November 15, 20226
More cold, heavy fog and wind today. At 4:30 a.m. the temp is 36 degrees, perhaps reaching 60 for a high today. Yesterday the fog hung around most of the day allowing for a two-degree increase in the temperature from 36-38, maybe today can increase that gap?
We start today’s study in Proverbs 4:23, “Watch over your heart with all diligence.” The word “diligence” means “division of service.,” which seems to imply that we are to be careful as to how we spend our time – dividing our responsibilities with wisdom. With this understanding in our pockets, may I challenge each of us to examine how you spend your time each day this week. Perhaps write it down in 15-minute increments to assist you in evaluating just how you are investing the twenty-four hours the LORD gives you each day. There should be a strong portion of each day invested in spiritual matters.
Why such an exercise? Continue reading the second part of verse 23: “For from it flow the springs of life.” I recall Dr. Hendricks telling us of an old professor who would still invest long hours each evening in the study of Scripture before he taught the next day. When Dr. Hendricks commented that this old gentleman had been teaching for nearly fifty years, why the long hours of preparation, the old Prof replied, “I prefer that my students drink for a fresh spring rather than a stagnant pond.”
That story illustrates this verse quite well. The more time we spend in the study of Scriptures, the fresher our teaching and testimony are. Such freshness is accomplished only by extended times of digging into the Scriptures. Each day we fill our minds with something, either culture or the Holy Spirit will have primary influence, depending upon our personal “diligence.”
Next, verse 24 challenges us, “Put away from you a deceitful mouth.” The word “deceitful” literally means, “wrongness, falsehood.” A word that could easily be replaced with our English word “gossip.” In 1 Timothy 5:13 we read, “At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busy-bodies, talking about things not proper to mention.” This passage is speaking of those the Bible calls “younger widows.” Within this portion of Scripture the Apostle Paul warns of the dangers of a person not being diligent.
Our present Proverb continues, “And put devious speech far from you.” “Devious” implies “crookedness,” the same kind of speech that Paul said is to be “talking about things not proper to mention.” For me gossip is to tell you something negative about someone else when you are not a part of the remedy. Gossip carries a degree of “crookedness,” employing an element of deception.
Verse 25 shouts wisdom when it states, “Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” We could easily add, “otherwise you will stumble and fall.” Such a fall is the result of paying more attention to the life of someone else than I pay attention to my personal life. This verse once again reminds me of command of Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus.”
For each of us, when we get to looking around, not paying attention to where our life is headed, we will fall. This world is full of opportunities which compete for our attention. Such things may not even be bad things, unless they distract us from “fixing our eyes on Jesus.” In such a situation, even good things can become bad things.
This last week, I invited five young men to join one of our zoom study groups. Each man replied that they were just “too busy” for such an adventure. My response, “It is easy to be so busy trying to make a living that I don’t have time to live.” When other things become more important than quality time learning of the LORD, those things are now idols. Even good things can become bad things.
Note how Proverbs 4:26 & 27 conclude the chapter: “Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established, Do not turn to the right nor to the left, Turn your foot from evil.” The word “established” means to “prepare, to erect or set up.” This portion of the Old Testament stansd in direct correlation to the New Testament passage that tells us to build our house on “solid ground.”
Conclusion, many good things will compete for our attention each day, yet we must “take time to be holy” as the old hymn remind us. Also, as good as church attendance is, it can provide only a portion of the spiritual nutrition each of us needs to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”(2 Pt. 3:18) Just as physical growth takes time, so does spiritual growth – “How am I spending my time?”
Growing ever close to Jesus with you, Neal
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