Posted on 05/22/2021 3:44:31 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge” (Proverbs 22:17).
You notice in America these days that once in a while, a part of the Bible is quoted here or there by a politician or by a professor or whatever. It's very seldom in context, and it very seldom has anything to do with anything they consider important. the point is that folks hear these days what they want to hear. The reason they want to hear what they want to hear, the reason they don't want to hear the Bible is because they're proud. They think they're too good to hear what God has to say. So often what God has to say they consider beneath them because it doesn't lift them up. It is too negative for them and they don't appreciate that. It says there, “Bow down thine ear,” it takes a degree of humility just to hear the word of God.
It says, “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.”
So, bow down thine ear, and apply thine heart. It's not enough just to hear. Yes, I know, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That much is true. Humble your ear to hear some things God has to say to you. It's not the same as being a connoisseur of fine preaching.
Why is it, that if preaching is the power God, and you're hearing the power of God you're hearing the word of God why is it that hearing something like that doesn't do for you what you need? Well, it says, “bow down thine ears.” It is not enough to do just that. “Hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.” Apply thine heart.
It is just as David wrote: “Thy words have I hid in mine heart . . .” (Psalm 119:11).
Besides 119:11, there are some great verses in Scripture with regard to memorization.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15). Therefore, obviously, you are going to have to have done some memorization and mediation on the Word.
When someone asks you what you believe about a certain thing, give them chapter and verse. Let the Bible do the trick. Let them argue with God and the Bible about the issue, and not you.
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