Tag: apply your heart

Make sure you stay rooted in God

Exodus 14:31  Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 4:31     And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

2 Chronicles 20:20     And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

Psalms 106:12-13    Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.  But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Luke 8:13   And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

Is it true?  Can a person get to a place where they have seen and tasted the awesome power of God and then fall away?  Can it happen to anyone?  How are we to recognize it happening?

Yes it can happen and no one is immune to times of testing that come this side of eternity.  The culture we live in, the people we listen to, the places where we spend time, the things we read,  all have the possibility of pecking away at our beliefs.  They can dilute our walk to a complacent neglect of  God and how we think, act and speak.  We need to take care and be ever discerning of what it means to not just believe but rather to continually grow in our reverence, understanding, knowledge, service, and obedience to God.  Take a quick inventory of what is occupying your time for a day, week, month. Was your actions and thoughts keeping God present in what you were doing?

Spend time each day in His word.  Live each moment with thoughts of how to honor and glorify Him.  Seek to hear His whispers of guidance and purpose in your heart, mind, and soul to not only listen but truly obey.

Being Ready

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Psalms 90:12  So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalms 39:4     “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Deuteronomy 32:29     If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Ecclesiastes 9:10    Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Luke 12:35     “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,  and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.  Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.  If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!  But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.  You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

John 9:4     We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

Ephesians 5:16     making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Proverbs 2:2     making your ear 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 for hidden treasures,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 4:5     Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 7:1     My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;  keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;  bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,

Proverbs 8:32     “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways.  Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.  Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.  For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,  but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 16:16     How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 22:17     Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

Proverbs 23:12     Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

Proverbs 18:1     Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.  A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Jude 1:19     It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

Being ready at all times is much different than thinking about being ready.  Being ready and living ready is putting the Word of God into action in our lives.  Thinking about being ready is just that, stuff moving through our head and no action to follow it up.  God’s will must be a desired and sought after presence in our lives. This desire and seeking keep us actionable for His purpose and plans.  Reread these verses and as is says in Proverbs 22:17     Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

Number my Days

“Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.”

“making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Psalms 39:4  “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!  Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!

Psalms 90:12   So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Job 28:28   And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Proverbs 2:2  making your ear 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 for hidden treasures,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 3:13  Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,  for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.

Proverbs 4:5   Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 4:7    The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.

Proverbs 7:1  My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;  keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;  bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,

Proverbs 8:32  “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways.  Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.  Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.  For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,  but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 16:16   How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 22:17  Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

How are we to gain this understanding and wisdom? It comes from choosing it, applying it, seeking it, listening for it, holding firmly to it, and making the best use of our time.  Note David asking got to show how fleeting his time on earth is.  And again he asks God to teach us to number our days.  Why?  Because life teaches us (the older we get) that life is short and we find our path is much better, our lives more fuller, and our purpose more clear when we choose to stay close to God.  When we seek more than anything else to humbly serve, honor and obey Him. Keep these scriptures close  and review them often.