Series in Proverbs - Are You teachable and Adhering to The Sustaining Word of God?

 

Are You teachable and Adhering to 

The Sustaining Word of God?

Prov. 4:20-27 NLT

The final portion of this text wraps up and reiterates the importance of sound godly training and the teachableness of the mind, heart, spirit, and soul. As a student in college I found that I needed to listen well to the instruction, but even more to the words of the syllabus, for they would reveal and guide me in the prof’s expectations and exactly what we are to do in order to be successful in the class. The proverbs reveal the instructions and it is up to the teachableness of the person: the attentiveness, the aptitude to learning, humility, and the desire to apply wisdom in order to see success and growth. All of these Solomon tried to instill in his child. So let’s read the first portion of the text. “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Solomon is retelling and confirming the importance of everything he has been instructing his children.  For the teachableness of the child will determine the path they will take and succumb to. Again, first and foremost in teachableness is the need to pay attention, for example, God had repeated His will and purpose probably a hundred times or more to the Israelites and yet they still didn't really give attention to His commands and statutes. The Hebrew word for ‘pay attention’ is ‘Shem” means to not only hear, but to give careful consideration, as in this case to the wisdom and the words from God. And Solomon himself understands, for he had fallen short on the application of the Words from God in his own walk with God. Second, the most repeated problem of mankind, listening carefully, and it should have been apparent when God continually needed to repeat Himself.

Solomon when only a young man had to grasp the immensity of the role of kingship, and in the lessons learned from his listening to his father, David, he chose wisdom, understanding, and discernment from God. Now, he is instructing his own children to pay attention and listen carefully, and apply the words from scripture to their lives. 

Third, is not to lose sight of the wisdom from God, it is not only with the physical eyes that the child is to beware of his surroundings, but also the eyes of the heart. The spiritual eyes of a teachable person, whose heart is malleable in the hands of creator God. The Words of God are not just surface level but must penetrate deep into the heart, for it is this penetration that allows the heart to be protected. The Hebrew word for penetration is ‘Yara’ meaning to enter deeply into. In essence, it acts like a shield to guard the child’s life against the vile lifestyles that were in the world, and then in obedience to the deeply planted Word of God, the whole person: the spirit, soul, and body will be healthy and strong.

 As Solomon had learned from his father and the errors of his own life, the teachableness and the attentive application of the Word to the heart determines the course they will set for their life.

Application - Oh how real this is today! In a world where God must be wondering how teachable these people are. It reminds me of Jesus’ words after coming down off the mount of transfiguration to a pleading father over a demonic boy's need for deliverance. “Then Jesus said, “You people of this day have no faith and you are going the wrong way. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” (Matt. 17:17 NLV)

The teachableness of a disciple (student) really depends on their attentiveness and listening, but also on believing what they have seen and heard from their master teacher. In this case faith wasn’t just something that you needed once or twice, or belief on the surface level of the heart, but to be applied to every area of their life and deeply ingrained. This is what Solomon was reiterating to his children, and Jesus wants from his disciples and those who believe in Him. The words of God need to penetrate deep into our hearts, minds, and soul, for they are the wellspring of life, it is the life sustaining food, the precious life-guiding words that will determine the depth of your faith, wisdom, understanding, and discernment.

As Solomon stated, we must use the words from God to protect us against the enemy of our souls and lives, but it will also determine the course of our lives. 

I know that if I hadn’t made the life changing choice to believe and accept Christ as my Savior and Lord, to learn and apply the Word of God in my daily coming and goings, to let it penetrate in every aspect of my heart and thoughts to be teachable, I definitely would not be where I’m today. One of my mentors and teachers in my life told me in order to be teachable, I must be humble and malleable to the Words from God. Hold them close and make them the light that I walk by in life. These words have replay daily in my life. For God shouldn’t have to tell me repeatedly to stay away from the path of this world, and an obedient life to Him has guarded my heart and my mind as Paul said to the Colossians. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.” (Col. 3:1-4 NLT)

Last, Solomon addresses the issues of the heart that has gone astray. So let’s read the last portion of the text, “Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” (NLT)

The world was filled with perversity, and the corrupt tongue was bent on evil and transgressing against God and man. God had warned the Israelites through the law of Moses about the corruption of the world, and how if they would commiserate with the people in the land, they would fall into the very sin that ensnared them. 

The only way to guard against the corruption and perversity of the world was to fix their eyes and heart on the ways of God. For it was God who was leading and sustaining the person who looked straight ahead and followed the manifested presence of the Spirit of God through the light of the Word of God. “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalms 119:104-105 NIV)

David had taught his sons and daughters the ways of God’s grace and to walk in the straight path set out by God for those who will listen attentively, to guard their hearts from the corruption of the world and its ruler, and set their feet and life on the righteous path of God. Solomon knew the distractions of the world, and of the flesh for he lamented following them later in his life. The enemy of God and his cohorts, whether physical or spiritual, were masters of deception and distraction. The straight and right path was led by the Light and Strength of God. This was the lesson for Solomon’s children and for us as well. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” (Prov. 3:5-7 NIV)

Application - God never leaves us without light from His Word to direct us in the right way, the righteous path to walk in the Spirit. It first and foremost requires his disciple to be teachable and obedient. For there are many who will try and sidetrack the student of God with their corruption, their false speech and facts. They are identified by their speech and perverse talk, and the fruit of their hearts. For the disciple of God focuses on the eternal Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has marked out the straight path and reveals the enemies obstruction that causes us to stumble or to veer to the left or the right and get sidetracked, and not straight ahead in the ways of God. It is the narrow gate and the narrow path of Jesus’ teachings that leads to godly life. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14 NIV) This is the straight path that Jesus tells us to enter and to walk, it is marked with His Word and righteous teachings from God. So let our feet be directed by God’s Word, letting the Light guide us and our hearts guarded securely in our faith in Christ.

As always, I want to end with presenting the gospel in the form of the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. 

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com