Proverbs 4:1-13

Proverbs 4:1-13 Security in Wisdom

Proverbs 4 is full of wisdom and lessons for us. Since there is so much within the chapter I am breaking it up into two parts. Verses 1-13 are part one and next Sunday I will post verses 14-27.

4 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
    pay attention and gain understanding.
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 of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.
⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
    love her, and she will watch over you.
⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: Get^[a] wisdom.
    Though it cost all you have,^[b] get understanding.
⁸ Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
    embrace her, and she will honor you.
⁹ She will give you a garland to grace your head
    and present you with a glorious crown.”

¹⁰ Listen, my son, accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.
¹¹ I instruct you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.
¹² When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.
¹³ Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.

Let’s dive into what God opened my eyes to in these verses. It is important to understand that what I am going to be talking about is what God showed me, which may be different from what He opens your eyes to. Dive into the verses yourself as well and allow God to speak to you individually.

A very strong and important point is made in the beginning of this chapter. Chapter 2 says “for I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.” Now, I know if you grew up in church this is something you have heard since you were old enough to understand, but it is deeper than that. When we have the same ideas and truths pounded in our head day after day, they become a routine and the thought becomes robot like. Really think about what this verse is saying. The doctrine God gave us is the only truth and it is full of wisdom. Every single piece of it is a nugget of wisdom. This doctrine, since it is the only truth, should be the only place you find instruction. One upsetting thing I am seeing a lot of today is coming from social media. I have seen multiple people, some of which are proclaimed Christians, spreading false gospel. Some of them may not know they are doing it, but it is extremely harmful to be spreading those ideas around to new believers and anyone not grounded in their faith. It is easy to create our own god and our own truths if we are not rooted in the doctrine God gives us. That is why we are called to read it, study it, and write it on our hearts.

I did not begin seriously studying the Bible until last year. But it has already brought me wisdom that allows me to hear these false teachings and know that it is not true. It is dangerous to take what God says in the Bible and twist it to fit how we want to live. We see in the second part of verse 2 where we are called to not forsake God’s law. When we twist the words around to fit our lives, we are not living by His law. The laws God gives us are to the point and final. All these other thoughts going around that are trying to twist God’s truth are simply false teachings. It is extremely important to look up anything you believe does not sound right so you do not soak in false truths. I would even go as far to say you should question everything anyone teaches you so you can look it up for yourself and make sure it is the truth of the Bible. Do not be afraid to question your peers or leaders. You would rather do that then find out one day you had been taught lies and had believed them your whole life.

With all that being said, I really encourage you to question what you are hearing in the media, tiktok especially, and seek out the truth yourself. Question everything and ask God to show you the truth.

A lot of people believe that following God’s law and the commandments holds us back from living life to the fullest. The truth is, following them frees us and allows us to truly live. When you are living a life full of sin, you are inviting death, dishonor, and embarrassment into your life. Your life is often full of drama and sadness, and an emptiness lives within your heart. Although the world believes they are living the fun life, truth is, behind the mask of that lifestyle is a lost, wandering soul. Do not let satan full you with how fun and exciting the worldly lifestyle looks. Once you are in it, it is an empty hole that continues to drag you under.

I am not going to lie, it can be really hard to not fall into sin. Especially when satan knows exactly how to tempt us to get us to stumble. I have been seeking out answers for the past few months on how to avoid stumbling into the sin satan tempts me with. Verses 11-12 speak on how to do this. By reading God’s Word, knowing his commandments, and seeking for wisdom, you can do it. You cannot escape the sin if you do not have the Word written on your heart and mind as a shield. Sin starts as a thought, moves to the heart, and then is acted out. Look up verses on the sins you struggle with that would bring God to mind and teach you how to fight them. Have these verses memorized so when satan attacks you with those thoughts you can fight them off. Another good thing to do is to pray. Pray for God to bring wisdom to you and to help shield you from those sins. I have found when I open up to God in the moment of satan tempting me, it genuinely helps me stay away from it.

I see where this world is heading and it terrifies me. There are false teachers everywhere, persuading us without us knowing their teachings are lies. Protect your heart by questioning everything and seeking out the truth. Write God’s truth on your heart so that you know when something someone is telling you is not the truth.

Do not be of the world, but of God.