"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge." (Proverbs 23:12)
When our children come home from school, we often ask them, “What did you learn today?” We eagerly await the answer and hope it will be something new and worthwhile to them. As parents, we hope they grow in knowledge and maturity as they apply what they learn. I wonder if God looks at us like that. Does He also lovingly say, “What did you learn today,” or “What did you learn from that experience today,” or “Did you apply what you read from my Word to that experience?" He is our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and wants us to continue learning about Him and how to live a godly life. This means continuing to learn about Him, His love, and His principles. Life brings daily opportunities to apply God’s Word. Maturity happens when there is a willingness to acquire knowledge and a desire to apply this to our everyday lives.
Please consider the following:
✔️What have you learned from God’s word today you can apply at work? ✔️What have you learned from a difficult conversation you could apply to the next similar conversation? For example, how could you avoid being thought of as “difficult” or be at risk of damaging a relationship? ✔️What have you learned from a seemingly negative or hurtful experience you could apply to avoiding a similar experience or lessening its impact on you or others?
We can also learn from positive experiences as well as seemingly negative ones!
✔️If we consider, at the close of our day, God asking us, “What did you learn today” perhaps we can say something like: “Thank you for bringing the verse “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” to mind today as it helped me to be calm during a difficult conversation.”
True knowledge comes from God, and that is why spending time in His Word will continue to build our understanding of who He is, what He desires for us, what His principles are and how to live by those principles. When we apply our heart to instruction, we take steps to live as God would have us live in His strength. When we apply our heart to acquiring knowledge and instruction, we move from what the world thinks we should do to what God expects us to do.
This week...
1. Think about whether or not you are regularly growing in your knowledge of God.
"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge." (Proverbs 23:12)
2. Do you have a process for regularly studying His Word?
"Give me understanding, so that I may keep Your law and obey it with all my heart." (Psalm 119:34)
3 Do you read God’s Word with the intent of applying it to your everyday life?
"For receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair." (Proverbs 1:3)
4. When we store His Words of love, knowledge, and instruction, we are more likely to react the God’s way, not the world’s way.
"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)
5 Commit to learning something new about God every day you can apply to your life.
"When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order." (Proverbs 28:2) Bringing This to God in prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father. Lord, You have given us an abundance of beautiful knowledge and instruction of who You are, how much You love us, and how to live a life that is right in Your eyes. Help us never to take this treasure lightly, but rather enjoy your Word as You intended us to, and to wisely and lovingly apply Your knowledge and instruction to our everyday lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
May God richly bless you this week as you apply His loving Word and principles to your lives!
Bonny,Christian Women at Work