Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Merry Second Day of Christmas—We Are Greatly Blessed If We Study God’s Word

Another tremendous gift God gives is His Word. It draws us closer to Him, His Son, and His perfection. That’s why scripture tells us over and over again about the benefits of focusing on the Word. Here are some of those passages.

As you dig into them, consider two things. First, when you study any part of the Word you are actually studying Jesus; as John 1:1-14 tells us, He is the Word. Second, as you contemplate what the books of Proverbs, Wisdom, and Sirach say about wisdom, remember that they are talking about Jesus, “who became for us wisdom from God.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.  See also, 1 Corinthians 1:24.

All the texts below are from the New Jerusalem Bible. Other translations can be accessed by clicking on the blue citation to the passage.

Let these words of mine remain in your heart and in your soul; fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a headband. 19 Teach them to your children, and keep on telling them, when you are sitting at home, when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are standing up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that you and your children may live long in the country which Yahweh swore to your ancestors that he would give them for as long as there is a sky above the earth. See also, Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

Once seated on his royal throne, and for his own use, [the king] must write a copy of this Law on a scroll, at the dictation of the levitical priests. 19 It must never leave him, and he must read it every day of his life and learn to fear Yahweh his God by keeping all the words of this Law and observing these rules, 20 so that he will not think himself superior to his brothers, and not deviate from these commandments either to right or to left. So doing, long will he occupy his throne, he and his sons, in Israel.'

Have the book of this Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may carefully keep everything that is written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, then you will have success.

How blessed is anyone who … delights in the law of Yahweh and murmurs his law day and night. 3Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds.

My child, if you take my words to heart, if you set store by my commandments, 2 tuning your ear to wisdom, tuning your heart to understanding, 3 yes, if your plea is for clear perception, if you cry out for understanding, 4 if you look for it as though for silver, search for it as though for buried treasure,5 then you will understand what the fear of Yahweh is, and discover the knowledge of God.

6 For Yahweh himself is giver of wisdom, from his mouth issue knowledge and understanding. 7 He reserves his advice for the honest, a shield to those whose ways are sound; 8 he stands guard over the paths of equity, he keeps watch over the way of those faithful to him.

 9 Then you will understand uprightness, equity and fair dealing, the paths that lead to happiness.

10 When wisdom comes into your heart and knowledge fills your soul with delight, 11 then prudence will be there to watch over you, and understanding will be your guardian.

Let your heart treasure what I have to say, keep my principles and you will live; 5 acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, never forget her, never deviate from my words. 6 Do not desert her, she will keep you safe; love her, she will watch over you.

7 The first principle of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; at the cost of all you have, acquire understanding! 8 Hold her close, and she will make you great; embrace her, and she will be your pride; 9 she will provide a graceful garland for your head, bestow a crown of honor on you.' 10 Listen, my child, take my words to heart, and the years of your life will be multiplied.

My child, pay attention to what I am telling you, listen carefully to my words; 21 do not let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all humanity.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen carefully to what I know; 2 so that you may preserve discretion and your lips may guard knowledge.

My child, keep my words, and treasure my precepts, 2 keep my precepts and you will live, keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.

3 Bind these to your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Say to Wisdom, 'You are my sister!' Call Understanding your relation, 5 to save yourself from the woman that belongs to another, from the stranger, with her seductive words.

And now, my children, listen to me. Happy are those who keep my ways. 33 Listen to instruction and become wise, do not reject it. 34 Blessed, whoever listens to me, who day after day keeps watch at my gates to guard my portals. 35 For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains the favor of Yahweh; but whoever misses me harms himself, all who hate me are in love with death.

The heart of the intelligent acquires learning, the ears of the wise search for knowledge.

For Wisdom begins with the sincere desire for instruction, care for instruction means loving her,18 loving her means keeping her laws, attention to her laws guarantees incorruptibility, 19 and incorruptibility brings us near to God.

My child, from your earliest youth choose instruction, and till your hair is white you will keep finding wisdom. 19 Like ploughman and sower, cultivate her and wait for her fine harvest, for in tilling her you will toil a little while, but very soon you will be eating her crops.

20 How very harsh she is to the undisciplined! The senseless does not stay with her for long: 21 she will weigh as heavily on the senseless as a touchstone and such a person will lose no time in throwing her off; 22 for Wisdom is true to her name, she is not accessible to many.

23 Listen, my child, and take my advice, do not reject my counsel: 24 put your feet into her fetters, and your neck into her collar; 25 offer your shoulder to her burden, do not be impatient of her bonds; 26 court her with all your soul, and with all your might keep in her ways; 27 search for her, track her down: she will reveal herself; once you hold her, do not let her go.

28 For in the end you will find rest in her and she will take the form of joy for you: 29 her fetters you will find a mighty defense, her collars, a precious necklace. 30 Her yoke will be a golden ornament, and her bonds be purple ribbons; 31 you will wear her like a robe of honor, you will put her on like a crown of joy.

If you wish it, my child, you can be taught; apply yourself, and you will become intelligent. 33 If you love listening, you will learn, if you pay attention, you will become wise.

34 Attend the gathering of elders; if there is a wise man there, attach yourself to him. 35 Listen willingly to any discourse coming from God, do not let wise proverbs escape you. 36 If you see a man of understanding, visit him early, let your feet wear out his doorstep. 37 Reflect on the injunctions of the Lord, busy yourself at all times with his commandments. He will strengthen your mind, and the wisdom you desire will be granted you.

Blessed is anyone who meditates on wisdom, and reasons with intelligence,
21 who studies her ways in his heart, and ponders her secrets.
22 He pursues her like a hunter, and lies in wait by her path;
23 he peeps in at her windows, and listens at her doors;
24 he lodges close to her house, and fixes his peg in her walls;
25 he pitches his tent at her side, and lodges in an excellent lodging;
26 he sets his children in her shade, and camps beneath her branches;
27 he is sheltered by her from the heat, and in her glory he makes his home.
15 1Whoever fears the Lord will act like this, and whoever grasps the Law will obtain wisdom.
2 She will come to meet him like a mother, and receive him like a virgin bride.
3 She will give him the bread of understanding to eat, and the water of wisdom to drink.
4 He will lean on her and will not fall, he will rely on her and not be put to shame.
5 She will raise him high above his neighbors, and in full assembly she will open his mouth.
6 He will find happiness and a crown of joy, he will inherit an everlasting name.

Approach me, you who desire me, and take your fill of my fruits, 20 for memories of me are sweeter than honey, inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb.

Although the last to come, I have kept my eyes open like a man picking up what the grape-pickers have left. 17 By the blessing of the Lord I have come in first, and like a true grape-picker have filled my winepress.

When I was still a youth, before I went travelling, in my prayers I asked outright for wisdom. 14 Outside the sanctuary I would pray for her, and to the last I shall continue to seek her. 15 From her blossoming to the ripening of her grape my heart has taken its delight in her.

My foot has pursued a straight path, I have sought her ever since my youth. 16 By bowing my ear a little, I have received her, and have found much instruction.17 Thanks to her I have advanced; glory be to him who has given me wisdom!

18 For I was determined to put her into practice, have earnestly pursued the good, and shall not be put to shame. 19 My soul has fought to possess her, I have been scrupulous in keeping the Law; I have stretched out my hands to heaven and bewailed how little I knew of her; 20 I have directed my soul towards her, and in purity I have found her; having my heart fixed on her from the outset, I shall never be deserted; 21 my very core having yearned to discover her, I have now acquired a good possession.

Come close to me, you ignorant, take your place in my school. 24 Why complain about lacking these things when your souls are so thirsty for them? 25 I have opened my mouth, I have said: 'Buy her without money, 26 put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive instruction, she is near, within your reach.' 27 See for yourselves: how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace.

Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. 25 Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.

Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asked for a fish, would hand him a snake?12 Or if he asked for an egg, hand him a scorpion? 13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!' See also, Matthew 7:7-11.

Do not model your behavior on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and mature.

Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. 22 But you must do what the Word tells you and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.23 Anyone who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at his own features in a mirror and, 24 once he has seen what he looks like, goes off and immediately forgets it. 25 But anyone who looks steadily at the perfect law of freedom and keeps to it -- not listening and forgetting, but putting it into practice -- will be blessed in every undertaking.

Set yourselves close to him 5 so that you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

By his divine power, he has lavished on us all the things we need for life and for true devotion, through the knowledge of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these, the greatest and priceless promises have been lavished on us, that through them you should share the divine nature and escape the corruption rife in the world through disordered passion.

5 With this in view, do your utmost to support your faith with goodness, goodness with understanding, 6 understanding with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with devotion, 7 devotion with kindness to the brothers, and kindness to the brothers with love. 8 The possession and growth of these qualities will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffectual or unproductive.


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