Proverbs Chapter 4
I’ve woken up this morning with the challenge to dig in till find the treasure that is promised me. I prepared one the finest cups of coffee, sit down at the table and approached this chapter as though I have never read it before. I realize that this chapter alone is inexhaustible, let alone the Bible as a whole. Very refreshing to know the well that we draw from will never go dry.
As you come to the end of the chapter God lays out some things concerning our heart. And before we get to that, let me remind you that Jeremiah tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” It’s always laughable when a pastor says things like, “let me tell you what is on my heart” or “if I know my heart”. Well you don’t know your heart, according to Jeremiah. And while we are at it I would prefer you give the WORD OF GOD not what’s on your heart.
But the verses of today say… (Pro 4:23-27) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. I like the word that the text uses “issues”. We use that a lot today when referring to our problems. We say things like “I am having some issues at work” or “that guy has some issues in his life”. Here in the text God tells us that the issues (problems) that we have are generated in our heart. He warns us to keep guard or a watch over our heart, and not to do it half heartily (no pun intended), but to be thorough.
That thoroughness starts with guarding our mouth according to the context. How many of our issues (problems) start with the fact we say things that we shouldn’t. The Bible makes a connection with our mouth and our heart. According to the scripture “what is in the heart will come out of the mouth”. The book of James tells us “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain”. In other words you got issues.
The guarding of our heart continues by focusing on our eyes. According to Matthew “The light of the body is the eye” Therefore we need to be careful to protect our vision, because it will change your thoughts. (Lam 3:51) Mine eye affecteth mine heart … (Job 31:1) I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?. Notices that that the eyes of Job effected his heart.
The next idem to guard is our feet. This is a reference to where you go and travel to. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they walk. (Eph 4:17) This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,. Notice that the walk is connected to the mind (heart). A lot of those issues are from the gossip and busy bodies that like to keep the issues going. (2Th 3:11) For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
I don’t know what issues you and I will have today. But as I look back at yesterday, I know that I had some issues that came from not guarding my mouth, came by not guarding my eyes, and I didn’t walk in wisdom of those that are without.