Worth Keeping Around

If you had to assess your life and your behavior for any period of time, would you say that you are doing something to make it worth keeping you around? Are you worth your pay at work? Are you worth the love and kindness you receive in your home and church? Are you worthy of the good things God does for you?

David prays in Psalms 6:1-4 for mercy from God, and then in Psalms 6:5 he says something very unique and interesting: "No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?" If you were to say this to God, what would His response be to you?

Would God respond to your plea with: "You don't remember me, anyway." or "Do you praise me while alive?" I hope that God would say to each of us, "I will answer you because you praise me with your whole heart." I want God to be pleased enough with my worship to hear me when I pray.

Treasure Hunting

I've seen many times on the beach men walking along with metal detectors for hours up and down the beach. I've never seen one of them find anything of value, yet they persistently walk in unique patterns trying to cover every square inch of the ground. On occasion, the detector will give a beep, and the treasure hunter will excitedly drop to his knees and dig up some small metal object from the sand. Disappointedly, they reveal a pop tab or some other refuse left on the beach by some person too lazy to take it to the trash bin.

Proverbs 2:1-5 gives us a spiritual parallel to this search for treasure: a search for wisdom. Proverbs 2:4-5 says that if we look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, we will be rewarded with finding the true treasure of understanding and knowledge. What greater thing could we seek? What other thing could we search for with a guarantee that we will find what we're looking for and not be disappointed.

Proverbs 2:6-9 says that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He grants those who seek Him victory and protection. Let us all seek the wisdom that comes from God. Let us all look for His wisdom in the same manner that those treasure hunters on the beach look for their earthly treasure: with enthusiasm and resolve. We know that we will find what we're looking for, unlike the beach treasure hunter, we should have even more enthusiasm than they do!