Proverbs 4:5 (KJV) Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
My first inclination to stop and look at this verse came from the word in the KJV of “decline” (5186) (turn away, NASB). How do you decline from the words of God? That is a good question. When I looked at the definition of the word and some of the early uses in Genesis I came across the idea of spreading out your attempt or pitching your tent. At one point it seemed to talk about letting down your bucket deep for water.
What does this say about how we study the word? We talk about digging. We talk about searching and meditating. Those are good concepts, and can probably be verified in scripture. The problem we have is when we are so desperate for a great insights that we start wandering away from the central truth. A nuance can be very beneficial, but when we are out looking for just that which is new and exciting, we tend to get into trouble.
So? Start with the basics and as far as possible, stay with the basics. We don’t need any exotic theology. As I’ve said, and I possibly stole it from someone else, we don’t need something new until we get to the point where we are using what we have. We don’t need new contemporary worship songs when we have hymnals full of songs we are not singing. We don’t need new methods of outreach when we’re not witnessing or sharing. You get the idea.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Watch the Drift
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