My children, listen when your father corrects you.
Pay attention and learn good judgment,
for I am giving you good guidance.
Don't turn away from my instructions.
For I, too, was once my father's son,
tenderly loved as my mother's only child.
Pay attention and learn good judgment,
for I am giving you good guidance.
Don't turn away from my instructions.
For I, too, was once my father's son,
tenderly loved as my mother's only child.
Dear Friend,
This chapter of Proverbs begins with a call to "listen," "pay attention," and "learn". One of the most priceless things we can do with our lives is to heed good instruction and to continue to learn all of our lives. In truth, the Christian journey is such that we never stop learning and growing. The ones from whom we seek wisdom will change as our lives and situations change, but we'll never stop needing to learn. And be corrected.
My father taught me,
'Take my words to heart.
Follow my commands and you will live.
Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
Don't forget my words or turn away from them.
Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment
If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown.'
Wisdom is good judgment. Good judgment affects all our life. Good judgment guides our steps. This way of wisdom brings protection and honor.'Take my words to heart.
Follow my commands and you will live.
Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
Don't forget my words or turn away from them.
Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment
If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown.'
My child, listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
I will teach you wisdom's ways
and lead you in straight paths.
When you walk, you won't be held back;
when you run, you won't stumble.
Take hold of my instructions; don't let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.
Heavenly Father, we cannot choose the way of righteousness and keep to it without You. How we neeed You! Will You work in us, fill us, guide us, and remind us? Will You enable us to see the truth in a world that does not value it? Will You teach us Your will, Your Word, Your way?and you will have a long, good life.
I will teach you wisdom's ways
and lead you in straight paths.
When you walk, you won't be held back;
when you run, you won't stumble.
Take hold of my instructions; don't let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.
As we listen, we are guided on straight paths. Our steps are firm and unhindered. Widsom is the key to life. Biblical, God-honoring wisdom is the key to life.
Don't do as the wicked do,
and don't follow the path of evildoers.
Don't even think about it; don't go that way.
Turn away and keep moving.
For evil people can't sleep until they've done
their evil deed for the day.
their evil deed for the day.
They can't rest until they've caused someone to stumble.
They eat the food of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence!
By contrast, the wicked have their own paths and we have to be careful not to follow them. The wicked so delight in evil that it is compared to sleep, food, and drink. These people find pleasure not only in doing evil, but also in dragging others down with them. We need to "turn away and keep moving"; in other words, RUN!
The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
The two choices everyone has are light and darkness, day and night, righteousness and wickedness. It's not complicated. However, it is a lifetime of choices, not a single moment. But, the way of the righteous "shines ever brighter".
My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don't lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Here is the expression that we've discussed, "Guard your heart". Our heart guides us. Yet we know that "The human heart is the most deceiful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9) We cannot rely on our heart unless it is grounded in God's Word. We cannot trust ourselves to discern right and wrong; we can so easily slip away from the truth! This takes us back up to the previous verses; we need to study God's Word until it is the essence of our life. God's Word holds the healing that our hearts need!
Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
As the Word of God brings healing, the words of people around us often bring corruption. Corruption doesn't heal; it causes decay. Avoiding perverse talk and corrupt speech is difficult; it is all around us, and all too easy to accept, and sadly, to choose as our own speech. "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45) Ouch!
Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
Don't get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
We need to keep our eyes focused on what is straight before us; looking to the side gets us distracted. Our eyes guide our feet, and our feet can stay on the straight path. But we have to be intentional. It will not happen by accident; it is a moment-by-moment choice.
The words in this chapter are sobering; choosing the way of the righteous is difficult. It requires constant self-vigilance, humble dependence on God, and a commitment to knowing and studying His Word. The way of the wicked is much easier; there is no restraint. One step leads to another, and another and another. But it does not lead to life.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don't lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
We must cling to the Word; we must study it, learn it, live it. God's Word must penetrate our entire being, for then it will bring life and healing. How easy it is to neglect it!
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Here is the expression that we've discussed, "Guard your heart". Our heart guides us. Yet we know that "The human heart is the most deceiful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9) We cannot rely on our heart unless it is grounded in God's Word. We cannot trust ourselves to discern right and wrong; we can so easily slip away from the truth! This takes us back up to the previous verses; we need to study God's Word until it is the essence of our life. God's Word holds the healing that our hearts need!
Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
As the Word of God brings healing, the words of people around us often bring corruption. Corruption doesn't heal; it causes decay. Avoiding perverse talk and corrupt speech is difficult; it is all around us, and all too easy to accept, and sadly, to choose as our own speech. "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45) Ouch!
Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
Don't get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
We need to keep our eyes focused on what is straight before us; looking to the side gets us distracted. Our eyes guide our feet, and our feet can stay on the straight path. But we have to be intentional. It will not happen by accident; it is a moment-by-moment choice.
The words in this chapter are sobering; choosing the way of the righteous is difficult. It requires constant self-vigilance, humble dependence on God, and a commitment to knowing and studying His Word. The way of the wicked is much easier; there is no restraint. One step leads to another, and another and another. But it does not lead to life.
- Why is the way of the righteous compared to "light" and "day"?
- How can we guard our hearts?
- Do you see the truth in Jeremiah 17:9? Can you trust your own heart?
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