“IS IT REALLY THE LACK OF TIME?”

3 “Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:3-5

To be good at something, you must dedicate time and effort. That’s why we go to school to learn academics; that’s why we go to a training facility to become proficient in a certain skill. That’s why we work alongside an expert in the hopes of becoming an expert ourselves. I don’t know of anyone who became a master in a certain field or discipline without spending hours and hours learning and practicing.

The same goes for our spiritual growth. If we want to be effective witnesses of Christ, we have to love the Bible. We have to spend time not only reading it but carefully studying it. If we want to reap the benefits of having biblical knowledge, we have to labor in meditating on God’s word.

In today’s verse, Solomon discusses the value of wisdom and why anyone should seek it. He describes the importance of being serious about obtaining wisdom through a serious search.

I think he makes a valid point: being motivated and driven to reach a goal is necessary to actually achieving that goal. Now, if our objective is to gain biblical wisdom, we have put in the hours of reading the Bible and spending enough time trying to understand it and determining how it applies to us.

God is gracious enough that He allows us to find Him if we truly seek Him. If we are determined to know Him on a personal level, He will not deprive us of that privilege. He will reveal Himself to us as He did those who came before us.

The lack of time is one of the most common reasons why we don’t read our Bibles. Whether it’s work, school, or household chores, we don’t seem to run out of excuses. I understand these reasons, but if someone took our phones now and checked our screen time, what would they discover? How much time do we spend watching, checking our social media accounts, or exchanging chat messages with people? These things are important, but are they more important than getting to know the One with whom we identify?

I’m not denying that life can get really busy. No one can truly argue with that. But for us to say that we don’t have the time to read the Bible is probably more of a priority issue than a time issue. We just don’t find it important enough to spend our time on.

My friend, we have to come to a point where reading the Bible is a priority, not just an option. If we just put as much effort into doing other things, we will find priceless treasures and discover our life’s true purpose.

The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom, but we must understand that wisdom is both a gift and a task. God just won’t give it to us without us working for it. Yes, we can always ask God for wisdom, but we also have to obtain it by knowing God and His Word—and that sure takes time.

Pursue the Savior today!