Proverbs 2:3 “yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding”
When I was about 16 years old I had a job as a short-order cook in a big American style hamburger café. It was a crazy place to work at times as we were so busy and constantly one step away from disaster. One day a new manager poured maple syrup instead of Pepsi syrup into the soda tanks, I still remember seeing the sea of waiters and waitresses all coming back to the juice bar with hands full of returned drinks, and the craziness of trying to sort everything out. It was such a busy place, at nights we would often have drunken men fighting and the police called, windows were smashed.
When the international rugby was on one time, we had people standing on the tables having doughnut fights. I’m saying all this to paint the picture of a busy, noisy, loud, bustling environment. As the cooks, we would shout out as the orders were ready. Our initial shout for an order would be loud enough to be just heard above the noise by the serving team. Our concern was for the customer, not the serving team. If the order was not picked up we would shout louder, and if still not picked up we would start to shout the servers name until almost everyone in the café could hear us.
To be honest, this would distress some of the serving team, but our concern was not for them in the moment, but rather still for the customer. (we would laugh about it together at the end of the shift when we were all cleaning). We had an outcome in mind and were not embarrassed as we shouted.
KNOWLEDGE
When we are genuinely hungry for something we don’t let up. Often this type of emotion and energy is connected to selfishness or even self-preservation. In this scripture, a different aspect is brought into the frame. There is a relentless quest, unashamed, nothing held back, fully in your face – for moral purity through a relationship with God, the outcome being that we will be a blessing to others especially the disadvantaged in our society.
We forget about ourselves and become lost in the mission God has for us. We clamour for a deeper relationship with him and nothing else is considered. In the New Testament, Paul says – (in Phil 3:8) “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”.
Paul had the possibility of many privileges, but his worldview was not of himself, but of the lost humanity around him. Where-ever he found himself he put that call first – if it meant working through the night as a tentmaker to provide for himself if it meant risking prison, or a flogging, if it meant being away from Jerusalem for a year after year and suffering hardships – in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Paul lists these – both his rights and privileges and his experiences and hardships. Here is a man constantly clamouring, with all he has in him, to get closer to his saviour and to know him better. He lays down every right, every privilege, and he picks up every hardship and every challenge – so that some may be saved and so that he can fulfil the call God had on his life to pastor the church.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word “call” or variations of it, is found 852 times in the ESV. In this scripture, this word comes from the Hebrew word pronounced “qara”. This word has 728 mentions in the OT from Genesis to Malachi, and is translated into English as “call, cry, and proclaim”. A fuller understanding of the word will take us beyond the direct action of just calling, summoning, announcing and proclaiming. We are actually proclaiming with a purpose.
We cry out about the excellence of God, call his name in worship. So when we read this today and think about calling out for insight, it’s because we desire insight into the nature and character of God so that we can be changed in our inner person to become more like Jesus ourselves. Take some time right now and start to call out to God today!
WISDOM: what right, expectation or privilege do you need to lay down today?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Analytical has an inner drive to find out the critical information, and won’t let go.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version [shout out with all that is in you, and worship like a crazy person, seeking for just one glimpse of God, don’t let up, and don’t worry about the noise, keep going in an unrelenting search for wisdom, start right now!]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Please help me to enter in fully to calling out for you and your ways each day, that my heart would be lost in the pursuit of you today.
So true! Love the stories Allan.
What in my world is stopping me from calling out fully, what do I need to lay down so I’m free to call out. Do I have that hunger daily?
“Paul had the possibility of many privileges, but his world view was not of himself, but of the lost humanity around him. Where-ever he found himself he put that call first …”
God is constantly speaking to me about my world view and promoting me to pray for those whose hearts are breaking and are lost. Being in a school as a teacher, I see so many vulnerable children who don’t have a voice but I choose to listen to them and hear what they have to say and comfort them if needed.
Daily, relentless, heartfelt beckoning ♥️
This verse gives me the vision to go boldly before God’s throne and call out His insights for my life. Then I would shout it to the world through my actions every day without fear in the work place, at home, with friends, neighbors etc as long as it’s God insight. Thanks Pastor Allan I did feel the energy at your workplace. It would have kept you on alert and constant anticipation of things.
Thanks Pastor Allan!! You’ve had some very eventful experiences!!
When I read this I think of ..as the deer pants for water so my soul thirsts after you… As I seek to know God & His ways spending time in His presence desperately with all my heart & being I realise that He is everything to me! The things of the world of fame success & fortune cannot come close in comparison to knowing & serving the Lord!! When I truly cry out & worship Him I am taken up into a heavenly realm which brings real insight & understanding to my life. & causes me to know & love Him more each day & be who Hehas called me to be!!
Hi Allan,
Thanks for this. It took me a bit to think this one through. Loved that. Calling out to God is something that I must always do in my desperation to know him, comprehend more and understand his leading. It Shows the passionate desire for knowing him.
Any indifference will leave me without wisdom or insight. So I need to make sure that I always cry out and voice out in worship my need of him.
Powerful words Allan that have such truth! To me this is what this verse is all about.
“When we are genuinely hungry for something we don’t let up. Often this type of emotion and energy is connected to selfishness or even self-preservation. In this scripture a different aspect is brought into the frame. There is a relentless quest, unashamed, nothing held back, fully in your face – for moral purity through relationship with God, the outcome being that we will be a blessing to others especially the disadvantaged in our society.”
Hi Hi Hi
What rights,expectations or privileges do I need to lay down today?
Personally I feel I need to lay down my expectations of certain areas of my life.
As one would like to believe
“Treat others the way you want to be treated ,”
When things don’t always go as planned,
Can I continue to be the same without expectation ?
Can I look to God ,and trust him with all ,that he will remain unchanged,and He will be present ?that he will come through in my situation ?
Could I be at peace with myself for being obedient to Him in spite of the things of this world coming against you ,
I pray that I will continue to seek Him and that I can lean on him and not on my own understanding ,to cry out to him for insight to the nature and character of God ,so I have my eyes fixed on him
To completely depend on him for guidance for my life .
“If we call out for wisdom “
It’s like wisdom is attentively waiting to be called out.
Like James 1:5.
The key is “if only .“we cry out !
God is always ready and attentive when we call. The relationship with the Father is always makes us long to cry out to Him and cry aloud ( search deeper)for the understanding.
if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding
It may be the case I know, that in times of distress and great need this verse would Be our action toward God but I want to be familiar with this action toward God for everything , not just the big stuff of life that often seems to be the time to call out to Him. This is certainly a reminder today for me to peruse him daily . Call on his name
Can’t wait to have you cook me a hamburger haha. Thanks for this Allan. Interesting thought on if we are genuinely hungry, we won’t give up. Can apply that to many areas of life.
“We had an outcome in mind and were not embarrassed as we shouted.“ this verse reminds me of the importance of always keeping your ‘why’ front and centre.
This is the statement that stands out to me: “when we read this today and think about calling out for insight, it’s because we desire insight into the nature and character of God so that we can be changed in our inner person to become more like Jesus ourselves” – this is the greatest desire of my heart – to know who God is more and more, and to continue to become all He created me to be.
Thanks for another great blog Ps Allan 🙂
When everything you had, worked for loosing day by day and let go of your own expectation and fix eyes on God need stronger conviction. Therefore I need to raise my expectations on God!
Hi Allan
I reflect to this, as sometimes there’s things I can’t understand and ill pray for it from the Holy Spirit and will continue seeking to find the answer or revelation of the word. Ill do it even to a point, people think I’m a bit of a nut case because I won’t sleep or let go without understanding. I guess it gives me relief knowing its a good thing not to let go.
Thankyou father for giving me the wisdom and the passion of the word and the true meaning. Amen
Thank you Allan. My take home is that there’s such a power in shouting (with all that you have) above the world’s noise, just for that insight and connection with our Lord. I particularly love your Unauthorised Version of this verse.
I like the story that you mentioned Allan, working in that burger joint, with the cook dedicated to getting that order out and shouting out the server’s name if need be!
Yes, totally agree – as we dive in deeper wanting to know God, rights and privileges need to be let go of, being mission-minded.