Proverbs 20:5
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
I love the ocean… from a distance. But being up close, feeling the sand shift beneath my feet, watching the waves come closer and closer, higher and higher, lower then higher again. The uncertainty of it all creates a fear in me. I don’t panic; I just walk away.
So when reading Proverbs 20:5 this morning I fully understood what God was saying to me… “You don’t want to understand Shari.”
Counsel, whether it is of man or God is not something I’m comfortable with. It’s not that I think I’m right, usually it’s the opposite. But with counsel comes a change of direction. A shifting of the sand so to speak. Or a deeper searching for God’s purpose. Waves of overwhelming emotions. I’d prefer staying on the balcony watching those who dare to drive than be the one with my head under the water.
There are many places that I look brave, but the shore of uncertainty isn’t one of them. I look brave in the concrete jungle which could typify the world. There are sharks there too but I don’t fear them. The god of this world may use them to make life difficult, but the God I serve can and will devour them before they destroy me.
It’s not even the sharks of the water that scare me, it’s the water itself. It’s deep! seemingly bottomless, much like the wisdom of God.
Searching it, seeking His counsel takes me into un-chartered waters. It also reveals things about myself that I don’t like – like the fact I’m pretty shallow. My attention span does not always go into the deep. Rather I read, write and stop the search short. I’m satisfied with a little wisdom. A little water, rather than delving deeper because I know it will reveal God’s truth that I need to hear.
It’s why I believe most Christians don’t read and study the word of God. It’s a powerful thing. It’s an ocean of truth…
Hebrews 4:12 ~ For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.