November 3 Focus

Wise men store up knowledge, But the mouth of a fool invites ruin. ~Proverbs 1014

I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O Lord. Teach me Your decrees. ~Psalm 119-10-12

I’ve heard it said that the mind never really forgets anything. Everything you’ve ever learned or done is stored up in there, somewhere. Memory is really the ability torecallwhat’s up there. It’s there, you just have to know how to get to it. Okay, true confession, most of you know that organization isn’t my strong suit. In fact, when I was younger, I used to imagine my mind as a filing cabinet that had been overturned. I would imagine all the drawers spilled on the floor and a gust of wind, fluttering the pages about. Trust me, I have improved a great deal over the years, though, admittedly, I am still guilty of a messy desk from time to time. Well, perhaps a little more than that.

Perhaps your mind is really organized. All of your files are in place, your drawers are not stuck shut, and you are very familiar with your recall system so that you can find anything you need at a moment’s notice. Good for you! The question today is, what are you storing up in there? Solomon says that, “The wise man stores up knowledge.” Are you storing up what you truly need, or is there a lot of trivia?

There is so much information available to us today. We truly live in a blessed age. We can learn so much. Our interests can go in so many different directions. We aren’t limited, so it seems, by anything. We can learn about the ocean even if we are in the middle of Fly Over country. We can learn about history, the future, space, there is just so much to entertain the curious. I have lots of interests so I’m really grateful that information is so readily available.

However, it is up to me to sort through it and divide the trivia from the important, weightier matters in life. It’s easy to spend lots of time on trivia. Trivia is fun, sometimes fascinating and interesting to learn. It’s readily accessible and often entertaining as well. Weightier matter, such as God’s Word, doesn’t come as easily to many. It can be hard work to gain understanding.

Memorizing can be even more challenging than studying. It takes time and effort and practice. Yet, when the Psalmist says that he hides God’s Word in his heart, that’s exactly what he is doing, working hard at learning how to recall it because, he has learned that it is by internalizing God’s Word, that he is prevented from sin.

I don’t know if I could say that about trivia. Trivia can be interesting, but probably very few of the trivial nuggets that I come across will have much of an effect on my behavior. It’s a nice diversion, but it can be clutter if it keeps me from God’s Word. “Trivial Pursuit” is a game. Bible study is not a trivial pursuit. It is life changing. “The mouth of a fool invites ruin.” A fool may think he is wise because of all that he knows, but if all that he knows is trivia, he lacks the guidance to live wisely. That’s how it is his ruin. It’s not enough to know stuff. It’s important to know what is worth knowing.

“Praise be to You, O Lord. Teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in Your decrees. I will not neglect Your Word.” (Psalm 119:12-16)

Blessed is the one who focuses on what God wants us to know, whose mind is full of wisdom and who has removed the clutter to another, less prominent place. That person will be able to recall God’s wisdom easily and be enabled to walk before Him in integrity and truth.

Prayer: Lord God and heavenly Father, help me focus in You and Your Word as the most important thing in life! Help me memorize more, and more and internalize your wisdom for my guidance and safety. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: Your Words