Sunday, July 16, 2017

We Must Make Real Effort/Sacrifice to receive all that God offers, But It Is Well Worth It

My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;Yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out, Then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find

There is more profit in it than there is in silver; it is worth more to you than gold. 15 Wisdom is more valuable than jewels; nothing you could want can compare with it.

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.

Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.

How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is preferable to silver.

For she is an unfailing treasure; those who gain this treasure win the friendship of God, being commended by the gifts that come from her discipline.

Blessed is the man who meditates on wisdom and who reasons intelligently. 21He who reflects in his mind on her ways will also ponder her secrets. 22 Pursue wisdom like a hunter, and lie in wait on her paths.
23 He who peers through her windows will also listen at her doors; 24 he who encamps near her house will also fasten his tent peg to her walls;25 he will pitch his tent near her, and will lodge in an excellent lodging place;
26 he will place his children under her shelter, and will camp under her boughs; 27 he will be sheltered by her from the heat, and will dwell in the midst of her glory.
15 The man who fears the Lord will do this, and he who holds to the law will obtain wisdom. She will come to meet him like a mother, and like the wife of his youth she will welcome him.She will feed him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.He will lean on her and will not fall, and he will rely on her and will not be put to shame.
She will exalt him above his neighbors, and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing, and will acquire an everlasting name.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

[a]Ask, and it will be given to you; [b]seek, and you will find; [c]knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Footnotes:
a  Matthew 7:7 Or Keep asking
b  Matthew 7:7 Or keep seeking
Matthew 7:7 Or keep knocking

your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture.
***
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial.

“So I say to you, [a]ask, and it will be given to you; [b]seek, and you will find; [c]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
Footnotes:
c   Luke 11:9 Or keep asking
d  Luke 11:9 Or keep seeking
Luke 11:9 Or keep knocking

The Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him

Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us

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