Proverbs 4 - 6.3.24

Scripture

Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

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Observation

King Solomon, writer of the book of Proverbs, is comparing and contrasting wisdom to wickedness in this chapter. He is teaching/speaking in the tone of a father to his children. He talks about the importance of pursuing wisdom and the benefits of it, to the downfall and destruction of those who go down the path of wickedness.

Our wise and foolish acts always begin at the heart level. (That’s why in Matthew 5, Jesus would expose the heart of sin, before the outward act, such as when He talks about a heart of hate against a brother/sister is murder or how a heart of lust is adultery.)

Verse 23 says that we must GUARD our heart for EVERYTHING we do flows from it.

Application

The Word of God exposes our hearts. That’s why it’s important to wash our heart and minds with God’s Word everyday.

We live in a day and age where we have access to so much information on TV and especially on social media. It starts to become confusing and hard to discern between right and wrong; real and fake. It’s hard to know what to let into our minds and hearts and what to guard it against. That’s the beauty of the Bible, God’s Word!

Just like Jesus, it never changes (Heb. 13:8), because He was and IS the Word (John 1). It exposes the motives of our hearts (Heb. 4:12). It lights our path (Psalm 119:105). It helps us to discern between good and evil (Heb. 5:14).

Sometimes, we need to say “No” to the crowd or to what’s popular or what our feelings say, (since our heart is deceitful-Jer. 17:9) and allow God’s Word to guide us.

What are we exposing our hearts to that we must eliminate? Have we meditated and washed our minds and hearts with His Word today?

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” -1 Peter 1:24-25

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Help me to guard my heart by keeping complete focus on You and what Your Word says. Thank You that You are the God of order and peace and not confusion or chaos (1 Cor. 14:33). When I begin to lose my way, I pray for discipline to run to You first through prayer and Your Word and to apply what You tell me to do. Make my heart’s desires Yours alone. Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi