“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Proverbs 8:17
I am an early riser. Most of the time, I am up so early that when I hear the rooster crow in back of our house, I wonder what takes him so long to wake up. The stillness found in early morning hours are priceless to me; yet when God speaks of early there is more to it than the time of day.
The first part of this proverb reveals that God loves them who love him. This wasn’t an arbitrary statement. It was made to bring you comfort and increase your trust in God. Because of God’s love for you, you can trust that He always has a plan of success for you. His plan is to bless, protect, and prosper you. Ultimately, you must have more confidence in God’s plan for you than your own. You must really believe that, in order to embrace the next part of the proverb, “and those that seek God early shall find me.”
Seeking Him early refers to a point in time, not just the time of day. It comes before the initiation of a process, devising a plan, or establishing a strategy. It is God’s invitation to find and know His will before you make a move. Have you ever decided on something and then thought, “Now I am going to see what the Lord wants me to do.” Or have you ever tried to find the Lord’s will with an idea already in your heart? I am sure it was difficult to be certain of God’s will. Approaching God with your own agenda makes it difficult to hear Him. When your mind is full of your own thoughts, reasoning’s, and justifications, being clear about the will of God is will elude you. Learning to seek him early alleviates doubt and increases faith.
In order to seek Him early, pray without an agenda. Trust that He knows what is right for you. Be prepared to obey. God does not rubber stamp all our thoughts, ideas, and plans. Be open to allowing him to lead you to a decision, thought or even give you an idea. I believe that powerful prayer isn’t found so much in what you send up to heaven but what comes down to you. God desires to reveal His will to you. If your desire is to do His will remember that it is easier to do when you seek him early.
As you continue your walk, learn to seek Him early. It will bless you.
Blessings to you,
MC