Proverbs 8:17 - Seeking And Finding God.
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.
INTRODUCTION
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]
COMMENTARY PEARL
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
COMMENTARY
The very first outbreathing of the soul
in the morning should be for the presence of
Jesus. Without Me, He says, ye can do
nothing. It is Jesus that we need; His light, His
life, His spirit, must be ours continually. We
need Him every hour. And we should pray in the
morning that as the sun illuminates the landscape,
and fills the world with light, so the Sun of
Righteousness may shine into the chambers of mind and
heart, and make us all light in the Lord. We cannot
do without His presence one moment. The enemy
knows when we undertake to do without our Lord,
and he is there, ready to fill our minds with
his evil suggestions that we may fall from our
steadfastness; but it is the desire of the Lord that from
moment to moment we should abide in Him, and thus
be complete in Him..
God designs that every one of us shall be
perfect in Him, so that we may represent to the
world the perfection of His character. He wants us
to be set free from sin, that we may not
disappoint Heaven, that we may not grieve our divine
Redeemer. He does not desire us to profess
Christianity, and yet not avail ourselves of that grace
which is able to make us perfect, that we may be
found wanting in nothing.
Prayer and faith will do what no power on
earth can accomplish. We are seldom, in all
respects, placed in the same position twice. We
continually have new scenes and new trials to pass
through, where past experience cannot be a sufficient
guide. We must have the continual light that comes
from God. Christ is ever sending messages to
those who listen for His voice. {OFC 40-41 re Psa.
5:3}
For many of us, every morning is a
battle. Between the time the alarm clock rings and
when our feet hit the floor, our thoughts can
spiral downward. Today's to-do list and potential
hurdles combine with leftover fatigue from
yesterday, all seeming to conspire to overwhelm us and
beat us down. In a few very short minutes, our
attitude can shift drastically from neutral to
negative.
Though the morning battle is real for
many, it isn't unwinnable. The key is to turn the
downward spiral into upward momentum, and the best
way to do that is by inviting Jesus into your
internal conversation as soon as you wake up. Before
thinking about to-do lists, potential hurdles,
lingering problems from the day before, or anything
else, have a conversation with Him - not about
issues, but just for the pleasure of His company.
Enjoy the fellowship. Lie still in His Presence.
Utter some words of worship and gratitude. Listen
to His words of affection and encouragement.
Let Him shape your internal environment before
you get up to face your external world. Make Him
the priority of your day.
When you do that, the day can take on a
whole different tone. And the tone of a day can
have lasting impact. Decisions are made in a
different light, long-term relationships are
strengthened rather than weakened, ideas and innovation
come much more easily, and obstacles lose their
power. Winning the morning battle day after day can
radically impact a lifetime.
Whatever it takes, invite Jesus into your
morning. Before your feet hit the floor, enjoy His
Presence. The earlier you make Him the center of your
day, the more profoundly He will shape it.
Jesus, I know my attitude needs an
adjustment every morning. I invite You to adjust it -
to hold me, fill me with Your Presence, and
transform me. You are more important than any issues
I'll face on any given day - and fully able to
handle them. [The One Year Experiencing Gods
Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen re Psalm
143:8]
CLOSING THOUGHT
There are certain times of the day when it
not only seems easier, but it is easier to meet
God. If you have ever prayed in the dawn you will
ask yourself why you were so foolish as not to
do it always; it is difficult to get into
communion with God in the midst of the hurly-burly of
the day. George MacDonald said that if he did
not open wide the door of his mind to God in the
early morning he worked on the finite all the rest
of the day - "stand on the finite, act upon the
wrong." It is not sentiment but an implicit reality
that the conditions of dawn and communion with
God go together. When the day of God appears
there will be no night, always dawn and day. There
is nothing of the nature of strain in God's
day; it is all free and beautiful and fine.
Oswald Chambers HGM 87
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Proverbs 8:17 - Seeking And Finding God.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20140729-1847.html
Proverbs 8:17 - How To Find God.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130816-2155.html
Proverbs 8:17 - Loving and Seeking God
Diligently and Early.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20120210-1532.html
Proverbs 8:17 - Give God Your Best !!!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040503-1146.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
