn’t scary but it is very exciting! Our tiny finite minds can not even comprehend all that He has in store for us IF we….THEN He……
Take off your shoes and dive head first into The Living Water. If you call yourself a Christian and have been standing back afraid to get your feet wet, get over yourself! It’s not about you and it’s all about Him. Drenched in Living Water means you are not standing in a desert full of dry bones!
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