The Wise Worshiper
Proverbs 2:1-5 The Voice (VOICE)
2 My son, if you accept what I am telling you and store my counsel and directives deep within you, 2 If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her, and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you, 3 If you cry out to her for insight and beg for understanding, 4 If you sift through the clamor of everything around you seek her like some precious prize, to search for her like buried treasure; 5 Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal, and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God.
The Wise Worshiper
As I read this passage, the question came to mind: “How does wisdom enable one to worship?” As I reflected on the question and my answer, it reaffirmed that my worship life was stagnant. I had begun some serious soul searching and was reevaluating my reasons for being involved in certain church activities. I became extremely transparent with God and in one of my quiet times I decided to read Proverbs, which led me to this passage.
As a worship leader, it is imperative that I have an intimate relationship with God. I cannot lead others in corporate worship if I am not worshiping in private. My personal relationship with God was suffering because I was neglecting to spend quality time with Him. I had become preoccupied with myself. I longed for the intimacy I once had, but I was struggling to reclaim it. It’s almost as if I had forgotten how to worship. Verse 4 was the first step in restoring my relationship with God. “Sift through the clamor of everything around me…” that was easy to say but not easy to do. I began to do what the passage said- ask God for wisdom. I needed help to refocus my attention. I sought God’s help and He began to reveal the steps that I needed to take to become free of those distractions.
I began spending time with God again through prayer and reading the Bible. In those moments I learned things about God and myself that I had not known before. The more I discover about God, the more I want to know about Him. My increased knowledge of God has become the basis of my worship. My worship goes beyond the generic to specific. I can apply various attributes to God to specific situations that I have and am experiencing.
God desires to reveal Himself to us. Are we willing to put forth the necessary effort to discover hidden truths about Him? In this passage, we are instructed to seek the Wisdom (mind) of God. Seek Wisdom for every area of our lives and we will be successful. As we experience the effect of God’s Wisdom, our response is to glorify and celebrate God.