Proverbs 4

Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,

and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

 for I give you good precepts;

do not forsake my teaching.

• Stop listening to the other clueless children (us), and just understand that God’s instructions are for our best.  Period.  Nothing good can come from listening to this world.
• He’s saying, “I know infinitely more than you.  In fact, I know how this all turns out.  I’m already there in the future.  So JUST TRUST ME!”
• And, as I read in C.S. Lewis’ book yesterday, we don’t need to be taught as often as we need to be REMINDED.  We know better, but we get distracted, confused and tricked by the smooth talk of this world.  This is why it’s so critical to spend some time in God’s word every day.  It’s like taking a shower to remove the dirt.

 When I was a son with my father,

 tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

 he taught me and said to me,

 “Let your heart hold fast my words;

 keep my commandments, and live.

• Like in the beginning of any relationship, you feel dedicated to the other and what they have to say.  You can’t imagine a day when that will fade.  But it will fade if we aren’t diligent.  
• So, let your heart hold fast my words.  Make it part of you … don’t treat it as simply a few “good ideas”.
• Because if you keep to the instructions, you will live spiritually forever.  And as the Artist Formerly Known As the Artist Formerly Known As Prince (a.k.a. Prince) once said, “…and that means forever, and that’s a mighty long time.  But I’m going to tell you, there’s something else …”. ;)

 Get wisdom; get insight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

 love her, and she will guard you.

• Will just walked up and I explained what will happen as he grows older.  He will be tricked by this world into thinking certain things.  This is what happens to the man (or woman) that does not return to God’s Word regularly.  It will sound right, until it is once again compared to real truth.  It’s like seeing a white shirt that looks perfectly white … until you compare it with ACTUAL white.  They it looks as it is – dirty, off-white, imperfect.
• The promise – as mentioned – is that if you do not forsake the wisdom and insight found in God’s Word, it will guard you.

 The beginning of wisdom is this:  Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight.

 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.

 She will place on your head a graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

• Take this literally (as it will be in heaven – no idea) or figuratively.  The point is, wise people are not fooled.  They have a different ere about them, don’t they?  A glow.  A joy and a peace that you can’t put your finger on.
• Get wisdom from God through His word and through studies like this one.  This will give you insight in every situation.  A compass of ruler to measure everything correctly.  Keep in mind, worldly thinking has no compass.  It is floating in mid-air with its arguments.  Nothing to substantiate it.  Pitiful that worldly people don’t see this.  
• With Godly wisdom comes solid ground on which to stand.  And with that will come your graceful garland and your beautiful crown.  

 Hear, my son, and accept my words,

that the years of your life may be many.

 I have taught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

and if you run, you will not stumble.

• I’ve given you the way, the wisdom, the insight … use it and you won’t fail.  The only way you’ll stumble is if you mix in the world with God’s word, as MANY people do.  They want something to be true so much that they justify it with a mis-translation of scripture.
• Someone used this story to explain once:  A Dad was explaining to his kids that even a little sin is bad to God.  This is why we need Jesus.  To drive home the point, the next morning he baked his kids some brownies (yes, the Dad baked – bear with me on this one).  They looked delicious, fresh out of the oven, with walnuts and cranberries popping out all over.  Gooey.  The kids can’t wait to eat them.  The Dad says, “You can have them this morning for breakfast if you want, but a quick warning:  I put just a tiny bit of dog poop from the back yard in there.  No biggie - it’s only a very tiny amount.  Enjoy!”  Even a little sin … a little of this world … spoils everything, and can cause you to stumble.

 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your life.

• The truth WILL be challenged by this world.  Don’t be fooled by what it tries to tell you.  Again, it has no footing in reality – only in opinions and feelings.  Feelings can’t be trusted – they are momentary.
• Hold tight to God’s Word and what it tells us.  This IS the way to true life.
• This means returning to the instructions repeatedly – as often as feasible.  Suggestion – daily, if not twice daily as George Washington did.  One hour each morning and one hour each night was his approach.  Seemed to do well for him ;)

 Do not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

 Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.

 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

 For they eat the bread of wickedness

 and drink the wine of violence.

• The surest way to be lulled into the worlds way of thinking is to “do as they do”.  We may feel that it’s no big deal, but that’s how it happens. It’s a series of “it’s no big deal” statements that shift your thinking, little by little, until you are thinking entirely differently.  It’s insidious how the Enemy works.  
• This is not to say that we do not spend time with and hang with those who sin.  Jesus did just that.  How will they know the right way to be unless they see firsthand how from someone living the right way?  We just need to be careful to separate "being with" and "acting like”.  In this case, we should NOT do as the Romans do.  
• Some are so far gone that they can’t WAIT to do bad things.  They’ve fallen so far into the enticement that they are now addicted to an extent.  
• You’ve met the people that just love to make others stumble in some way.  It brings them an evil joy.  That is the enemy in them.  Forgive them and know that there is a person under there – beneath the sin.

 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

• The longer you are on the right path, the more obvious it becomes that it’s the right one.  For those off the path, they can only see a glimmer.  Those that take the leap of faith and trust God and His way will experience this incrementally bright light coming in the form of peace, joy and fulfillment.

 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know over what they stumble.

• I see this in my interactions with unbelieving friends of mine.  They have zero idea that they are standing on pure wrongness.  They are oblivious to it.  And when bad things happen, they don’t know it likely had to do with their choices based on worldly perspectives.  It’s sad to see.  Pointing it out to them results in a backlash, so you have to be careful.  Again, they do not see what you see.  They are quite literally blind.

 My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

 Let them not escape from your sight;

 keep them within your heart.

 For they are life to those who find them,

and healing to all their flesh.

• Be attentive = Remind yourself of His words.  You must do this often to ensure they come as an automatic reaction.  Like muscle memory.  A good athlete is good because he or she has practiced so much, so consistently, so repeatedly … that it is not even a thought.  It just happens.
• The more you do this, the more life you will feel flooding in.  It is truly healing.  I feel it each time.

 Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

 Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

• Protect yourself.  Put on the Full Armor of God (see my blog on this, entitled Dress for Success).  That way you will recognize and avoid false data coming at you all day.  Once you can see clearly, it’s amazing how it floods at us in force, unrelenting all day.
• Speak straight and in truth.  It always pays to do so.  But be sure to do it in love.  No harsh tone.  Be careful of your delivery.  Even the Devil speaks scripture periodically.  He sometimes uses it to twist and to lie and to hurt.

 Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

 Ponder the path of your feet;

 then all your ways will be sure.

 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil

• "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.”  
• Early in my Journey, just after accepting Christ into my life, I heard the phrase, “Keep your eyes focused on Him.”  Didn’t know what that meant at the time.  Now I do.  The world is constantly saying, “Look at me!” trying to divert our attention.  Keep your eye on the ball and all will be well.