Devotional: Proverbs 4

Today’s passage: Proverbs 4

Helpful thoughts:

• Wisdom, understanding and good doctrine are all tied together.  You can’t have one without the others.
• We are to pursue and hold onto good instruction like our life depends on it, because it does (Verse 13).
• What is in our hearts comes out through our words and actions.
  • Matthew 5:10-20 – ¹⁰ And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹ it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” ¹² Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶ And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

Questions to consider:

1. Which actions did Solomon call on his hearers to do in the first 13 verses?  What ways do we get wisdom, understanding, instruction and good doctrine?
2. Why must the wicked do wicked things?  What does verse 17 compare their wicked acts with?  If they hunger and thirst for wickedness, and then are bewildered at how things could have gone wrong in life (Verse 19), what hope do they have of figuring out what’s wrong on their own?  What do they need?
3. When we do something wrong, sometimes people say, “That wasn’t me! I’m not like that!”  Is that a true statement?  Why do we do the things we do (Verse 23)?  How does this chapter in Proverbs answer the question, “How do I change my desires to be godly?”

Prayer:

Father, thank you for giving us your word through the Scriptures!  Please work in our hearts as we seek the truth, understanding, good doctrine and wisdom.  May the truths we read and hear from your word root out of our hearts sinful desires that they may be replaced by godly desires and love for you.  Purify our hearts that good fruit may come out of our mouths and be displayed in our actions.