Applying Our Hearts

Read Proverbs 2:1-6

If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding ... then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
-Proverbs 2:12, 5 (NIV)

MY college students sometimes complain about exam questions. I often ask them for answers they won't find word-for-word in their text or notes because I want them to understand the material well enough to apply it to new situations. In fact, when students study the text, accept my help, and participate in class discussions, they usually understand the material so well that they can apply it to a question they haven't seen before.

When faced with difficult life questions such as a complicated social issue or moral dilemma, we sometimes offer the same kind of complaints students offer their teachers. "I don't know what to do; the Bible doesn't specifically address that."

Yet if we study our text, the Bible, as we've been "assigned," if we pray for God's help and make the most of opportunities to talk to other Christians, we may not be so confused when confronted with life's difficult questions. We can understand the "material" so clearly that we will be prepared to respond in ways that please God.

by Susan Harris Howell (Kentucky, USA)