Welcome back, dear reader. It’s a joy and blessing to have you joining us again today as we continue our journey through Proverbs. Today, we explore Proverbs chapters 4 through 6—a rich segment of Scripture that urges us to seek wisdom, protect our hearts, and walk in obedience. These chapters invite us to three vital actions: Get Wisdom, Guard Your Heart, and Go!
Get Wisdom
Solomon begins Proverbs 4 with a reverent echo of his own father, David, saying, “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction” (Prov. 4:1, NIV). While Solomon speaks to his own children, we can also hear the wisdom of David behind his voice: “For I too was a son to my father… and he said to me, ‘Take hold of my words with all your heart’” (Prov. 4:3–4).
Solomon’s legacy resonates with his courageous assertion: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.” (Prov. 4:7, NIV). So many today long for the reward without the process—they want results without discipline, prizes without preparation. We live in an instant-gratification world, and wisdom does not come that way.
Sometimes, the issue isn’t laziness—it’s failing to grasp the immense value of wisdom. I remember sitting in high school algebra wondering, “When am I ever going to use this?” Ironically, I now work in data science, where mathematical reasoning is foundational. My brother-in-law is an electrician who uses trigonometry in his trade, though a chef may not. The point is: we don’t always know what life will require of us. What matters is developing the wisdom to meet whatever path unfolds.
So don’t just envy the insight of others—ask what they did to grow it. Proverbs challenges us not to wish for wisdom, but to pursue it.
Guard Your Heart
“Above all else, guard your heart,” (Prov. 4:23). That’s not just poetry—it’s tactical counsel for life.
My wife and I watched the film The Intern, starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. She plays a hardworking CEO with a stay-at-home husband who ends up having an affair. The movie doesn’t excuse his actions, but it illustrates something human: opportunity, left unchecked, can lead to disaster.
I’m not persuaded by the excuses people make for infidelity. I’ve made plenty of relationship mistakes in my life, and I can tell you with conviction—no fleeting moment of pleasure is worth the pain that betrayal brings.
So how do we guard our hearts? First: remove opportunity. Affairs don’t “just happen.” When you’re married, you have a responsibility to excuse yourself from situations that compromise your vows. If you stick around, it’s because some part of you wants to.
Second: guard what you feed your heart and mind. Garbage in, garbage out. Modern entertainment—even PG-rated films—often glamorizes temptation. What seems like harmless flirtation on screen can erode our boundaries. Proverbs warns us to “keep your mouth free of perversity… fix your gaze directly before you” (Prov. 4:24–25). Your eyes shape your desires.
Jesus emphasized this, too, when Peter walked on the water. Peter stood firm as long as he kept his eyes on Christ; however, he sank when he looked at the wind and waves (Matt. 14:22-33)
Guarding your heart isn’t about retreating from the world. It’s about focusing your heart on the One who holds it.
Go!
Before I knew Christ, I might’ve looked at these principles—avoiding suggestive content, speaking with restraint, pursuing wisdom—and thought, “What a boring life!” But I would’ve been wrong.
Proverbs doesn’t end with denial—it ends with direction. These chapters call us not only to internal change, but to external mission. When we cultivate wisdom and purity of heart, we become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. And where He leads, we follow.
Go serve. Go speak. Go witness. Go find someone whose life needs light. In doing so, we find ourselves surrounded by new friends, Spirit-filled purpose, and a life far too joyful to be boring.
Citations (Chicago Style)
- The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. (Prov. 4:1–25; Matt. 14:22–33)
- The Intern, directed by Nancy Meyers (Warner Bros., 2015), film.
