Proverbs 8:17 - Loving and Seeking God Diligently and Early.
Proverbs 8:17 - Loving and Seeking God Diligently and Early.
Proverbs 8:17 (KJV) I love them that love me; and those that
seek me early shall find me.
Proverbs 8:17 (ESV) I love those who love me, and those who seek
me diligently find me.
Proverbs 8:17 (AMP) I love those who love me, and those who seek
me early and diligently shall find me.
Seek me early: This means to seek so diligently that one rises
early in the morning to press the search. Because of the distractions
of worldly affairs, and the deceitfulness of the human heart,
persevering diligence is required to maintain a saving relationship with
true wisdom and with God. [SDA Bible Commentary]
The word "early" sticks out in this verse: does the Lord mean
early in the morning? early in your life? early in your Christian
walk? Early seems to denote a time set aside before other things push
in ahead. Could God be saying that He wants top priority in your
life? Could the Lord want to spend time with you when you are fresh
and unencumbered from the cares of the day? God is a jealous God.
He commands that you have nothing in your life that is more
important to you. Are you in line with God on this? Or do you need to
realign your priorities in order to seek Him early? [In His Time; Walk
With Wisdom]
Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very
first work. Let your prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I
lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide
with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee." This is a daily
matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender
all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His
providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into
the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more
after the life of Christ. SC70
Consecration (being dedicated to God's service) is our part;
sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God's part.
[In His Time; My Utmost For His Highest]
God loves to be sought. He is available in many ways to many
people, even those who haven't looked for Him, and He certainly seeks
and finds those who are lost. In fact, He is a pursuer at heart. But
in any relationship of true love, pursuing goes both ways. And God
loves not only to pursue but to be pursued.
God can get our attention, of course, even when we aren't
looking for Him. He did that often in Scripture - in a burning bush that
commanded Moses' response, in a vision on the Damascus road that jolted
Paul into awareness, and so on. But which is better: for God to have
to get our attention or for Him to already have it? Which does He
prefer? Which has more value for the relationship and indicates more
potential for knowing and loving Him? Clearly He responds to those who
seek Him because their hearts are open and ready for Him. As the
writer of Hebrews expressed, "He is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV).
The greatest reward is Himself. If we seek to know Him
better, we will know Him better. He will make sure of that. We don't
have to figure out how; we only need to express a desire for greater
intimacy with Him and ask for it earnestly. Our persistence will be
rewarded, and in the gift of Himself, we will also receive the shalom He
offers as well as all the other benefits of His Presence. When we seek,
we will find. It's a promise.
Father, I seek You for a lot of reasons, but I know all of
Your gifts come not as separate blessings but wrapped up in Yourself.
I continue to seek Your face, Lord. Please reward my search beyond
my greatest expectations. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
My son could tell something heavy was on my heart, so he
asked what was wrong and listened to my response like he cared.
Because he did. And I found my heart drawn to him in that moment in an
unusual way.
Sons and daughters aren't used to being in that position with
their fathers, but there comes a time in the maturing process when a
child realizes that parents have feelings, concerns, and dreams - that
they aren't just counselors or dictators or managers of the
household. And how a child responds to that awareness has a lot to do with
how the relationship develops. Children who have a genuine concern
for the heart of a parent find the relationship deepening
dramatically.
Our highest purpose is to "love the Lord." Scripture
identifies that as the greatest commandment. And that love has reached a
new level of maturity when we learn to care for the heart of the
Father. What are His goals and dreams for His world? What is His
mission? What grieves Him? What gives Him joy? When we notice these
things and then open up conversations with Him not just about our needs
but about His heart, the relationship deepens. Intensely.
God is drawn to those who care for Him - who treat the
relationship as a two-way interaction and invest in it as such. His Presence
comes to those people in unusual ways. He lets them in on His secrets
(see Amos 3:7, NKJV). When we mature to the level of seeking His
heart because we genuinely care for what's in it, He draws close.
Lord, I love You. I want to know what's on Your heart. I want
to hear Your plans, dream Your dreams with You, and enter into Your
vision. Please show me the things that concern You and that give You
joy. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen re Psalm 31:23]
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart.
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php
Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/
More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com
