SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 4:1-27
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
1. “Listen to a father’s instruction”. The father expresses his heart concern for his son, please heed this advice! He then shares how his own father (David) had done the same thing to him (“when I was a boy”).
2. The advice is twofold – seek wisdom with all your heart, and avoid folly and the ways of the reckless. The reason is because, in the long run, wisdom has better results than folly (“the path of the righteous… the way of the wicked”).
3. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”. This is the most important advice. We live (and speak and react) from the heart, though many of us are unaware of it. We spend too much time reacting to the surface stuff of life, while neglecting the inner self. What we feel, fear and desire deep within is what drives us. We live too fast, bounce from experience to experience, distract ourselves with momentary pleasures… all the while the inner self is shrinking, dying, longing.
4. The most important aspect of life is the heart, and it explains everything about us. It was designed for God, it is desperate without Him, it is stained and distorted by sin, it is looking for love, but in all the wrong places. If we could better understand the heart (what it was made for, how it is affected by sin, what it needs), we could better undertsand why people do what they do (or don’t do).
5. Solomon’s advice is needed again today. More than anything else we need to address the issues of the heart. But the focus today is on experience, pleasure, doing what feels good, amusing ourselves to death. We are arranging table displays on board the Titanic, while ignoring the huge gash in the hull.
6. “Let you eyes loo straight ahead…” It takes huge determination to stay focused on the heart. So many things draw our attention away. No time for heart concerns, I’ve got bills to pay, meetings to attend, events to drive my kids to, TV shows to watch, friends to visit, “toys” to buy, duties to fulfill, etc. Too busy, too distracted to deal with what really matters.
PRAYER:
Lord, I can see this in myself so much. I am constantly distracted from the discipline of what is important, driven by the tyranny of the urgent while neglecting the quiet but critical important stuff. Save me from myself, Lord, and from my folly. Amen.
The scriptures today reveal just how much work our daily faith walk needs to be with the commitment to discipline and devotion that is constantly being mentioned. We have made it far too easy for satan to distract us each day with the noise of the world around us.
God forgive us for our lack of dedication and determination to grow in Christ. Forgive us for the polluting of our hearts, minds and souls. We praise You and give You thanks that You will never give up on us, that each new moment is a fresh opportunity to begin anew, to do better….. Here I am! You O LORD, are an awesome God!
Here I read words of life. Do this and live! That’s what the Master said. As a father instructs the way to walk to his sons, so God instructs us in the Way to travel in our daily walk with Him. His instructions I may never forget, but always live to the fullest. His Words I need to keep in my heart because from the heart flow all the issues of life. The heart is my control central – giving me life and life eternal. He will lead me and guide me in the way I should go if I but follow His instructions. Do this and live! Guard My Words. Stay on the straight and narrow. Do not walk with evil men. Pay attention. Just do it. Live for Jesus each and every day being His Sonbeam.
Help me Lord to be a Sonbeam this day while walking in Your Sonshine doing Your will for my life. Help me to be a LightShine for Jesus also on this day You have made.
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for Him each day;
In every way try to please Him,
At home, at school, at play.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.
Jesus wants me to be loving,
And kind to all I see;
Showing how pleasant and happy
His little one can be.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.
I will ask Jesus to help me,
To keep my heart from sin;
Ever reflecting His goodness,
And always shine for Him.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.
I’ll be a sunbeam for Jesus;
I can if I but try;
Serving Him moment by moment,
Then live with Him on high.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.