Proverbs – Day 4
Scripture: Proverbs 4
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”
Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Devotional:
At first, wisdom and knowledge seem to be directly correlated: gain knowledge, then gain wisdom. Previously, we learned that there is a key first step in obtaining wisdom: having a fear of the Lord. In chapter 4, we learn that obtaining wisdom is more than just a “head” matter, it’s a full-body and sensory experience. Just like a runner trains by building upper and lower body strength, to build strength in wisdom, we need to examine and refine every part of our body.
We must use our ears to listen to the counsel of God and other people. We need to guard our heart, filtering what we direct our passions toward and what (and who) we care about. We should avoid unwholesome talk to keep our mouth pure and ready to speak encouragement. We must train our eyes to look straight ahead and not stray from the path of righteousness, of wise choices. We must also place our feet carefully, to avoid distractions and to prevent tripping over obstacles. Any one of these can prevent us from developing wisdom and making wise choices in our life about love, career, friendships, and money.
Key Verses:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.” ~ Proverbs 4:23-26
Question:
- Of all the body parts listed above – ears, heart, mouth, eyes, and feet – which provides the greatest struggle to you in gathering wisdom?
