Teachable Spirit – Proverbs 1:5
A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
Teach us Your paths, O Lord, for we hunger to be rich in understanding. Lead us in Your truth, and instruct us in Your way.[1] Open our hearts to receive Your commandments and our minds to comprehend Your righteous judgments.[2] Pour out Your Spirit upon us, open our ears, and make Your words known to us,[3] so we may receive Your wise counsel and know the way, the truth, and the life.
Thus is the prayer of those who commit to learning from Jesus, the good Teacher. As seekers of truth, they sit at the Lord’s feet, hearing about the joy He offers to those who, having learned to be content in every situation, dwell with Him above circumstances.[4] To satisfy their longing for fellowship with God, they read the Holy Book where they learn about mercy, a virtue that is more pleasing to the Lord than empty sacrifice.[5] They meditate on the Lord’s statutes to learn what God requires of them,[6] so they will not sin against the One whom they desire to please above all others. They rejoice in hearing the Lord’s voice in the morning when they rise, throughout the day, and in the evening when they lie down to rest, for they love Him. They absorb His instruction, delighting in doing His will and in following Him onto level ground.[7]
Blessed are these earnest souls, for as they maintain teachable spirits all the days of their lives. They guard themselves against a stubbornness that thinks it need not change and a haughtiness that believes it has no need of further instruction. Having resolved to learn about the Lord and His ways, they find Him faithful to counsel them, to surround them with loving-kindness, and to keep them in His care.[8]
Go to the Mountain,[9] seeking more of God, eager to grow in wisdom and open to
following wherever He leads. Listen as
He instructs you in the ways of truth and life.
Allow Him to breathe understanding of His righteous ways into you as He
transforms your heart and strengthens your soul. Delight in the wonders He will teach you as
you linger with Him. Relish the moments
you have alone with your holy God, and rejoice as He prepares you to reside in
eternity with Him, perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.[10]
[1] Psalm 25:4-5, 9
[2] Psalm 119:73-75
[3] Proverbs 1:23
[4] Philippians 4:11
[5] Matthew 9:13
[6] Deuteronomy 4:14
[7] Psalm 143:8, 10
[8] Psalm 32:8-10
[9] Micah 4:2
[10] James 1:4
