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True Love
(and a guarded heart)

My mom is always quoting a verse from this proverb.  Sometimes, I don't think I want to hear what she has to say, but deep inside I know she is right. Let's study these verses to see what they have to say! I think it speaks of the way of true love.
(It also helps if you think of the 'father' mentioned here as God, your heavenly Father -- not your earthly father. The 'sons' are children.)

  

Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a boy in my father's house,
still tender, and an only child of my mother,
he taught me and said,
"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.

Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.
Do not forsake wisdom,
and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
Wisdom will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."

Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
For they cannot sleep till they do evil:
they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.
They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
Make level paths for your feet and
take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil. 

Proverbs 4

 First of all (and several other times in these verses) the writer warns us to LISTEN! So do that!
If you read many of the Psalms and Proverbs, you will see wisdom mentioned to many times (and often as 'she' or 'her.') Wisdom is mentioned 12 times in these verses.
What does it say about wisdom?
  • get wisdom
  • if you don't forsake wisdom she will protect you
  • if you love wisdom she will watch over you
  • wisdom is supreme
  • get wisdom at all costs
  • esteem her and she will exalt you (in other words, you lift up wisdom and wisdom will lift you up)
  • embrace her and she will honor you
  • with wisdom, you get a garland of grace and a crown of splendor
forsake = deny
supreme = the very best
esteem = to hold with high regard
exalt = to lift up high
What is a garland of grace?
What about a crown of splendor?
Sounds like some pretty fancy jewelry to me!
In the 3rd section, the father (God) is pleading with us to LISTEN and DO! Read the bold red line.
Then. look at the warnings about the wicked and evil people. Those guys must have trouble sleeping. I sure hope they do. If not, their hearts are hard. Will they ever hear God? Will they ever find wisdom?
Then, there are the promises to the righteous -- those who live in the way that is right! The path of righteousness sure is BRIGHT! Look! There are promises of health and life to the righteous. Does that mean wothout wisdom is sickness and death? What do you think?
And the last things said are specific instructions on how to live BY wisdom as one of the righteous. I could list them, but I am sure you can pick them out.
I think the warning not to swerve right or left is cool! Just stay RIGHT where God wants you! Is this not the way of true love? Does this not help us learn how to treat ALL people?

Righteousness
leads to
righteousness!

There is a lot of good advice here.  I think if we would listen it would keep us out of a lot of compromising situations.
Oh, the verse Mom always quotes is probably the key verse.  It is Proverbs 4:23 which says:

"Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life."

After all, if YOU don't guard your heart, who will?


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