“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” – Proverbs 4:20-22
This week we are considering the familiar verse found in Proverbs 4 which urges us to keep our hearts, but we actually need to go back a few verses to discover another important element we need in order to live separated lives in a corrupted world. “Keep your heart…” is not the only command found in these verses. Before Solomon gets to that part of his advice he tells his son to be sure to “attend to [his] words” and “incline [his] ear to [his] sayings.”
Much like what we saw yesterday with the command in verse 23, here again we find this basic breakdown: a simple exhortation (pay attention to my words) followed by a simple explanation or motivation (they bring life and healing). Solomon pleads with his own son – and with each one of us – to heed these important words of wisdom contained in this book. He had learned these lessons from his own father and found them to be true. He assured his son that his life would be better, even perhaps longer, if he would live by these principles.
Though Solomon writes these words as a father to his own son, the heart of our Heavenly Father comes through clearly. The application for us is quite simple: we need to pay close attention to the words of wisdom offered in this book as well as those found throughout the entire Bible. We should make it a priority to hear them and keep them ever before us – at the forefront of our minds and planted firmly in our hearts. Following these words of wisdom will bring us life and health – protecting us from the danger and destruction brought on by temptation and sin.
If we desire to live a life that pleases the Lord in the midst of a dark world we will have to seek His wisdom found in His Word and follow it faithfully. Along the way there will be many dangers and potential compromises. That’s why Solomon immediately emphasizes the importance of guarding our hearts. The final few verses in this chapter will show us just exactly how we can do that.