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"Devotions For a Son"
Prov 4:1 HEAR, ye children the instruction
of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you GOOD doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
If we hear at all in the spiritual sense, there is always a further need to listen
correctly. Jesus said "Take heed how you hear, for the measure ye mete is the measure
you will be given." In other words, according to the proportion we give God our
attention will be according to the measure we receive. What we receive is faith that
maintains what we already have and faith to help us grow. All because we have a teachable
spirit to listen and receive Gods word. The need to provide our heavenly Father the
opportunity of our attention is paramount since his teaching is "good doctrine."
Good for keeping our vision clear and keeping us balanced in a world that lives in
darkness.
Prov 4:3 When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my
mother,
4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands
and you will live. (NIV)
The earlier the better when it comes to learning the ways of God. The most important time
to pursue it is when we are young since it is the opportune age of being tender hearted
(humble and open). Many people in the world, over the course of time lose the innocence of
their youth basically because of pride which hardens the heart. This is why the proverb
says: "Lay hold of (apprehend or arrest) words of teaching from your Father or Mother
with all your heart". In other words, when your young in age, learn to draw upon this
wisdom and counsel as a life-long standard to measure things by. If you can obey from a
motivation of love, the training of your youth, will come back to bless you by steering
and keeping you through the trials of life later on. It is no exaggeration when Solomon
says "Keep my commands and you will live". True living is to operate within the
confines of wisdom.
Prov 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words
of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
"Getting wisdom" means it isn't obtained automatically, but must be searched for
and mined out. Why does one need wisdom in the first place? Well for one, it helps us make
sound decisions today that insure a blessed tomorrow. Many young people have often thrown
there lives away over a foolish mistake that may have been avoided with a wisdom to
discern. This is harder when your young since wisdom is received over a period of time as
experience. But this does not mean God can not give you wisdom beyond years. God can do
whatever he wants to, so seek him for it and receive and revive.
v6 shows us that there is an obvious relationship between wisdom and oneself, and like any
other relationship there must be an involvement of love to properly work. She (wisdom)
will be to us what we are to her. Like any relationship, what we put into it is what we
will get out of it. If we forsake wisdom we are forsaken. If we keep wisdom she preserves
us. That is why we must see the wisdom of God as more than just a chore or concept that
works for us; we must learn to love wisdom. This can be much more sensible when we see
wisdom as a person. 1 Cor .. says Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. So learn to develop a
love relationship with Christ and experience the creator of wisdom. More importantly, this
wisdom is not just something that comes out from God, it is the essence of God himself.
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