Tag: Proverbs 4-6

Heart Protection

Proverbs 4-6

My husband and I went to an amusement park last week with our three kids. Though I suffer from motion sickness in a major way and I’m terrified of heights, I still love roller coasters. Going on them with my kids has been a fun, new blessing, and I love that they are all big enough to ride them with us now. But I’ve also noticed that they are slightly less enjoyable in another way. I now do something on coasters that I’ve never done before.

I pray. Like constantly. Through the whole thing. The second we start going upside down all I can think is, “God, my entire family is on this contraption, please hold us safely in your hands!” I spend the entire ride begging for God’s protection. It eventually just turns into a long stream of silent pleas of, “Oh God, oh God, oh God pleeeeeeeease keep us safe!” All I can focus on is my family’s safety.

I know that the older I’ve gotten, the greater my anxiety has grown. This especially holds true with my kids. They are all running around in this world like nothing can harm them and all I can think is that literally EVERYTHING can harm them. And I want so badly to protect them. We’ve invested a great deal into several devices all designed to help us care for our kids’ medical needs. We have an alarm on our house to alert us to danger at night. Smoke alarms in appropriate rooms, and carbon monoxide detectors as well. Our family is precious to us and we want to guard it with all we have. 

But we also want to guard our hearts in the same way. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” EVERYTHING we do flows from our hearts. Just as we all do certain things to keep our bodies safe, we should be protecting our hearts as well. Over and over in Proverbs, the importance of wisdom is repeated. If our hearts are filled with wisdom, love, truth, and righteousness, then these are what will come forth in our actions. Hearts full of wisdom will not only keep us on good, straight paths, but will also be a light for others to see as well. 

-Jenn Haynes

Reflection Questions: 

What is attacking your heart right now? What is badly influencing you? How is this showing in your actions and your words? How can you better guard your heart from those things? 

If you are a parent, how can you help your children protect their own hearts? 

Is everything you are doing showing others a path toward God? 

My prayer for you today is that you continue to find wisdom and instruction in these proverbs and use them in ways that will protect your precious heart. Fill it with all that is good and holy!

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Status:  In a Relationship

Proverbs 4-6

Proverbs 4 6 NIV sgl

This is going to get a little weird since I am happily married.  I am also in a relationship with another woman.  I love her, I prize her, I embrace her, and I guard her because she is my life.  She watches over me, exalts me, honors me, places a garland of grace on my head, and has presented me with a crown of beauty.  We are truly in love.  Her name is…Wisdom.

Proverbs says wisdom is a lady and chapter 4 describes the relationship you should have with her.  When a man falls in love, he usually falls pretty hard.  He can’t stop thinking about her and will do anything for her.  He wants to be with her and just can’t get enough of her.  I suspect the same is true for women, but I don’t have any experience with that.  I suspect this analogy was written to make us understand how important wisdom is and how it should be an integral part of our life.  We need to search out wisdom, especially in the Bible, and not forget about the wise teachings from our parents growing up.  We need to be in love with wisdom as much as that guy was in love with that girl in “The Notebook”.

Why is wisdom so important?  It is because it will lead us on the straight path and keep us away from evil.  Chapter 5 tells us to beware of the sweet lips of the adulteress and her words that are smoother than oil.  If you are married, you should rejoice in the wife of your youth.  In verse 19, it talks about your wife’s breasts.  I can say that because it is in the Bible.  If you think the Bible is too boring to read, you haven’t read far enough yet.  Verse 19 is not boring.

I love the book of Proverbs because there is so much “quick-hitting” wisdom that gets right to the point.  In chapter 6, out of nowhere, it lists six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him.  I admit that the wording is a bit confusing here.  Is one of the things detestable to Him, but He doesn’t hate it?  If so, which one?  Anyways, if you are wise, you will pay attention to the list of things God thinks is detestable:

  • Haughty eyes (proud, snobbish, or arrogant)
  • A lying tongue
  • Hands that shed innocent blood
  • A heart that devises wicked schemes
  • Feet that are quick to rush into evil
  • A false witness who pours out lies
  • A person who stirs up conflict in the community

Maybe the confusion between the list being 6 or 7 is that #2 and #6 seem to be quite similar – I dunno.  You can quickly read this list and move on to the next verses; however, if you are in a relationship with Wisdom, you will slow down, study this list, and put it in your heart and mind.  This is your chance to see into the mind of God.  I am fascinated to learn what God thinks!  When you embrace the wisdom that is found in scripture, you are embracing the wisdom of our all-knowing Father.  He knows everything – and that is a lot of stuff to know.  I am extremely grateful that He has put so much wisdom in a book for us to read.  The opportunity we have to become wise is right there for the taking.  You just need to take the time to search it out.

Rick McClain

 

Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+4-6&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s Bible reading will be Proverbs 7-9 as we continue to seek the things of God’s mind on our 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan