My Treasure?

"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."

Proverbs 2:1-5

It always astonishes me how many times I can read a verse and never really take in what it means. I've been thinking of this particular one for a while. 

I know you've all heard this verse as many times as I have. It's one of those that makes it on cards and bookmarks and pictures and bags and Bible covers and mugs and pens and suchlike. 

And I've found that the more I hear a verse, the less I actually think about it and feel its impact. 

I have to ask myself some uncomfortable questions when I take this verse seriously. And, frankly, I'm not too keen on answering them. 

Of course, I can say "well, I've actually never searched for hidden treasure all that much, so I guess I'm searching Scripture more than that!" 

Haha, I'm sure. 

But in reality, do I store up God's word in my mind as eagerly as I do quotes from movies or lines from books or the other useless paraphernalia that whirls around in my brain?

Do I turn my ear to wisdom with the swiftness with which I listen to music or the other selections on my iPod? 

Do I apply myself to understanding the word of God (ie: giving the verses in my Bible more than a passing glance and a "well, perhaps someday I'll look that up and find out what it really means") with the diligence I muster for figuring out where I'm going in my writing or working out a tricky plot twist?

Do I consistently pray for wisdom, insight, and understanding or when I come up against a problem do I worry at it and struggle to figure it out myself without asking for help from the One who can Himself give me peace?

Do I search the Scriptures and pray and seek God's face with the eagerness that I feel to pursue my favorite hobbies and pastimes? Do I look forward to the time I spend in the Word or do I push it off to sleep for an extra half hour? 

What is my treasure? What is it in my life that I value so much that giving it up would hurt more than anything?

Is it worth the cost?

And turn it around:

Do I really, honestly long to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God?

The answer, of course, is yes. 

Who wouldn't? 

But the question is: am I really, honestly willing to do everything it takes (accept, store up, turn, apply, call and search) to understand the fear of and knowledge of God?

Am I?