Proverbs 2:1–5

Whether it’s learning a new skill or entering into a new career or a new phase of life such as having kids — we want the straight forward solution. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” We’ve all said that before. And then typically we get a response that insinuates, “It’s not that simple.” This is because often times there’s more to it than just performing the actions that people do in order to get the desired results that they get. While it’s true that those mimicked actions can produce similar results, life is not the same as baking a cake. There are too many variables.

However in this case, you can thank Solomon for giving us what we want and laying out a seemingly simple solution to finding wisdom, which is to say finding God, which is also to say finding peace, joy and God’s version of productivity.

“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 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.” v 1–5 NIV

Accept. Turn. Apply. Search. Got it.

That’s the formula.

Accept

The monk who started a revolution, Martin Luther wrote, “… for even as no one can give himself faith, so too he cannot remove unbelief.” (Preface to the letter of St. Paul to the Romans) He argued that the chief sin, the main sin that Jesus called out in us was unbelief. He wrote about how it can’t be changed by what we do but it’s already been given. All we can do is acceptit. Accept His reality rather than your own ideas. Raise the white flag. Come to the end of yourself. Get over yourself. All that good stuff.

Turn

Once God’s grace toward us has been accepted, we can’t stay there. We need a different vantage point. It’s kind of like your GPS turning itself on and yelling at you and when it does, you realize you’ve been moving in the wrong direction. Once you turn, even though you may be in the same location, you have a completely different view. Our attention, when focused on God gives us the 30,000 foot view of the landscape, instead of being trapped in a valley with no real way to see beyond it. Turn to Him.

Apply

Apply your heart. Not your mind or your hands, but your heart. Apply it to what you’ve been given in the “turning”. Apply what you see with your new outlook on the world. In the same document referenced I earlier Martin Luther weighed in on work vs Faith. “Faith doesn’t ask whether good works are to be done, but before it is asked, it has done them.” Not putting in hard work along with this accepting and turning, isn’t life change at all. Life change starts in your heart, and it comes out through your hands and feet. We often try to change our actions and habits and wonder why we can’t keep on track. Well, that’s because the problem is not in our heads, it’s in our hearts. How can your heart change? See step 1.

Search

Imagine your Grandfather leaving you a note about cash he buried in the back yard years ago. His dying wish was for you to find the money and use it for something good. Your grandfather was a trustworthy fella and you have no reason to think that he’s pulling your leg. How long would you search for? I don’t know about you, but I would dig for the rest of my life if I didn’t find it on the first shot. We so often wish for wisdom. We wish to know God and we wish to see His power, but the problem is, we aren’t even looking for it. Search for it as for hidden treasure. Dig! Dig into His word. Get to know His people. Read the books, get in the silence, write down the thoughts and ideas. For your own sanity, turn off your phone! And here’s some good news since you will never know all of God, you never run out of the opportunity to discover more. Boredom, solved.

Conclusion

The truth is, in this world, we are under attack. All of us. And we may ignore it or run from it, but it’s reality. As John Mark Comer said in his new book Live No Lies, “Reality does not adjust itself to our illusions.” And the reality is that there is a Satan. The illusion is that life is only comprised of what we can readily see under a microscope. There is an enemy. He has a solid plan. And to make matters worse, he’s not too fond of you.

And when we are under attack, we don’t only need an offensive strategy, but also defensive. We need something to protect us from the anxiety and the distraction. From temptation and evil. We need something to keep our feet on the ground and our eyes fixed on that which is good.

Proverbs says wisdom will be a “shield” (v 7) to the righteous who seek it. A shield brings comfort. A shield is protection from enemies. Fear of the weapons of the opposition are a lot less scary when we know the quality of our own protection. This in turn allows for our fear to dissipate. A lack of fear results in an abundance of peace. Peace is what we are after.

“Then you will understand what is right and fair — every good path.” v 9

Finally, we can begin to make decisions that align with wisdom. Or in other words, align with God and what He wants to accomplish through us.

Proverbs can be philosophical and etherial and it can also be practical and tangible. This verse lends heavily to the latter.

Accept.

Turn.

Apply.

Seek. And never stop.

So there. Take Shia’s advice.