Weekly Devotional 7th of November, 2025
by Bruce Billington
Weekly Devotional 7th of November, 2025
In this session, we will continue to look at Proverbs Chapter Four.
Proverbs 4:20-23 – “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their body. 23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”
The father begins by instructing his son to listen to his words carefully with his ears (verse 20). Just as the writer uses a variety of terms to describe wisdom’s many facets (verse 1:1–7), he also uses various words to describe the act of listening. This is the third time he has asked his son to pay attention to his words (verses 2:2; 4:1, 20). Here, attend (qashab) means to “prick up the ears.”9 “Incline thine ear” depicts a person leaning forward or tilting their head to hear more carefully what is said (verses 2:2; 4:20).
What we see clearly here is that the writer is painting a vivid picture for his son. He wants him (us) to do more than hear what he has to say. He also wants him to see, understand, and remember what he is saying, and to take it to heart (verse 21).
The son needs to keep the words in front of his eyes, where they will guide his path. He must hold them deep in his heart, where they will be pumped, along with his blood, to every part of his body. When we apply this to our own lives, we see that it is all done so we will embrace these principles and apply them to our daily lives.
Our challenge is that we often forget wisdom and let it slip away. To prevent this, we must always protect it, as it is a valuable gift that sustains life and health within us. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for health in verse 22 is marpe, which not only means health but also indicates that it offers healing and restores a person from illness and sickness (NICOT). It is a powerful term that speaks of overcoming things that can weigh us down.
Verse 24 offers us valuable advice to help us retain the wisdom we gain here. It reminds us to watch over our hearts. It must be recognised that this is our duty and something we must give attention to. This is no small task due to the state of our hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says,
“The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
Of course, this refers to our fallen nature, not our redeemed one; yet, we still carry this fallen nature, which is only gradually being changed by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. So we are in a battle, but it is one we can win.
The POSB provides a helpful comment here. It states,
We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt, from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble; keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscience void of offence; keep out bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds. Keep them with all keepings.
As the rest of chapter four tells, we will not achieve this unless we take the time to consider what we are doing, monitor our speech and what we are looking at; carefully consider the company we are keeping and what we allow ourselves to do.
All of this is vital because from our hearts flow the issues of life (verse 23). All the actions of life originate from the heart; therefore, our lives will be orderly or disorderly, comfortable or uncomfortable, depending on whether our hearts are cared for or neglected. A well-kept heart will produce living issues and good fruits, to God’s glory and for the benefit of others. Matthew Henry says,
Be very careful to remove thy foot from evil; take heed of extremes, for in them there is evil, and let thy eyes look right on, that thou mayest keep the golden mean.” Those who wish to prove themselves wise must always be watchful.
May God bless you.