24.224 | GUARD YOUR HEART | Proverbs

Text: Proverbs 4:20-27 (ESV)
20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
GUARD YOUR HEART
There is an intense persuasion from a father to his son for him to hear listen carefully. Asking the son to "incline your ear" brings up the picture of someone leaning forward, tipping his head to hear more attentively. The point is that these words are not to be passively taken in, but actively and carefully considered in the heart. This is like the seed that fell on good soil which represents the Word that hearers accept and show how well they accept it by bearing fruit in their lives. [Mark 4:10]. The word of God must dwell richly in the heart.[Col 3:16]. It is important, therefore, to welcome God's Word with open ears and an open heart.
20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
The focus of his instruction is for his son to guard his heart. [v.23] Out of the heart are the ‘springs of life’. It’s deceitful and desperately wicked[Jer 17:9] The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45).
In what way? To guard it with all diligence. More than mental assent to God's Word, we must lodge it in the heart and love it. Psa 119:11 says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." The same psalmist also declared: "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psa 119:97). If we love God's Word, we will mull it over in our thoughts throughout the day, applying it to each situation that arises.
Moreover, the father tells him to take care about three areas in his life. The first is his ‘talk’.[v.24]
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
The term "crooked" talk here is similar to Prov 2:15 which carries the idea of someone who speaks in a manipulative or immoral manner. Corrupt and foul talk betray an evil heart. Christians are commanded to put aside falsehood, angry words, corrupt talk, bitter words, slander, malice, and obscene talk (see Eph 4:25-31; Col 3:8).
Secondly, he has to watch about his ‘look’.[v.25]
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
He has to look directly forward and to keep his gaze straight ahead. The wise person refuses to be distracted from his goal. This keeps him on task. It also avoids temptations from the example of evil people (Prov 4:14-15). Don’t be carried away by the lusts of the eyes after the world for this world is passing away, "but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:16-17).
Thirdly, he has to be watchful of his ‘walk’ [v.26,27]
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
In order to maintain good use of wisdom, a person must be purposeful and careful (Prov 4:20-21). When walking, a person who deliberately considers where he steps is far less likely to stumble, or to fall into a trap. Life is a journey. We should not make hasty decisions, but discern the Lord's will and then do it (Prov 4:2).
Today, let’s allow God to search our hearts. How do our talk, look and walk reflect the condition of our hearts? Let’s pray with David;
“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!”[Psa 139:23,24]
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