Proverbs 4:13-27 Security in Wisdom
14Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
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;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
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[a] 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.
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.
The second half of the chapter is great at telling us why we must listen to God and take His Word to heart. Without God’s Word written on your heart and mind, it is so much harder to keep from evil. Satan loves taking the sins he knows you struggle with most and tempting you with them. He does this in many different ways. He may send people into your life that sway you to partake in the sin or it may be that he allows the sin to cross your mind late at night. Being tempted with sin by those around you is extremely difficult. It is easy to believe you are strong enough to just walk away from it, but your friends have a huge influence on your life. It is hard to not fall into the sin they are pushing on you because you don’t want your peers to see you as a loser. Although you should not care what others think of you, we still do care, and want them to think highly of us and to accept us. There is, however, something that is more important than your friends seeing you as a loser for walking away. Walking away from sin shows your friends that you are different. Yes, they may make fun of you, but it strengthens your testimony and relationship with God. If they see you partake in evil with them, they will never see the difference between being a Christian and not. It may cause them to question the point in being a Christian if you still sin and act like them. So, although they may make fun of you, which hurts, the testimony walking away shows them is stronger and more important.
A great question you may have now is how to stand your ground in those times and walk away. I know it is harder than one may think. God gives us the answer in these verses. He tells us in verses 20-22 to pay attention to His words and truly listen to what He is saying. Place what He says and what you learn in your heart so that you can use them as a shield against evil. You have to study God’s Word and learn what is right and wrong, and then seek out how to keep from partaking in sin. Having the Word as a shield in your heart is a big way to keep from partaking in sin. Another way is to look at the people you hang out with. If they are partaking in sin and are dragging you down with them, then you need to find godly friends who push you towards Christ, not away. I know it is hard to come to terms with that, but God needs to be placed first in your life and if anything is keeping you from Him, it needs to go. You should have the conversation with them of why you feel like you need to take a step back from them, but also make it a point to let them know you want to be a part of their lives still. If you continue to be in their lives, just at a distance, then they will have you to continue pushing them towards a relationship with God. You may have all they have who shows them to Jesus. Just keep a distance so you do not continue to be drug into sin and evil.
Something I really love about these verses is the way it explains the difference between those in relationship with God and those who are not. Verses 18-19 is where we see this. Those who are in the right path towards God shine bright, meaning there is an obvious difference between them and evil doers. They walk away in those times of being pressured and carry themselves in a way that sets them apart from the world. The opposite end of that is those who live for the world and for evil. They live in darkness and do not know what makes them stumble. The two are complete opposites and are obvious to see.
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” The word diligence means careful, persistent work or effort. Being a Christian and keeping from sin is hard work, but you have to choose to work hard at it. You have to wake up every day and choose to strive after being more like Jesus. You will stumble sometimes, God knows that, but put in effort to not stumble by studying the Word and how to keep from partaking in evil. Make sure your actions line up with the way you speak because people watch your actions more than your talk. Someone can be all talk, but their actions scream evil.
Take time this week to evaluate your heart, mind, talk, and actions. Dig into these verses and ask God to show you whether you radiate light or darkness. Be persistent in your walk and strive to be like Jesus. I pray that God will open your eyes to the darkness around you and will give you a heart of diligence.
