He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
Proverbs 16:20

Ever have problems paying attention to something? This is a common problem with just about everyone I've ever known. Many of us are avid day-dreamers who take excursions all over the world - or at least all over the recesses of our minds - every day. The problem is when distracted thinking affects how we approach and deal with God's Word and what the Lord is trying to say to us in our daily quiet time.

Today's proverb has excellent advice for those who want to be wise. Pay attention to what God is saying to you in His Word! That is the advice. Simple isn't it. Yet anyone who has ever had a quiet time go awry knows that simple in stating and complicated in obeying is the problem here. I've had quiet times where I spent the majority of my time turning down dog-eared pages in my Bible. I've had other ones where I will finish reading a chapter and wonder what is the world I just read. At other times I've been reading a chapter and been horribly distracted with thoughts poking themselves into my mind between every verse. All this can be downright frustrating at times!

Giving attention to God's word means that we do more than just read over it. The word for attention means to consider something. To place our entire attention toward it also is part of what this word means. Distractions are normal, but when they come we need to stop reading and deal with them. Otherwise we will be in danger of just reading over words - without truly paying attention to them.

Giving attention to the Word also means taking a little time to consider, meditate, and learn from it. I've been guilty in the past of just wanting to read a lot of the Bible - and not think on what I am reading. This particular blog was a way of battling that problem. Writing these posts have made me slow down and truly consider what a verse means. Consider keeping a quiet time journal where you can focus on one verse, or a few of them. That will help you pay attention to what God is saying to you.

The blessing that comes from this is that you will find good. The good that you will find is varied. Some days you will find a promise in God's Word that you can claim. Other days you will find instruction or teaching about some aspect of God or His will. On others you will experience rebuke or correction that will lead you away from a sin and back into sweet fellowship with the Lord. Still others will yield a fresh glimpse of God's glory and character that will blow you away or thrill your heart. There is so much good that comes from approaching the Word as more than just something to check off on your day. You need to approach it as you would approach Him - because that is exactly what you are doing!

There is another blessing that comes from doing this as well - and it is explained for us at the close of this proverb. You will be blessed because as you understand God's will and ways and person better - you will be able to trust in Him! When He gives a command you can trust Him to provide the power to keep it. When He offers rebuke or conviction you can trust Him to grant repentance and to lead you into freedom from the sinful action. When He offers hope or encouragement you can trust Him to bring you through the situation which has caused hurt or pain. There are so many ways that God can make you truly blessed as you have a fresh opportunity to trust Him and rely upon what He has said in His Word. May you be blessed indeed as you continue having daiily times alone with Him - as He speaks to you - as you pay attention - and as you are wonderfully blessed as He encourages you onward into every new day of trusting Him and seeing Him work out His will in your life!

Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good news puts fat on the bones. Proverbs 15:30

It is a good thing to be bright-eyed and fat-boned as a Christian.  Ok, there is a sentence you won't hear everyday.  Yet the fact is that today's proverb tells us that this is a good thing - and that the wise man will fully embrace it.  Therefore it would definitely be good to understand just what this proverb speaks about - so that we can be blessed in this way.

Bright-eyed . . . We hear of people who wake up each morning being "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." This is an expression that refers to someone who wakes up and is truly awake.  The idea of being bushy-tailed refers to a squirrel who when his tail is bushy means that he is fully alert.  These are English expressions, but what we are dealing with here is a Hebraism.  It was an expression that meant something to a Jewish person - just like our sayings mean something to us.

This proverb is a "restated" proverb, meaning that each half restates the other.  Thus this brightening of the eyes - is similar to the good news that puts fat on the bones.  So we can know that the effect on the eyes here is from seeing good things.  What is fascinating though is looking at the word "bright" in the ways that it is used in other places in the Old Testament.  The overwhelming use of this word is in reference to the light of the seven-fold lap in the tabernacle of Moses.  The reason this is fascinating is because of the imagry that this picture.  The lamp was filled with holy oil - a picture of the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit.  The lamp was the only source of light in the Holy place.  It illuminted two things in that room.  There was the table of showbread - which is a type of God's Word.  There was also the altar of incense - which is a type for us of prayer and worship.  Now in light of these things, let's look at at this proverb again. 

What is the news that fattens our heart?  It is when we have the full measure of the illumining work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  When that is the case we have Him opening the Word to us.  We have Him opening our hearts to pray and to worship God.  This would definitely make our hearts glad.  This is the best news of all - God is worthy - God wants us to make our requests known to Him - God wants to speak to us through His Word! 

This also makes wonderful sense when we see what the Hebraism, "fat-bones" means.  This particular Hebraism means a sense of prosperity.  When someone has fat on their bones - they are prosperous and blessed.  It is good news that does this.  Indeed there is a sense that this proverb can simple mean having eyes that are brightened by seing good things and ears that hear good things - makes us glad and prosperous.  But there is also a deeper spiritual meaning that takes us to a different level.  When we hear and see the good news that the Scripture tells us about God - it brings joy to our heart and spiritual fatness to our bones. 

It is a wise thing when a man submits himself to the work of the Holy Spirit.  This will brighten his eyes and bring great gladness to his heart.  He will see the gospel, which indeed is good news.  He will see the truth of God which will put some serious fat on his bones.  He will find himself prospering greatly in the Lord - blessed with spiritual growth - and delghted in the goodness of God.  No doubt about it - it is a good thing to start your day with a quiet time where you seek the Lord - and submit yourself to the Spirit of God as a teacher and guide.  Doing that will truly make you a bright-eyed and fat-boned Christian!