God Works for Your Good | Bible in One Year

God Works for Your Good | Bible in One Wisdom

Proverbs 4:20-27

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

Commentary

Walk wisely

You have a part to play in responding to God’s call, staying on his paths, living wisely and thereby making something beautiful out of your life. In this passage we see four areas in particular that you need to watch if you want to enjoy victory over temptation:

1. What you think about

You can choose what you think about. The life you lead will flow from your heart. ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life’ (v.23). You are to fill your heart with good things – especially the words of God (vv.20–21). They bring ‘life’ and ‘health’ (v.22). Think about ‘things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy’ (Philippians 4:8).

2. What you say

Your words are powerful. Use them carefully. ‘Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips’ (Proverbs 4:24). It is said that the words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers: ‘Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?’

3. What you look at

Guard your eyes. Be careful what you look at (especially in this age of the internet and social media). ‘Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you’ (v.25). Jesus warned that if you look at the wrong things, your ‘whole body will be full of darkness’. But he also said, ‘If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light’ (Matthew 6:22–23).

4. Where you go

You will avoid a lot of temptation if you are careful about where you go. ‘Make level paths for your feet… keep your foot from evil’ (Proverbs 4:26–27). The writer of Hebrews quotes from this verse. He urges us to ‘run with perseverance the race marked out’ for you with your eyes fixed ‘on Jesus... “Make level paths for your feet”’ (Hebrews 12:1–2,12).

Prayer

Lord, put a watch over my tongue and a guard over my heart. Help me to walk wisely today.

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