We won’t grow wise without seeking God, and we won’t seek God without humility and reverence. That is why the fear of the Lord is the “beginning” of wisdom. Pride corrupts the learning process, so if we wish to learn, we must humble ourselves.
It takes time for the consequences of our actions to show up, so the emptiness of work that disregards God isn’t always apparent right now. But in time, the failure of godless activity will become clear. The wise are willing to be warned about this.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24). Such honesty before God is painful, but without it, there is no growth toward God.
Nothing short of divine love can equip us to love others, for it is our security in God’s perfect love that makes it safe to love those who are not perfect. Without the God who ordained them, the laws of love would be difficult and dangerous indeed.
To seek God in truth, rather than pride and self-sufficiency, is to seek Him in reverence. It is God’s prerogative to set the terms of our relationship with Him, and that relationship will not be what we long for it to be until we let God be God.
By faith, we seek to please God because we love Him. Faith gives wings to love’s natural desire. Showing us not only that God can be pleased but how we may do so, faith gives true substance to love’s highest wish: the pleasure of our beloved God.
God holds every true treasure that our hearts yearn for, and He “can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human soul” (Oswald Chambers). His will is for us to seek Him sincerely and make our supplication to Him concerning every empty place within us.
As long as sin fractures our commitment to God, we won’t enjoy the fullness that can only come from perfect commitment. But if we seek God in trust and obedience, we’ll find a joy that, although incomplete for now, is nevertheless deep and true.
God has made “everything beautiful in its time.” The limited joy that so intrigues us now is a delightful hint of what lies ahead for those who diligently seek God. Having been given the ability to foretaste eternity, we are being drawn toward Him.
Hope has a purifying effect. If we’ve paid the price to know what matters the most to us, and if we’ve realized that the only thing worth having is God Himself, then our daily choices will be much easier. The joy of the Lord will be our strength.
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