Post Sunday August 3

Proverbs 8:34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.”

I realize this past Sunday’s lifessage was difficult for many of us to listen to. It was for me as well. We have all come to points in our lives in which we know change has to occur and we also know that if has happened in our past that it has not come easy if it ever even comes at all. If we are awakened by God and pointed down the road that leads to true change and then commit ourselves to that road by obeying Christ then the further along it we go the more confident we become. The more confident we become the more likely we are to stay committed to that road that we have been send down and change begins…

We referenced the original 12 disciples quite a bit on Sunday; think about this for a moment as you contemplate whether or not you’ll stay committed to walking that path of change in your own life by submitting your will to Christ.

Judas, the betrayer: He for one reason or another felt that Jesus should have been
using His (Jesus) talents and gifts in a different way, so Judas took matters into his own hands and sought out something for himself.

Peter, the one who denied Christ three times: He found himself in a circumstance/place in which he would not be able to control the outcome if he told the truth so he took matters into his own hands and lied so he could fit in with the others.

Thomas, the one who doubted that Christ actually rose from the dead: His friends that he had walked intimately with for the past 3 years told him that Christ was alive, yet to protect himself from yet another disappointment he took matters into his own hands and would not accept the words of loved ones unless they could provide physical evidence.

For some of us the only way change is going to come is if we give up our own way of how we think things should be going (ala Judas). For some of us the only way we are going to change is if we surrender to the fact that we can’t control the outcome of every situation we just need to live in that moment truthfully (ala Peter). And for some of us the only way we are going to change is if we believe in what lies ahead at the end of the road even though we cannot see it (ala Thomas).

Wisdom tells us that blessed is the man who listens to wisdom. Christ is the wisdom of God. Blessed is the individual who listens to Christ. Blessed means one who has found favor with God. We find that favor by doing a couple of things according to this verse.

Watching and Waiting. Aren’t those two exciting words that we all want to hear when we desperately want to change, learn new things and move on with life? Watch and Wait.

They are actually words that carry with them much more excitement and weight then we might think. We are told to watch (daily, remember it says daily!) at the gates. The gates in ancient Jerusalem were busy places, they were open during the day as travelers passed through, commerce passed through, business was conducted, and important legal matters were often discussed right within the city gates. Life happened at the gates. Coming and going happened at the gates. Life is not to be lived off on your own island or in the mountains of Austria with the Von Trapps and the lonely goatherd (Yodel lay ooo ooo!). Life is to be lived with people, all kinds of people. The gate was a busy place and there were many gates, which gate? Wisdom wants us watching at her gate, at Wisdom’s gate. Here at this gate we will find out how Wisdom would have us live. How Wisdom would have us walk, talk, work and worship. I was amazed today to see on the Yahoo! Website an article written (not a Christian article) on steps to take to minimize your risk of divorce and the article said to rethink living together before marriage! The article went on to state that many are under the impression that living together and taking a “test drive” will help decrease the risk of divorce once they do get married. The article pointed out that actually studies have shown that those that live together first have an increased risk of divorce! We will come to learn these things by watching at the gates and allowing Wisdom to teach us the right way for relationships, money and other such things. As we watch and learn we are more likely to make the wise decisions for we have been learning! Make sure you are watching at the right gate!

Waiting at the posts of my doors. First the busy gate and now at the doors. Waiting. Waiting to hear the instructions, waiting for our directions, all that will pour forth from that door, but better than that, when that door opens and we are invited in. Waiting to be invited in, into the home of Wisdom, experiencing and sharing all that Wisdom has to offer. We’ve all done it before, sitting on Rte. 93, 495 or 128 waiting in traffic and we switch lanes thinking it will be faster in that other lane. But then we watch as the lane we just left takes off while the lane we moved into is still dead stopped. If only we had waited. Even if we leave the door for a moment we risk the chance of a unique opportunity to be invited into the home of Wisdom and experience the majesty of the home and its impact on our life. Let me repeat that in the short version, we may miss a major moment of impact on our lives for the positive! Keep waiting at the door of Wisdom! Keep waiting at the door of Christ! We’ll wait in line days for concert tickets, a 3 hour event, but how long will we wait at the door for a lifetime of changed living!


Questions to Ask Yourself
Read Matthew 24:42-51
1. What according to Jesus are the benefits of watching as opposed to not watching?
2. Do you feel you have been watching? In what ways? If not what have you been watching?
3. List some ways that you in your day to day life can begin to faithfully watch and wait.