February 20 – Handling Rebuke (Proverbs 1:20-33)

“If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.”
(Proverbs 1:23)

IN WORD:
We don’t have to try long to apply God’s Word to our lives before we realize that we often violate it. When we come up against His Word, we have essentially two choices: We can seek change in ourselves; or we can try to change the Word. We can’t really change God’s Word, of course. Nevertheless, we try to do that, don’t we? We have a range of methods: “That verse doesn’t really mean what it says on the surface.” “That principle applied to the culture in which it was written, but not ours.” “That must mean something else in context, or in the original language, or . . .” You know the routines. We’ve all rationalized our behavior at one time or another.

But the better option — the only really rational one — is to adapt ourselves to God’s unchanging Word. When we do, God offers an amazing promise: His wisdom will pour out His heart to us and make his thoughts known to us. Responding begets wisdom, and greater responding begets greater wisdom. Ignoring God’s rebukes, however painful they may be at times, leads in the opposite direction — toward utter folly and disappointment.

IN DEED:
We often think that God’s rebuke will only carry negative consequences if we reject it. That’s true on some level, but in this particular verse, God promises a positive reward for a submissive response. It’s enough to blow our minds, if we think about it: The wisdom of the God of the universe — the Almighty’s innermost thoughts, the passionate heart of the Creator — rushes upon us like a rapidly flowing river.
People have sought true wisdom their whole lives and never found such a treasure. Why? They didn’t understand God’s rebuke. Listen for His call and receive the abundance of eternal wisdom. Let Him pour His heart out to you.

“The Bible is not meant merely to inform, but to transform.”
-Anonymous-