GUARD YOUR HEART

Passage: Proverbs 4:1-27

Key verse: 23

NIV

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

4 Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
2 I give you sound learning,
    so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
5 Get wisdom,(F) get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(G)
    love her, and she will watch over you.(H)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
    Though it cost all(I) you have,[b] get understanding.(J)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
    embrace her, and she will honor you.(K)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
    and present you with a glorious crown.(L)”

10 Listen, my son,(M) accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.(N)
11 I instruct(O) you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.(P)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.(Q)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.(R)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.(S)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(T)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.(U)

18 The path of the righteous(V) is like the morning sun,(W)
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(X)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(Y)
    they do not know what makes them stumble.(Z)

20 My son,(AA) pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.(AB)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(AC)
    keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.(AD)
23 Above all else, guard(AE) your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.(AF)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(AG) look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet(AH)
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(AI)
    keep your foot from evil.

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Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
  2. Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
  3. Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

A Father's Wise Instruction

4 (A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,
2 for I give you good (C)precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
    (D)tender, (E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (F)taught me and said to me,
(G)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    (H)keep my commandments, and live.
5 (I)Get wisdom; get (J)insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    (K)love her, and she will guard you.
7 (L)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get (M)insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will (N)honor you (O)if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (P)a graceful garland;
    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

10 (Q)Hear, (R)my son, and accept my words,
    that (S)the years of your life may be many.
11 I have (T)taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (U)your step will not be hampered,
    and (V)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (W)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
    guard her, for she is your (X)life.
14 (Y)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (Z)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
    (AA)and drink the wine of violence.
18 But (AB)the path of the righteous is like (AC)the light of dawn,
    which shines (AD)brighter and brighter until (AE)full day.
19 (AF)The way of the wicked is like deep (AG)darkness;
    they do not know over what they (AH)stumble.

20 (AI)My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (AJ)Let them not escape from your sight;
    (AK)keep them within your heart.
22 For they are (AL)life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their[b] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for (AM)from it flow (AN)the springs of life.
24 Put away from you (AO)crooked speech,
    and put (AP)devious talk far from you.
25 (AQ)Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
26 (AR)Ponder[c] the path of your feet;
    (AS)then all your ways will be sure.
27 (AT)Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.

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Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
  2. Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
  3. Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Wisdom is supreme (1-19)

Good parents want to give their children everything, but the best thing a father can give his son is the word of God, for God's word is the source of wisdom. To have wisdom, one must lay hold of God's word with all his heart (4). He must esteem wisdom and love her (7,8). He must set his feet on the path of righteousness. Then he can walk in the light, and his life's direction will be clear (11,18).

2. Above all else, guard your heart (2

-27)

We should not be careless about giving our hearts away. Once the heart becomes corrupt, the wellspring of life is polluted. If we give our hearts to God and let his word come in and dwell, then he keeps us from evil; he will help us to walk in the path of righteousness.

Prayer: Lord, help me to lay hold to your word with all my heart so that I may have your wisdom. Help me to guard my heart with diligence so that the wellspring of my life may be kept pure.

One Word: Guard your heart