Wow, I was completely caught off guard by Steve's wake up call for morning prayer. I had stayed up until 5 AM last night, thinking I could sleep in today, but I had completely forgotten about morning prayer. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy to wake up at 6 AM but somehow I managed to convince myself to go. I was too sleepy to do my quiet time then. It was a struggle enough to stay awake... sigh, I must be more disciplined and aware of my schedule.
Afterwards, I picked up Jeff Ma's keyboard because I'm playing the hymn for this weekend's Sunday service. Though I've performed countless times with violin, this will be my first time I'm playing the piano for people, and needless to say, I'm very nervous. Please pray that I don't completely ruin everyone's Sunday service and for steady hands!
Last night, Grace Ro and Tiffany Wang met me at the music building to do "auditions" for new people doing hymns. I felt extremely embarrassed playing for them, not exactly sure why, apart from my abysmal playing. Regardless, I'm grateful for this opportunity to use the gifts God had given me, and whether I screw up or perform flawlessly, I should keep in mind that this is for God's pleasing.
Prior to this, I watched Up for the second time with my small group (those that were left on campus). I couldn't help but notice how attached Carl Frederickson was to his house and belongings, and how that was inhibiting him from recognizing and fulfilling something greater, which to him was helping Russell and Kevin. In that same way, I could relate in the sense that I am pretty materialistic, and that some possessions of mine do get in the way of seeing and acknowledging what's greater in my life, which is God.
I talked about this with Fei tonight, when I had met her for dinner (if I had known she would had treated me, I wouldn't have proposed to go to Chili's... so expensive). We were talking about tithing, and material possessions, and how recently God taught me a lesson in not being attached to my worldly possessions by breaking my things and making them disappear. Isn't this what the passage is talking about?
Proverbs 3 continues from the last chapter in listing the different benefits we obtain from spiritual wisdom, and this passage talks about returning a portion of our wealth to God and how the wisdom we can obtain from the Word is far more precious than anything in this universe.
Tithing has always been difficult for me, and it's an on-going struggle. Why it is so difficult, I don't know, considering that with my income, it's only about $40 a month. Yet my sinful nature always tells me that I can use that $40 to obtain something that I would want. How am I supposed to tithe in the future with a real income, when I can't even tithe $40? Sure, I may only be a measly undergraduate student with such a low income, that I may not be able to spare the $40, but certainly will not my living expenses become greater so that I could not afford the greater tithe in the future? Also, suppose I must tithe $400, then would not the temptation of not tithing be ten times greater, for the opportunity cost is one magnitude greater?
Fact is, I really need to detach myself from my worldly possessions, and grow dependence on heaven's treasures. The passage makes it clear that nothing I will ever obtain on Earth will be as valuable as what I can gain from reading Proverbs. I Kings 3:6-9 (NIV / NASB / ESV) contains a prayer by Solomon asking God for wisdom. Continuing on, it reveals that God was pleased with such an earnest and humble prayer, and Solomon was rewarded with not only the wise and discerning heart for which he had asked, but even more treasures.
Pray that I may become wise and see that my material possessions are worth nothing. I earnestly pray for the priceless wisdom that was granted to Solomon. May I realize the true worth of wisdom, and seek it before I seek anything else. In that realization, pray that I may become more faithful in my tithing, for nothing I have could have been obtained without God's grace and mercy. I will dwell on the fact that nothing I have is deserved, not even my life, so let me be all the more thankful to God for what I have, and find pure joy in returning a portion of my income back to Him.
1 comments on "Priceless Wisdom"
good luck tomorrow!! :)
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