Proverbs 8:17 - How To Give God Your Best!!!
Proverbs 8:17: How To Give God Your Best!!!
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Prov 8:17 (KJV) I love them that love me; and those that seek
me early shall find me.
Prov 8:17 (NRSV) I love those who love me, and those who seek
me diligently find me.
Prov 8:17 (AMP) I love those who love me, and those who seek me
early and diligently shall find me.
Seek diligently: early, in the morning. [Strong's Dictionary]
To seek early or earnestly: to look early or diligently for.
[Brown, Driver & Briggs' Hebrew Lexicon]
Seek him early, seek him earnestly, seek him before any thing
else. [Matthew Henry Commentary]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
After summarizing the benefits of this book (1:1-7), these first
chapters take the form of a father exhorting his son not to reject (vv.
8-33) but to embrace wisdom (2:1-4:27). He warned against adultery
(5:1-23; 6:20-7:27) and folly (6:1-19), picturing wisdom and folly as two
very different women (8:1-9:18). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
8:1-36 Wisdom and Creation
Wisdom's eternal character is shown in 8:22-31 and ultimately
points to Christ, in whom is found "all the treasures of wisdom" (Col.
2:3; cf. Phil. 2:3-11; 1 Cor. 1:24; Jer. 9:23-24). Christ, who is
wisdom incarnate, is the ultimate wise man. [New Bible Companion]
Wisdom, here is Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge; it is Christ in the word, and Christ in the heart;
not only Christ revealed to us, but Christ revealed in us. [Matthew
Henry Commentary]
The Commendation of Wisdom
The Blessings of Wisdom (8:1-36)
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Isaiah 55:6 (KJV) Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call
ye upon him while he is near:
Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Jer 29:13 (KJV) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart.
Psa 63:1 (KJV) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and
thirsty land, where no water is;
John 14:21 (KJV) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:23 (KJV) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we
will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [8] For
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to
him that knocketh it shall be opened.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
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 Commentary]
And those that seek me early shall find me: Not merely betimes
in the morning, though he who does so shall find it greatly to his
advantage; but early in life-- in youth, and as near as possible to the
first dawn of reason. To the young this gracious promise is
particularly made: if they seek, they shall find. Others, who are old, may
seek and find; but never to such advantage as they would have done,
had they sought early. (Adam Clarke 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]
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
Consecration (being dedicated to God's service) is our part;
sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God's part.
[In His Time; My Utmost For His Highest]
All fancy that they love God. But those who either do not seek
God at all, or seek Him coldly, while they eagerly seek the vanities
of the world, make it plain that they are led by the love of the
world more than by the love of God. (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Commentary)
It is implied that the love of God is the fountain and
foundation of the communication of all blessings, and therefore of perfect
blessedness (T. Cartwright). (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)
A Love Letter
Dear Friend,
How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I
love you and care about you.
I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I
waited all day, hoping you would want to talk with Me also. As evening
drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to
rest you - and I waited. You never came. Oh, yes, it hurts Me - but I
still love you because I am your Friend.
I saw you fall asleep last night and longed to touch your brow,
so I spilled moonlight upon your pillow and face. Again I waited,
wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you! You
awakened late and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.
Today you looked so sad - so all alone. It makes My heart ache
because I understand. My friends let Me down and hurt Me many times,
too, but I love you.
Oh, if you would only listen to Me. I love you! I try to tell
you in the blue sky and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in
the leaves on the trees and breathe it in the colors of flowers. I
shout it to you in mountain streams and give the birds love songs to
sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature
scents. My love for you is deeper than the ocean and bigger than the
biggest want or need in your head. Oh, if you only knew how much I want
to walk and talk with you. We could spend an eternity together in
heaven.
I know how hard it is on this earth, I really know! And I want
to help you. I want you to meet My Father. He wants to help you,
too. My Father is that way, you know.
Just call Me - ask Me - talk with Me! Oh, please don't forget
Me. I have so much to share with you!
All right, I won't bother you any further. You are free to
choose Me. It's your decision. I have chosen you, and because of this I
will wait - because I love you!
Your Friend,
Jesus
(Osterhus Pub. House, 4500 W. Broadway Minneapolis MN 55422)
I met God in the morning,
when my day was at its best
and His Presence came as sunrise
like a glory in my breast.
All day long His Presence lingered,
all day long He stayed with me
and we sailed in perfect calmness
o'er a very troubled sea.
Other ships were blown and battered,
other ships were sore distressed.
but the winds that seemed to drive them
brought to us a peace and rest.
Then I thought of other mornings
with a keen remorse of mind.
when I too had loosed the moorings
and His Presence left behind.
So, I think I know the secret.
learned from many a troubled way.
you must seek God in the morning,
if you want Him through the day.
(source unknown)
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