Prov 8:36 [ESV] but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.

 

I had many years of looking for God on my own terms. If I got out of this or that scrape, then I would be a better person, I would promise this unknown God. Perhaps if I went to church and sat willingly through the most boring hour and a half of my life, that was the way to God. It was some sort of penance for my well-known failings. When I say “well-known” – I mean at least to me they were. Maybe if I just tried to be better and to maybe do some nice acts for others then I would be seen by God and everything would be alright? 

Most of the time I just got on with my life, shaped by my environment and those closest to me – and that’s not an excuse as I know I had free choice as to whether to allow those things to shape me or not. Those closest to me had less of a clue about God that I did, I think now.

 

So, in my own way I was spectacularly living out of Proverbs 8:36.

 

Until I could no longer cope on my own understanding, until a crisis so great came along that I knew my existence was under threat. In the place of deepest need I had ever known I called out to Jesus, and He rescued me, and suddenly I knew him (not just about him). To be honest, I think He found me, and in the finding, I also found Him.

 

KNOWLEDGE – It’s one thing to know about God and another to know God. In this scripture we are reading about God’s view of people who act wilfully in a way contrary to his principles and ways, in direct defiance of him. This is not about some poor person doing his best, understanding there is something greater than him or herself, but who has never heard of God and Jesus. The people identified here know in their knowers that there is a God, but have chosen to deny that and act wilfully in a way that decries everything He stands for.

 

 

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 used for “injures” is pronounced as “hamas” in Hebrew. It carries the meaning “to do violence; harm; to lay waste; to be stripped off, to be mistreated”.

In the LXX the word used is “ασεβούσιν” [asebousin] – “are impious”. This word appears nine times in the New Testament and every time it is translated as “ungodly”.

The word “impious” meaning “without reverence, irreligious; lacking reverence for God” – from the Latin “impius” – assimilated from “in” – “not, opposite of” & “pious” – “pious” – “having faith in God”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WISDOM 

My aim is to be friends with Jesus, and to surrender my life to him fresh each day.

 

STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Relator as a Gallup Strength carries authenticity and trust as companions, having the difficult conversations with others with ease and genuine care. Don’t start make excuses for those close to you.

 

 

Allan’s Unauthorised Version – He who sins and misses the way wilfully harms and lays waste to his soul, his very breath; all who shun me and see me as their enemy are friends and allies of death.

 

But he who fails to find me – he who sins, misses the way wilfully

injures  – harms and lays waste

himself – his soul, his very breath;

all who hate me – all who shun and see me as their enemy

love – are friends and allies

death – of death.

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to seek your friendship and support and to walk in your ways each day.

 

To chat to me as a professional coach/mentor – allan@theallankey.com

 

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