Setting Our Sights
“A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” Proverbs 17:24
This verse never really stood out for me before, as it wasn’t underlined in my old, ink-battered Bible until yesterday. I love how the Holy Spirit gives answers and supporting verses when you really seek understanding on a topic. Lately I’ve been studying how we let other interests take the place of God in our lives, and this verse epitomizes it.
When the chief focus of our lives is on anything but Him - when we try to put anything into God’s place in our lives, we’re never satisfied. God designed us to worship; Ann Voskamp writes, “…isn’t my internal circuitry wired to seek out something worthy of worship? Every moment I live, I live bowed to something. And if I don’t see God, I’ll bow down to something else.” (1000 Gifts. Voskamp. Zondervan. ©2010. p110) (and no, I'm not even gonna look up how to properly cite sources, as I given up trying to do everything correctly). Though He designed us to worship Him, our Creator gives us free will, to worship whatever we choose. We are internally driven to live for something, to purpose our lives toward it, and to discern for ourselves its worth and benefit to us.
Proverbs 17:24 illustrates that unless He’s our primary focus, we will keep looking to the ends of the earth for something to sustain us. We’ll chase after the wind in search of the satisfaction that only He provides. We see proof of this: the money lover is never rich enough; the hungry are never full and the starved are never small enough; the hoarder never has enough stuff; the status seeker never feels prestigious enough; the people pleaser never feels the level of praise he strives for. We’re left empty and roaming, stuffing ideas, addictions, things, conquests, badges, honors, excuses and/or people into that gap and never finding it filled. True satisfaction and fulfillment are found only in a relationship with our Maker through Jesus Christ, aligning ourselves under His Lordship, seeking His will. God designed us to worship, but it’s our choice what we bow down to. It’s our responsibility to one day realize that what we pursue in the place of God never fills the hole where He belongs.
In the first paragraph I spoke about the Holy Spirit providing insight and supporting guidance when we seek understanding from Him. Here’s an example of what I call a “Holy Wow” moment:
10 minutes after writing all of the above in my journal, I read, “In response to prayer, God can overcome modern idolatry- the devotion of our hearts to anything in His place. As we grow to know God’s heart, He naturally assumes His rightful place as Lord of our lives.” (True Freedom. North. Multnomah. ©2004. p30).
If that doesn’t button up Proverbs 17:24 nicely, I’m not sure what does. When we seek Him first, when prayer and Scripture are daily a part of our lives, we’re in a place to recognize and receive His wisdom and guidance. We are fulfilled in and through Him, even in the midst of trials and temptations. Instead of chasing empty pursuits, we have a Lord who is present with us at all times, who loves us so much that His gave His perfect Son, who took our sins upon Himself, who rose from the dead and after ascending to heaven, sent His Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us in all things. These “Holy Wow” moments only happen for me when I’m seeking His Truth and not my own. I am so unworthy of His all-encompassing, guiding love, but so grateful.
-I don't believe a relationship with God has to begin with our own outward renouncing and casting off the interests or addictions that consume us, as we can only truly do this through a relationship with Him, but rather with our admission that these things no longer serve us, and by asking Him to please show us a new way through Him, to come into our lives and reveal Himself to us, to fill that space in us. If believing or submitting seems impossible, simply be willing to see what He has to offer, ask Him to help you "Taste and see that the Lord is good... " (PS 34:8).