Seeking And Finding Understanding
Preaching
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
When grief comes our way, a common experience is to feel lost; to not understand what has happened or why. This section of Proverbs 2 addresses this issue. It does not offer specific answers to our questions, but it does offer the hope of understanding. It tells us to, "Turn our ears to the wisdom of the wise; to cry out for insight and understanding; to search for it as we would search for treasure." And, if we seek it, the Lord will grant understanding. This passage echoes the words of Jesus when he says, "Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given, knock and it shall be opened." Jesus is not giving us a simple prescription for getting what we want, but indicating -- as the proverb does -- that diligent truth seekers will be granted understanding by God. Preaching from this passage might emphasize what it means to seek understanding, that, however, might just be too practical for a funeral service. It could well come off as "Three Steps To Getting Over Your Grief." But if you are more delicate than I am you might pull it off and offer some practical advice for overcoming grief. Such as, "Don't stop praying in your time of grief. God honors such heartfelt prayers." Or, "Even amidst the anger and sadness of grief, staying in the Word helps keep the fountain of God, God's grace and strength, flowing in our hearts and spirits." But, if you are oafish, like me, you can emphasize the victory of this passage. God protects the way of the faithful one. God will bring you through this crisis. You will not be alone.
When grief comes our way, a common experience is to feel lost; to not understand what has happened or why. This section of Proverbs 2 addresses this issue. It does not offer specific answers to our questions, but it does offer the hope of understanding. It tells us to, "Turn our ears to the wisdom of the wise; to cry out for insight and understanding; to search for it as we would search for treasure." And, if we seek it, the Lord will grant understanding. This passage echoes the words of Jesus when he says, "Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given, knock and it shall be opened." Jesus is not giving us a simple prescription for getting what we want, but indicating -- as the proverb does -- that diligent truth seekers will be granted understanding by God. Preaching from this passage might emphasize what it means to seek understanding, that, however, might just be too practical for a funeral service. It could well come off as "Three Steps To Getting Over Your Grief." But if you are more delicate than I am you might pull it off and offer some practical advice for overcoming grief. Such as, "Don't stop praying in your time of grief. God honors such heartfelt prayers." Or, "Even amidst the anger and sadness of grief, staying in the Word helps keep the fountain of God, God's grace and strength, flowing in our hearts and spirits." But, if you are oafish, like me, you can emphasize the victory of this passage. God protects the way of the faithful one. God will bring you through this crisis. You will not be alone.
