PROVERBS 23
19 Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
20 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observemy ways.
– Proverbs 23:19-26
PROVERBS 23 DIRECT YOUR HEART IN THE WAY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
To all believers, direct your heart in the way of the Lord
If you fail to focus on him, you will be overcome by this world
Study and meditate on his word day and night to discern evil
Be watchful for the devil’s purpose is to destroy, kill and steal
Listen to your father and mother whom God has given you
It is a way of honoring me when you heed their instructions
Do not associate with drunkards and gluttons; they’re bad influence
Stay pure and don’t fail to meet with the communion of saints
Always seek the truth and never compromise it with hedonism
Stand on God’s promises so you won’t be enticed by false teachings.
Solomon emphasizes in these verses the importance of focusing our hearts, minds and souls to the right way. When we remove our attention on the Lord and his word, we become targets to the enemy to devour. It doesn’t need to be big distractions; it could be little things that will remove our eyes on Jesus. An intrusive thought could begin to make us doubt our abilities or the truth. A visual or auditory stimuli can derail us from our time with God as we get dysregulated by such stimuli. When we don’t prioritize God moment by moment, we will be catering to our flesh. This is why the bible calls us to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. We are also called to seek first God’s kingdom and whatever you ask will be given unto you. I find myself spun and dysregulated when I entertain all these distractions instead of pressing on to focus on God’s word. My time gets stolen and I become unproductive for God.
Solomon also stresses the importance of obedience to our parents since they were assigned to us by God as authorities. He also warns us to choose our company well so that we don’t lose self-control.
REFLECTION
· How do you direct your life in the way of the Lord and why is it important to do it constantly?
