Day 2 - Job

"Beep... Beep... Beep" goes the alarm.  I get out of bed and take the few steps across my room and kneel down on the prayer mat.  I turned off the alarm and just stayed there.  I was not fully conscious.  My mind was telling me to lay back down.  My body was leaning one way then the other.  I really wanted to stay awake... but how??

I came to my senses enough that if I wake up my brain and my mind, then I should be good to go.  I started talking to God.  "God, thank You for today" ... my body tips to the left.  "Please keep me awake" ... my body tips to the right.  "Speak to me through Your Word" ...  Then my mind woke up - thinking about coffee.  I got up off the mat, started the coffee, gathered my items to position myself before God, and went to the next passage listed under "fear".

Job 28 (long but totally worth reading!)
Proverbs 25:12 - To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.


2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the major points:

- People have learned how to search and dig for silver and gold - digging, mining, gold-mining, etc., yet people don't know where to find wisdom and understanding.
- Only God understands the way to wisdom - He sees all the places people search for silver and God. He knows where all the hidden treasures are.

- God sees everything.
- God made everything.

- God evaluated and placed wisdom.
- To fear the Lord is true wisdom.
- To forsake evil is real understanding.

** Fear God - have respect and reference for God and to be in awe of His majesty and power (Google)

** To the one who listens, valid criticism is like gold.

** Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge.  Fools despise wisdom and discipline.
       - listen and learn from your parents correction

3. Pull out the spiritual principles:

i) God put the silver and gold in its place - He hid the treasures
ii) Silver and gold are not life's most hidden treasures - wisdom and understanding are
iii) God hid wisdom and understanding.  The only way to find them are:
       a) Fear God - true wisdom, true knowledge
       b) Forsake evil - real understanding
iv) Listening to valid criticism is better than gold.  Fools despise discipline.

** Seek and fear God... He knows where everything is!  He is the One who hid it! Why seek the treasure when I can seek the Maker of the treasure?!

4. Pose the question:

- Am I looking in the places for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding?
- Where do I look for these things when I should be looking to God?

5. Plan obedience and pin down the date:

- Instead of talking to my peeps, my 1st stop needs to be God.
- He knows where everything is.  He will give me the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding I need to move forward in the calling He has given me.
- No one else knows my calling and how to get there better than God - the One, my Father, who placed it inside me... and has already begun forming the world to have me walk into that calling.

** Go to God first!

6. Pray:

Father God, Creator of the universe, You know where everything is.  You put it there! Only You can give me true wisdom, true knowledge, and real understanding.  I'm sorry for going to others to get life direction instead of going to You, the Creator of my life.  You gave me a calling - You know how to get there.  Help me go to You first.  Amen.