Devotions: the Blessings of Attention

He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

Proverbs 16:20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

This chapter in general contrasts the wicked with the godly. The godly pay attention to the Word of God and trust in Him. The word translated “attention” literally means to consider, ponder, or be prudent. It does not imply to merely reading or hearing, but to meditate on it, consider what it means, and wisely apply what is read. If we do that, we will find good. God’s Word holds the key to life, the more we absorb, think about, live by it the better our lives will be. It stands to reason, then, that if we are meditating on and applying God’s Word that we will also trust in Him. His Word is full of examples of His sovereignty, goodness, faithfulness, unfailing love, etc, more than we need to encourage trust in Him. But we need to go beyond head knowledge, talk and theory. We need to intimately, relationally know God, actively do what He says, and trust Him to take care of us. We shouldn’t worry about anything, that shows a lack of trust and faith. Instead, when something concerns us, we need to take it to God, honestly talk with Him about it, and trust that He will take care of it, leaving it in His hands. It is so easy to try to take back control, to make it happen ourselves, but that is not trusting in God and does not result in blessing. It only results in further worry and stress, not to mention the likelihood of failure. Pay attention to God’s Word, do what it says, and trust in Him!