"Trafficking Unlived Truth"

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, "

Prov. 1:5

My wife says that I am notorious for having selective hearing! "I only hear what I want to hear." Now we laugh about this all the time but this morning as I read in Proverbs... this verse really convicted me. Solomon says basically that if I want to know when, how, and where to walk in this life then I must not only hear but "increase in learning." This statement in Hebrew literally means to "carry with you...to take along with oneself." You see I'm always praying and asking God to speak to me and thru me...but am I really adding to my heart and life the truths that He has already spoken to me? I mean am I simply as D.L Moody says "trafficking un-lived truth"- out of my life. I believe that's called hypocrisy! You see a wise person doesn't just seek to obtain knowledge & understanding ... but rather a wise person takes what He learns and applies it to his circumstances and life and allows that truth to guide every area of life!

Its interesting looking up different words in the original languages...and as you look up the word for "hear" in Hebrew you will see that it is also the same word for "obey." So what that means is this ...God never intends to speak to us where he doesn't also intend for us to obey! A little bit further down in v 33 it says ..."But the one who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil." So my prayer today is that I would not simply stop at "hearing" God speak but rather that I would "listen/obey" that I might walk securely in this world. Jesus my prayer today is that I would live out what has been spoken into my life. That I would "increase" not in what I hear but rather in what I do with what I hear!


Not Ashamed....Bill