7 day plan

The Wisdom of a Father (or Father-Figure) across generations

Day 7 of 7

NIV

Proverbs 4:25-27

25Let your eyes look straight ahead;

fix your gaze directly before you.

26Give careful thought to the paths for your feet

and be steadfast in all your ways.

27Do not turn to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

Reflection:  We’ve spent the last seven days in Proverbs 4 on the path to wisdom. As the Proverb closes, it reinforces (as biblical wisdom often does) the point to keep our eyes straight ahead.

As a child, I rode on an inner-city horse carriage. If you’ve even ridden one, you may have noticed something called a blinker or a blinder, which are placed on either side of the horse’s eye. Many horse trainers believe that these keep horses focused on what is in front, helping not be distracted by things behind or to the side.

Hopefully that’s what Proverbs is to you. An encouragement to keep focused on the path towards God and his wisdom. An encouragement to give careful thoughts to the paths we step on, to be consistently faithful to God’s call to love him and love our neighbour. And to keep our feet from the evil that will distract us, or in many cases, destroy us and our families.

If you’re feeling under pressure, or feeling like you’re down the wrong path, or if you feel that the path is blurry and out of focus, turn to the wisdom of God, the lessons of Proverbs and the message of his Son Jesus in the Gospels. My prayer is that his Word, Jesus, and his written word through the Bible, will turn you towards the God who loves you.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for setting us on the right path. Thank you for giving us wisdom and the opportunity to turn to you. Help us to turn towards you if we are deviating from your path. Help us to see clearly the path you’ve called us to. Help us to reach our hand out to others who may be drifting. And help us to see your Son, Jesus, in all our journeys.

Days

Proverbs 4:1-27

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

1Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

2I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching.

3For I too was a son to my father,

still tender, and cherished by my mother.

4Then he taught me, and he said to me,

“Take hold of my words with all your heart;

keep my commands, and you will live.

5Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or turn away from them.

6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

8Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honor you.

9She will give you a garland to grace your head

and present you with a glorious crown.”

10Listen, my son, accept what I say,

and the years of your life will be many.

11I instruct you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

12When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.

13Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life.

14Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evildoers.

15Avoid it, do not travel on it;

turn from it and go on your way.

16For they cannot rest until they do evil;

they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

17They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

18The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

19But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

20My son, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to my words.

21Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

22for they are life to those who find them

and health to one’s whole body.

23Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

24Keep your mouth free of perversity;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25Let your eyes look straight ahead;

fix your gaze directly before you.

26Give careful thought to the paths for your feet

and be steadfast in all your ways.

27Do not turn to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.