The Rendezvous Point

Have you ever frantically searched for a child who was frantically searching for you? Or was it you, the lost child looking for a parent? Perhaps it was in the woods or at Disney World or in the mall. Wherever its locale at any given moment, “lost” is a very distressing place to be!

People all over the world search for wisdom; we share an inner longing for true knowledge, understanding, and insight. We seek the inner compass that navigates us from naiveté to discernment, from recklessness to discretion, from injustice to fairness, from discord to peace. We pursue meaning that we know exists in an authority outside of ourselves, elusive though it seems, beyond our natural reach.

The quest for wisdom transcends generational boundaries, and Solomon, regarded the wisest man who ever lived, promised this to all of us who embark upon it: if we “call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,”[i] we will discover it. If we “look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,” then we will find “the knowledge of God.”[ii] If this weren’t encouraging enough, the ancient king of Israel assured us wisdom is looking for us, too! “Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? . . . ‘To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.’”[iii]

So we cry out for wisdom, even as wisdom calls out to us. To our great relief, there is a rendezvous point, a place where we would-be companions can find each other. It is the spot on the map marked, “the fear of the Lord.” It is the point at which we believe God, trust God, relinquish our wills to His ways, and rest our weary souls in Him. Those who seek insight can be united with it there, for “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”[iv]

Go to that spot—the place of reverence for God and awe of Him, the place of belief and trust in His Word. There you will find wisdom waiting for you.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5 ESV)

Christ in me is wisdom.

---

[i] Proverbs 2:3

[ii] Proverbs 2:4, 5

[iii] Proverbs 8:1, 4, 5

[iv] Proverbs 9:10

Today’s post is an excerpt from Christ in Me. Copyright © 2016 Paul Nordman. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 2:1-11

My journal pages are filled with pleas for wisdom and understanding.  During various seasons of life I find myself crying out to God for help in grasping the meaning of a situation, and for insight to know what to do next.

Life gets complicated and is often difficult to navigate and I seem to always have something on my heart that needs God's attention.  Knowing I can call out to God, beg for the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom with the assurance this gift will be mine for the asking, helps me to put one foot in front of the other and move on.

"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you...then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1, 5)

How does one get to the point where it is automatic to turn to God for help in daily living?  Is there a magic wand one can wave and poof, we instinctively pray and seek God's guidance?  Hardly, for this writer it took years of practice.  I began by carving out a few minutes each day reading my Bible then reading a devotional on prayer.  It took months for this to become habit, and something I wanted to do and not a duty.

It took even longer to habitually record my daily struggles and triumphs in a journal.  I know now that God was preparing me for "such a time as this", and He also wants to prepare you.  Life is filled with trouble, heartache and pain but it is also filled with hope and wonder and delight.  We just have to learn how to steer our course through these times and arrive at the opposite shores where we discover our destiny.

Read Proverbs 2:1-11 here

Listen to Proverbs 2:1-11 here