“14The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” – Proverbs 15:14 (ESV)
This passage in Proverbs is more about the wise and foolish as opposed to seeking it seems at first read. God always has a reason for His direction in our lives and this morning is no exception. The passage may not be directly related to seeking at first glance, but as you read and study, that is what I get. I really did not notice until I reached the above verse. It is here that I realized that in order to act on and embrace wisdom and knowledge I had to first have understanding.
How can that be, don’t you want knowledge to understand? Well, yes generally, but in this context I see that I need internal heartfelt understanding of what I am seeking before I am able to earnestly look for and find. I have to know in my heart of what I am seeking. I have to feel it to find it.
In my career I bring attention to the idea of seeking first to understand and being understood. I see now how that applies here. I have to be willing to and driving to understanding prior to and while I am seeking knowledge. It is important to remember that I am seeking and that seeking is earnest looking and without understanding the earnestness is not manifested in the looking. My heart will not be in it so to speak. I have to get my heart into the search for the search to continue until I find or am found.
God wants our heart. I want to be found and give Him my heart. It is up to me to understand this and drive myself to seek Him. I have to understand in my heart to keep me focused on the search for know of Him.
As you are in the world, what understandings do your have? Are you seeking to understand or understanding so you can seek? What if we seek first to understand and then to know and learn?
Trevor's Thoughts 