Outer Banks Community Church

Text: Proverbs 2:1-6 (NKJV)

1 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

Intro: God supplies: If you’re naked He can cloth you. If you’re hungry He can feed you. If your cup is empty He can fill it… The list can go on and on and yet there are many in our world that their soul is starving, the heart is naked and their wondering in a wilderness of sin their life is empty.

It has been said, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” In watching average Christians, one sometimes wonders if most have any idea about the truth of a wonderful plan for their lives. How about the will of God for your life? Have you found that wonderful plan, and are you living according to it?

The Blessings of Wisdom: In ancient times, people often sought their fortunes by seeking buried treasure. In our day, people might seek earthly treasure by playing the stock market. The book of Proverbs calls upon us to search for wisdom as a hidden treasure. The benefits of wisdom far outweigh what one can receive from earthly riches. True wisdom is not merely intellectual knowledge but a transformation of character.

Application: The reward of heeding wisdom. (Heeding defined means: Paying attention)

The Word and its Wisdom can allow us to really know His Will for our Life.

1. The Need to Know God’s Will:

I think we can all agree that human experience shows us: many of us have messed up lives, mixed up marriages and unhappy personalities. The Bible shows us: that which is perfect, good, and acceptable, that which can be known. Have you ever wondered if you’re in God’s directive will, or is it His permissive will?

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously (kindly) and without reproach (criticism), and it will be given to him’ and imagine that God simply zaps us with the quality of wisdom when we ask him. Proverbs explains that God grants wisdom by means of a process. In order to gain this treasure, you must exert effort in digging deep for it. The word ‘if’ occurs three times here in the present text, indicating specific conditions for the blessings that are promised.

Does your soul thirst after knowledge? Some people are hard, like the path in Jesus’ parable of the soils. God’s Word just bounces off them. Others are like the good soil that held the seed fast and bore much fruit. In the previous chapter, Wisdom pleaded with you to pay attention to her. Have you heeded her cry? Do you treasure God’s Word in your soul? In 1849 thousands of men were willing to leave their comfortable homes to travel to far-away California, where they lived in tents and spent day after day in back-breaking labor, all because they hoped to find a few nuggets of gold. O if we did that with the word of God and to the teachings of scripture and preaching! Merely going through the motions of religion will not make you wise. You must fully exert yourself and dig deeply.

Do you actively memorize Scripture? In so doing, you fill your mind, like a vault, with wisdom. Are you a good listener? To show up in church sleepy or distracted shows a disrespectful attitude towards God and his Word. The fool sleeps and daydreams in church. His halfhearted attitude towards the Word of God contributes to the hardening of his heart.

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1

There should be a need to know God’s will! Grasp His wisdom.

2.. The Finding of God’s Will: vs. 1-6

So what are these steps to knowing? Put a priority on God’s Word. “Treasure my commands within you.” Hide it in safe custody, the Word of God is the only source of revelation. Be sincerely open to what God has for you: “incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.” “Sharpen your ear”, “Turn your heart” you will see that this covers the internal, intellectual, emotional aspects. Earnestly pray for God to reveal it to you: “cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding.” Earnestness goes beyond sincerity.

The passage speaks of “Cry” and “Lift your voice” Sincerely seek it through every possible means: “search for her as for hidden treasures.” Dig for it. We ought to proactively pursue wisdom. Like the thousands that wait in lines for hours and possibly days at a nearby stadium for the chance to audition on American Idol. Many will do virtually anything to attain their goal of being a famous pop star. We see many others pursuing financial fortunes with the same zeal. We should pursue wisdom with even greater fervor.

Because of sin, we are mentally and morally blind. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the light and sight of understanding. Without the Spirit’s help, you can’t correctly apprehend God’s truth. Do you prayerfully seek God’s help as you study the Bible and attend the preaching of the Word? Plead with God to open your eyes that you might see wonderful things in his Word. Just as a hungry baby insistently cries with a need that only the mother can satisfy, so we should ‘like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, that by it [we] may grow in respect to salvation’

“Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” 1 Peter 2:2 (NLT)

Have you said in your heart, ‘I really want to know God’? The fact that you desire wisdom is evidence of his working in your life to help you gain wisdom.

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)

If you haven’t figured it out by now finding God’s wisdom is His will for you.

3. Hindrances to Knowing God’s Will:

There is the problem with one’s self will. You do not really want to know His will as it might conflict with your own. Don’t forget the indifference - do not really care. I am waiting for a special moment, the perfect time or circumstances, yah right! Desire for some “special feeling” This confuses the will of God, stress on having to follow feeling rather than fact, allowing feeling to dominate. Plain and simple it is failure to do what we already know of God’s will!

It is so crucial that you find the will of the Lord! His will involves your salvation. “For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” 1 Peter 3:10 (NLT)

“He is not willing that any should perish…” You must start at the beginning by being sure you know His salvation.

Just a reminder PRAY for it! Just as the gold miner had to use a pick to dig deep for the gold found in California, so you must be prepared to dig deeply into God’s Word. Slow down and meditate upon what you read. Use the tools God has given you to dig deeper into the Scriptures.

This single-minded pursuit of wisdom is what James refers to of his epistle. The double-minded man who says he wants wisdom but doesn’t earnestly pursue it will not receive anything from the Lord. The person who pursues wisdom wholeheartedly will be abundantly blessed.

James 1:6-8 (NKJV)

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Conclusion: “Keep seeking wisdom that’s where you find His will” You never ‘arrive’ when it comes to the practical knowledge of God’s Word. Keep listening, praying, and pursuing. If you aren’t growing in wisdom, it is probably because you have not been seeking and treasuring wisdom as you should. Perhaps you have valued earthly things, which are like fool’s gold, above the lasting treasures of God, which will bring you joy and success forever.

Real wisdom only comes from God!