Turn on the TV and you’ll see all kinds of gurus telling you how to be successful and fulfilled.
You’ll see Oprah and Doctor Phil dispensing advice on successful relationships. You’ll see Joel Osteen telling you how to have your best life now. Go to a Barnes and Noble and you’ll find books like:
The Real Truth About Success: What the Top 1% Do Differently, Why They Won’t Tell You, and How You Can Do It. (Why won’t they tell me?)
Proverbs 2 is a father’s appeal to a son. This father wants what’s best for his son. The dad is Solomon, the wisest man who had ever lived. He wants his son to be a success, but not in the way we usually think about it. He wants his son to be a SPIRITUAL success. But
Proverbs 2 is more than an ancient sage appealing to his son. It’s God appealing to and instructing us. GOD wants us to be spiritually successful.
So what does Solomon (and God) have to say to us about spiritual success?
My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
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. (Proverbs 2:1-5)
First of all, spiritual success is conditional. It won’t happen automatically. Notice how many times Solomon says “IF” before he gets to the “THEN” – IF you receive my words… IF you call out… IF you seek it like silver… THEN you will understand.
We must pursue God whole-heartedly. Though God pours out all things freely as gifts of grace, he gives us what the Puritans called “means of grace” – things like Bible intake, prayer, fellowship, preaching, and reading books – means by which we receive grace. IF we pursue God through these means, God promises to freely give grace.
Seeking God is like turning on a faucet. Millions of gallons of water are just waiting to quench our thirst, but we have to turn on the faucet. God has bags and bags of grace stored up for us, but we must pursue him. James said, “You have not because you ask not.” Jesus said if we keep asking, seeking, and knocking we will receive, find, and the door will be opened.
Solomon tells his son that the 2 most important things in life are to know God and to fear him:
then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. (
5)
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