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Day 11
Day 11 | Stop When Convicted
ACTIVITY
Your Call To Act (C.T.A.) today is:
- Pray prior for 1-minute
- Read Proverbs 4
- Stop when convicted and consider what you need to stop, start, or continue
- Pray for 4-minutes today on the subject you that convicted you using the P.A.C.T. method.
When you are done, feel free to comment below on what convicted you.
PROVERBS 4
4 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
TRANSCRIPT
Goal: Stop When Convicted
Fellas, we are now on week two and day eleven.
So let’s recap the last couple of activities about reading scripture. Two days ago, we discovered the importance of prayer prior to reading scripture as it gives way to God revealing the path, how we get off, how to get on and stay on the path. Remember the Bible is not like other books it is a living thing—it’s God’s spoken and breathed Word. Yesterday we discovered we need to identify author intent as we read scripture. Since we are not the original audience, we need to understand what the author intended to communicate. Today we are going to add another exercise to these previous two—discovering the importance of conviction in our reading.
The end goal of reading scripture is change. Change only happens when we allow the Spirit to convict. It’s one conviction, one day, and one scripture at a time. Ultimately, it’s the conviction that God is the truth and we are not. It’s the conviction that God’s way is the way, and our way is not his way. But each time we read scripture we discover small convictions regarding our beliefs, attitudes, and actions. Much of this is reactive, meaning that we are convicted of some manner of sin in the recent past. Therefore, when we read scripture daily, we give more opportunities for God’s truth to convict us and His Spirit to work on us and truth to shape us. These daily convictions lead to steps toward us becoming a more perfect reflection of Him in this life.
Therefore, every time I read scripture; I’m looking for something that convicts me. Something that God wants me to address in my life. Usually, after I have prayed, and have identified the author’s intent, God hits me with a conviction. He “speaks” to directly to me. I mostly experience this in a stray thought during a momentary reflection. It’s a stray thought that says something like this:
- “I wish I was more like that.”
- “I never should have said that yesterday.”
- “I am bothered by this [fill in the blank].”
- “I need to deal with this [fill in the blank].”
Usually, at this moment I immediately stop reading. While I impulsively want to get through the reading, I must stop. Immediately. And I just linger for a moment. Grab a scratch paper, journal, or stick note and jot down what I’m thinking. Or I just pause to reflect on what you want to stop, start, or continue.
So today here is what I want you to do. I want you to pray prior just a short prayer, try to identify author intent in your reading, and then let God’s Word convict you. When it does convict you, I want you to stop and reflect on this conviction. Don’t read forward, and don’t worry about finishing the chapter. It does not matter. Remember the point is personal change. Linger here and let it sink in. Clarify the conviction and what you need to stop, start, or continue. And then spend about 4-minutes in prayer on this topic.
When you are done, and if you feel comfortable, go public with your conviction in the comments below.
DEVO
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.—Proverbs 4:18
When a man makes the right choice, it has great outcomes. One act of righteousness has a widespread impact. The unintended consequences of a righteous man are warmth, clarity, vision, and understanding that forcibly shine through their thoughts, attitudes, and actions. But here is the best part—when one right choice stacks on another, and another, it multiplies. These choices become a way of righteousness (similar to a path) and get brighter over time, and become seen by all.
DO THIS: Be remembered and leave an impact with your many righteous choices.
PRAY THIS: God, may my life be a reflection of your glory and righteousness. May it shine a bright as day, more brilliant than the darkness of all my bad choices.
Share That You Completed Today's Challenge
Done # 11. Be careful of the things you say.
Need to make these verses a daily focus item!!!
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Conviction of mine is holding a grudge against someone
My lack of pursuing wisdom.
Stay with it Brian
I need to put more effort guarding my heart. Jesus broke a huge stronghold in my life, I need to look straight ahead and create new and better habits.
Conviction came early with the first verse: to listen to my father’s – and Father’s – instruction.
Guard against evil doings.
Guard our hearts above all else – it determines the course of our lives. From Proverbs 4:23
How often do I try to solve life’s daily challenges with my own prideful solutions. I need to Start by stepping back and asking what would the wisdom in God’s word suggest these challenges be solved. I need to Stop listening to media, sports stars, social media and believing they have solved all ills.
Taking small continuous steps on the path of righteousness makes the path more clear and less difficult to stay on creating a daily habit. It requires constant focus as to not stumble.
It seems like the theme is don’t even go there, guard your actions.
Still trying to listen & discern the holy spirit as I read and pray!
Convicted
Put away from you a deceitful mouth.
I feel convicted to find an accountability partner
Verse 24 really convicted me reminding me that even my conversations need to be watched
I MUST guard my thoughts and the input that goes into my heart. All else flows from that.
Keep your heart with all diligence”. Don’t forsake my teaching”. Was convicting for me. My spiritual diet, or my lifestyle in general has not been healthy enough to maintain solid obedience.
vs. 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Guard my heart Lord for you have taught me right from wrong.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
I’m not sure if this is a proper response or not but most of my life I’ve looked up to the certain people for the wrong reasons. That is something that I am in the process of changing.
It is so easy to “…forget an turn away…” from the words of God on a page. I’ve only heard from God on a few occasions, and most of the time it feels like He is absent. That makes it easy to turn away and forget His words like in verse 5. I need to continue reading daily and start recalling the words of God from His Word.
I have been lax with teaching and instructing in the home and relied too much on others, pastors, church family, when it came to shepherding my son and now as he has become a teenager I see him quickly going the prodigal route. It starts in the home and I need to step up and be the man that God created me to be.
A father giving instructions to his son . Some times I don’t always follow instructions
thank you for this study about conviction. Puts things more into perspective when God is maybe speaking to me about things in my walk with him.
I like the verse about guarding your heart. My heart should be devoted to the Lord foremost, and then devoted to my wife second. Guarding implies keeping out things that could distract this heart focus, or that could divert my heart from the Lord or my wife.
(2/2/21) Proverbs 4:26-27 The Passion Translation
“Watch where you’re going! Stick to the path of truth, and the road will be safe and smooth before you. Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked for even a moment or take the detour that leads to darkness.”
I must focus on writing the book
I like the thought of cumulative goodwill that comes out of trusting in wisdom. While this isn’t formulaic it is a pattern that does work and I can see it in my life. When I help others without expectation at times I am rewarded in other times I just haven’t been rewarded yet. Its a mindset.
I like that too Michael
Wow, this passage really hits home about wisdom. The last verse really convicts me because of how easy it is to get off the path. Just a slight step in the wrong way can lead to disaster. Mine was responding to a message from a facebook “friend” female and in one weekend almost cost me my marriage.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Yes brother—DO NOT TURN!
Verse 13 was the first place I felt convicted. I have had a lot of anxiety over the years often about dying. There are many verses that have comforted me and this one did too. It also speaks to an area of repetitive sin I’ve had, that I just have to obey God to find life. It reminds me simply that God has instructed me what to do, I just have to do it. As I’ve heard before “it ain’t brain surgery.” So thankful for reminders like this and that He has given me instructions.
Yes Brad. I am praying that this anxiety will fall off you today! Live free from this anxiety today!
It is amazing how reading Scripture has shown me or better yet convicted me of how much I need a Saviour and how big a sinner that I really am.
Martin, you are one busy guy today! Thanks for catching up.
prov 4:13
It is so easy to let go of instruction. I must learn that holding on to instruction is the only way to keep life. I have to pray for His hand and to keep on focusing on Him and His Word.
It’s far too easy to speak ill of those with whom I am annoyed or frustrated. (This is an area God has been working on in my life.) I will continue my journey of learning how to speak on what is helpful and life-giving. “Keep corrupt talk far from your lips.”
Good thoughts here JH 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
Get wisdom, stay away from evil and do what is right.
Complete
It was good to listen and read about God’s wisdom and how I need to continue to ask God for wisdom every day. The evil one is always trying to sway me to do evil things. It is a blessing for me to know that God is by my side always and saying no. Praise God!
Thank you for this study!
I was convicted through the example of the father diligently imparting wisdom to his son just as his father had done for him; I am praying to become even more engaged in doing this with my daughters
I was convicted about the deceitful mouth, l will weigh my words more carefully. Words that bring honor to God not dishoner
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
Feels like I’m always stumbling and need God’s wisdom.
My conviction during today’s reading in proverbs 4 is that I must fight to guard my heart and lead my wife to guard her heart. There are so many pulls from other people in this world to do better that would lead us to a different path. I feel that the path that I am being led down in not often traveled and is frowned upon by others. I pray that as I pursue the truth that the Lord will strengthen my pursuit of him all the more.
“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.”
I need to keep on the path that is laid before me. I need to stop getting sidetracked by other people telling me I need to do this or that. When I start to do Other people’s will I get angry and resentful because it is what they want or is best for them. I think it is merely evil trying to get me off the path so I will stumble.
Our heart can be wicked or pure depending on what we bring into our bodies. By guarding it with godly or spiritual things we are able to grow in our knowledge of the Lord and live according to his will. It becomes evil when we do not protect it and allow wickedness to enter our lives and leave it to its own devices. When we will fill our hearts with Christ, God’s ways can flow through us and our actions to bring him glory.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
This was convicting for me as I continue to try and keep my mind and heart pure From the lust of the flesh . I know if I sow to the flesh I’ll reap death and if I sow to the spirit I reap eternal life. Gotta keep sowing to the spirit.
I need to allow God be the teacher and show me Wisdom.
To not allow evil to deep into our heart to be filled by the love and wisdom of the lord. Let our hearts grow closer to the lord because it’s what leads us to the right path of righteousness!
23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
I continually have to repent of what comes out of my mouth but the problem is really in my heart. I have to stop, step back to a place alone, take a deep breath, repent, ask forgiveness, and start again.
Oh My God! This one chapter for me, convicted me of so much. Each verse seemed to remind me of some lesson I have learned elsewhere in the bible over the years. And theses words were written even before we saw Jesus.
When I was a younger man my father said he liked the way how I thought about somethings and to keep my head and guards up. Didn’t know what he meant at that time but he was giving me instructions and advice to make the right decision and good choices about life and to stay out of trouble. I learned from the (Proverbs 4 ) that wisdom can keep you safe and prolong your days with life.
stop rushing God
Comoleted
I need more compassion
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
Because the dark side is a deep void, you can’t even tell why you’re sinning ? it’s like a vice or addiction, don’t even know why you do it anymore, makes it much harder to stop. God is light, the path of righteousness is like a bright ☀️ morning ??
v 26 “Ponder the path of your feet”….very thought provoking…how I walk each day is so important….there are so many snares that want to trip you up…keep my thoughts straight ahead toward Christ!
Understanding #998: is having discernment for the proper moral righteous action. That is to say, we have understanding, in the Proverbial sense, when we don’t do the wrong we know we shouldn’t. God, help me acquire understanding. Help me to not do the things I know I shouldn’t.
Several times, we are called sons. Just like my actions reflect upon my earthly father, so to do my behaviors paint the way people view God.
We are to pay attention and gain wisdom from the Lord. We are to keep our attention and focus on the Him, not getting distracted by the things of this world.
This is a hard one for me. The busyness of life sometimes dictates what we do and where our focus is. I thank God for the extra quiet time I have been able to have with Him because of COVID. And while I pray for the virus to be quickly eradicated, I do not want to lose the time of focusing on Him.
The amazing journey I am incountering with being well-rounded today, verse 22 stands out by a continued healthy lifestyle as I look to the light having wisdom and being free from fears in ways he is leading me into a new way of an abundant successful life.
Convicted of thinking of wisdom as the world does instead of God’s meaning.
I almost wept when I heard do not forsake My wisdom.My whole life I have been a huge audience of my friends.I never sought the truth and I was led to think and believe Christianity is boring.This brought forth an addiction that I got deep into and me searching in all the wrong places for satisfaction.I’m keeping in touch with another recoveree who is leading me down the path of recovery and re-establishing myself.
“Watch over your heart with all diligence“ hit me the hardest today. I need to watch out for what I take in through my eyes so that my heart is healthy and serves the Lord.
i definitely need to work what comes out of my mouth is not corrupt talk.
God convicted me for my poor language and temper. I tend to not speak so eloquently when I am angered.
As God desires to lead & speak into my life, I need discipline to not even look to the right or left (things out of His will) or I am more easily lead away into sin & will miss God’s best.
Completed
I need to slow down and listen. I need seek wisdom, ask questions before reacting to situations. Wisdom comes through hearing not through talking.
“Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands “
Guard my heart!!!
“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.”
Turn from it!!!!
Love his prayer:
God, may my life be a reflection of your glory and righteousness. May it shine a bright as day, more brilliant than the darkness of all my bad choices
“Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips“
Many times I talk like a fool and make course jokes. However, I also read in John last night that Jesus only does the will of God and only Thy Will. I must tame my tongue
Stay off the path of wickedness. I remember being in verse 16, not being able to sleep until I did evil, and evil still gave me troubled night. Instead walk the path of righteousness. vs 18, it is like the morning sun. I have had a beautiful spring in AZ, with bright sunny cool mornings, nothing better to walk and listen to the birds. vs 25 Look straight ahead.
wow…..What great instruction on how to stay close to God and to live a fulfilling life.
Stay humble, keep my eyes on the Lord. He will lead the way in all situations. Do not seek pay back,
and He will show you the way. Serve those in need. Share your Faith , with all.
verse 23 caught my attention: “Above ALL else, guard your heart, for EVERYTHING you do flows from it.” God gave us all new hearts when we made the choice to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we need to guard that heart of flesh from sin and temptation. The only way to properly guard our God-given hearts is to be in The Word daily and in prayer daily, allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us. I have fallen behind in my daily prayer life, but I am not getting discouraged from this, rather I am getting convicted to keep going and keep praying. I know the devil wants me to feel guilty about not praying, and some days, he wins, but God just wants us to be open and honest and MAINTAIN a relationship with us, the only ways to do that are prayer and reading the Bible, so let us all focus on making or keeping those things a priority in our lives brothers in Christ.
I had to stop after reading vs. 24 “Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” which has been something I get convicted in often but especially recently. I struggle too often when it comes to saying or condoning inappropriate jokes and speech that is far from God-honoring.
I neglected the challenge for several day, brothers, but I’m back now, and recommitting to sticking with this every day.
I only made it as far as verse 3 before the conviction hit me. It was about my relationship with my mother, which has changed drastically since my dad passed away 3.5 years ago. I want to be an attentive son, but I’ve neglected staying in touch with my mom as regularly as I’d like to in the past few weeks. I’m recommitting to calling her at least once a week, and to finding new ways and renewing old ways of connecting with her starting today.
The rest of the chapter was beautiful and meaningful, of course, but the “permission” to stop when I felt convicted and pray then really made a difference to me. Thank you, Vince! And thank you, brothers in this group, for going on this journey with me.
I didn’t guard my heart or words like I should have today. I confess I failed. I ask for forgiveness and give thanks that God loves me even or especially when I bomb it.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
This verse convicted me both on the positive and negative side… the positive such as love, etc… the negative such as sin… “all things flow from it”…
Verse 21 convicted me to start memorizing scripture.
There is a portion in this passage that mentions that we must listen and ACCEPT. I must not be “selective” about the parts of God’s teaching that has gravity in my life.
“Get wisdom!”
Wisdom doesn’t just happen… you have to go out and ‘get it’. I am convicted that I need to invest more in the acquisition of wisdom… not accepting passivity, but searching for it actively
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Everything I think, say, or do is a result of my heart – my inner being. I have allowed a lot of junk into my heart over the years. I need to guard it, by keeping God’s commands and laying them on my heart. I choose to live for God!
Verse 19 convicted me on how I just get so distracted by sin that I dont really know what’s going on.
Verse 4 , “Take hold of my words with all your heart, keep my commands and you will live. Whether I consider God’s 10 commandments, or the 2 that Jesus left us, I was especially convicted of loving my neighbor as myself. Oh how I fall short of that. Continue to work in / on me Lord.
Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Is the versus that struck me. Just last week an old friend that I used to hang out with more frequently before I became a strong in my faith kept correcting his somewhat vulgar language around me. I’ve had other of my old friends do this to that would have never thought to clean up their language around me before do the same thing.
I often get stressed with my kids and sometimes say harsh words that hurt their feelings as well as leave other invisible scars that they could carry the rest of their lives. They could use those scars to shape how they think God sees them, or how He loves them. I have to be careful of the words that pass my lips. They are more powerful than we think they are.
This chapter describes the war between wisdom and wickedness. It is tempting to view sins as interesting, fun, alluring, but this chapter tells us that we need to run from this. My prayer is that I will increasingly run from sin.
To guard my heart and to not turn away from His wisdom or understanding. Often I know what He asks but try to do or fix things my way.
I seek the Lord’s wisdom and discernment so that I too can walk the straight path as well as assisting others in finding their way to that path.
stay on the path of righteousness
I want to days behind any prayer to. Keep my commitment of a study for I’m really enjoying it.
My thought for today scripture is keep my thoughts pure and my path straight.
Forgot to comment on this one…
Was convicted at verse 4, “take hold of my words with all your heart”. Praying for zeal so that I do take hold of God’s word with all my heart.
Above all else guard your heart and everything that flows thru it and keep from speaking perversity! I’ve gotten into the habit again instead of feeling for people I seem to be judging them.
I get distracted by the things and people around me – need to fix my eyes on Him
My conviction is that I should often patiently, happily listen to people, even when I’m in a hurry and they keep repeating the same thing.
Listen to Gods instructions, he will lead you on straight paths, you will not stumble, but you must not let go for it is your life
Guard your heart for all comes from it.
get wisdom. fill my heart & mind with things that are good, right, true to crowd out the junk that is all around.
Verse 8 and 23 made me stop and think
Big difference between being smart and wise.
True wisdom leads to salvation.
You can’t “smart” you way to Heaven. Sadly I have friends who have “smarted” their way from Jesus and eternal life.
“Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.”
“Give careful thought”=intentionality
I “give careful thought” to my prayer life, my morning Bible reading, and my faith…notice the pronoun…”my”.
Lord, help me provide better leadership for my family (Your children) to guide and support them in their faith journey, and not just on my faith journey.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Do whatever it takes to get understanding. Life can be a cruel teacher that leads to understanding. Seek the Lord in understanding because he has already paid the cost.
Wisdom, Wisdom. It has brought me clarity and joy. I need God to help me turn away from evil. I’m blessed
My conviction is to keep my guard rails up and stay on a righteous path. It is so easy to lose to temptation.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
My key verse today was verse 23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” When I think of heart, I think of worship. I need to reserve (guard, not let anything else in) my heart for worship of God alone. If I let other things into my heart (which I often do), it impacts everything…my ability to connect with my wife, love my kids, focus at work, etc. I start to fail in these areas, and I wonder why. It’s because my heart isn’t right. Every I do flows from it, according to the verse. God help me to get my heart right that I might worship you alone. That’s what you deserve, and it’s what I need for other things in my life to work properly. Amen.
I seem to have a slow absorption rate. I know people who will leave a morning worship service talking about the great sermon and how it touched them, and others who will leave singing one of the hymns or songs from the service. For me, I could rarely tell you what the sermon was on or what songs we just sang, but about Wednesday I will be singing the song and mulling over the sermon. I need time to absorb it before I can start to think about it. I find the same is true when reading scripture. No matter how much I pray and ask for enlightenment I see nothing new when reading, but later need to revisit a portion because I suddenly think about an aspect that I didn’t see when reading. This can be frustrating, because I honestly want to see what God will reveal, but find nothing at the time. However, it seems that the thoughts that come later usually stay with me.
Keep the Faith! We are almost 1/3 of the way on our 35 day journey.
I am behind a day in responding. Vs 23 convicted me. I need to guard my heart…above anything else. I allow my heart to be taken by a multitude of things and I need to guard it. Whether it is impure thoughts or low thoughts of self worth. Above all else I need to guard my heart. Yes, I need the power of the Holy Spirit to help me in this but it is my responsibility to guard my heart and the thoughts that affect my heart.
I am convicted that my struggles with habitual sin are tearing me down. I must renew my commitment to praying through temptation and resisting the urge to give in
V.20-22
I am to continue to memorize scripture because God can use it within me to help others in time of need
This chapter talked to me for sure, verse 8 “prize wisdom”. When you prize/cherish something, it gets your full attention, every part of you. For me it’s the wisdom and discernment I gain when he is first. That’s what helps me keep all else in balance, good stuff!
I was convicted by needing to be in the Word more so.that I can use it to guard my heart and my thoughts. This series is helping me do that. I.pray that I continue the series and beyond the end of this devos I continue to read daily.
Many times i find when reading I do not fully understand what is being read. I need to stop and understand what the author is trying to tell me more. Before continuing on in the reading. I need to understand that the reading is not a race, but well laid out plan for growing in my faith.
I loved the analogy to the morning sunrise.
I felt a strong conviction from God towards my addictions. The true path of honesty and wisdom, the straight path, can be very narrow and hard to stay on at times. The evil, the darkness, is ALWAYS trying to pull me off to one side or the other. Trust in God, read scripture daily and the straight path will become wider and easier to stay on.
Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
Proverbs 4:25 At the beginning of the year I spent some time with God praying for one word to focus upon for the year. The word that was impressed upon me was “clarity ” . This passage helps me to realize that God has already “cleared ” a straight path for me. My part is to focus on it and not even glance off to get ideas of what lies out there off that “clear” path.
Everyone Starts as a small tender child and learns through their parents the wisdom they need.
Verse 24: keep your mouth free of perversity. I know I can do a better job with speaking life rather than being negative( specifically at work).
Wow..proverbs 4!!!! Talk about a punch in the gut reminder! I have a lot of work to do men, please help hold me accountable as I will in return do the same for you! Headed to Guatemala today. Please pray for my travels and my discipleship while there. Thanks brothers! Please let me know or us know if there is anything we can be praying for you about!
I was convicted by the statement that all my actions flow from my heart, so both good and bad actions. So I need to guard and harness what flows from my heart. This has echoes of Jesus’ teaching that w hat you treasure will be where your heart is.
I realize that I need to spend more time chasing God’s wisdom in his word. Although, there are definitely things that can be learned from other sources (books, sermons, etc), I should be fixated on God’s guiding wisdom in the bible.
For me the conviction comes in what I persevered as the authors intent which is to direct his audience to seek wisdom, counsel and companionship with God. Companionship comes through actively seeking wisdom directly from the author of wisdom. To get closer to the source of all wisdom. And finally to stay connected. Run from those easy distractions!
Man… So many times I just want to keep reading so that I don’t have to stop and deal with the issues that the Spirit is whispering about. Just had this happen yesterday and ended up talking to my wife about it. It was hard but I felt so much better after I did! Thankful for God’s Word.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
I was struck by verse 4: Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all of your heart; keep my commands and you will live.” I think perhaps that I’ve tried to do too much, and I need to step back and concentrate more on fewer things…gain a deeper understanding. Or perhaps I need to press harder into the Word, because there are idols to be removed from my life…lessen the distractions.
Seek the wisdom He provides & your path will be straight. Try to do it your own way (wicked) & you will stumble. He knows best so listen & he obedient.
“Keep your heart with all vigilance.”
We have to make an intentional choice to remain pure in our thoughts.
Stay away from any wickedness and keep the wisdom given to you close to your heart. Cherish the wisdom and the path will be straight. Guard your heart, steer away from wickedness no matter who is trying to tempt you with sin.
Keep your moths free from perversity. Let corrupt talk be far from your lips. Over the past few years I have noticed that I have allowed myself to joke around more in ways that are not honoring to God or anyone. This part of the passage gave me pause, so I am pursuing using my speech to lift up others and not let coarse joking be ok anymore.
I need to “love wisdom” and seek it in God’s Word, and in the believers that God has put around me. I need to change/improve my daily routine to grow spiritually and be the man God wants me to be, so as to disciple to others.
I’m convicted by all the ways he tells me to listen. Stop and listen! Listen and act! Don’t just let it be a nice thought! Listen, do, be faithful, follow!
In verse 13 where the writer says to hold on to instruction made me stop and remember how frustrated me and my parents both get when they instruct me and moments later I’ve forgotten what they said and have to ask again
Sometimes I don’t listen to wisdom, I think I can solve issues on my own. That’s why I have to pay more attention to my path and my footsteps and follow God’s wisdom and not my own.
My prayer is that the mistakes I made as a father will not haunt me, as a Christian, through the grace of GOD I am a new creation. I’m happy to bear the cross set before me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am so blessed that my daughter and family live with my wife and me. I’m greatly blessed serving my God of unlimited chances.
Verse 23 was my stopping point. God convicted me about guarding my heart. When I am not careful about what I let get into my heart, I should not be surprised about the feelings or words that come out in times of stress or tension.
I need God to literally help me stop some of the things that I am allowing to get into my heart meanwhile filling me to overflowing with who He is. Only then will I be able to consistently show love, mercy, tenderness, and grace to those around me even in the midst of the stormy situations in our lives.
I am thankful for this word today and God’s conviction for me.
My son, pay attention to what I say: listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of sight, keep them within your heart;
For they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.
I need to continue to have faith that my new way of living “sober” is the only way to live. I also believe when I trust in gods word it’s clear to me I can and will live a sober life.
I was convicted at “pay attention.”
🙂
Left my phone at a friends house last night.
Verse’s 23 – 25 Guard your heart, your mouth and your eyes.
Envy, jealousy and covetousness creeps in and perverts the blessings God has already given you. Lord thank you for your restoration in my life. Gain God’s wisdom and cherish it.
Keep looking forward and do not speak badly on anyone. Do not stray and be tempted by evil.
If we pray for wisdom and understanding, hang on tight and resist the temptation to rely on others including ourselves. What greater gift than to be blessed with understanding his word so when we commit to him, do so unconditionally.
Convicted through reading/listening/prayer today that I change my speech to fit in with the people I’m around. Thank you Lord for this conviction and help me to change!
I keep forgetting to post in the morning when I do this challenge.
Proverbs 4:5 stopped me.
I am wisdom challenged these days.
It’s easier to be complacent than to strive for excellence…
What I mean is, I know I need mentor. “Get wisdom! Get understanding!…” seems pretty clear.
What hit me right away were the words that have come out of my mouth at times which made me a fool. Words will affect your life and others in a positive way or a destructive way. God’s way is always the best way.
God is good. Always!
Considering that I just had a left hamstring/knee injury, I was stopped@ verse 12. I sometimes am guilty of not staying on the path before me, and I stumble. He did not create me to stumble, I need to keep my spiritual eyes wide open.
I was convicted by the last few verses today. Keep on the straight path. Don’t get side tracked by the sinful things.
” . . . And DO what I say”. It is not enough to agree with Scripture, but I must take action as described.
“Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.”
Proverbs 4:13 ESV
I felt more like I was to keep this verse in my heart and to be aware of what the Spirit was going to convict me of in future lessons. He disciplines those He loves. He told me that this morning. So I am eager and a bit scared at the same time for how He will do this.
I felt convicted by my inconsistent prayer time and alone time with Jesus. Verse 13 hit me hard.
“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.”
This challenge so far has been exactly what I needed. I need to continue this beyond the 35 days!
I’m with you Brian on “exactly what I needed”! I too need accountability so I hope one of you younger techie guys can set us up a blog of some kind. What really has been helpful to me is the perspective shared by each one of you as it helps me look at things differently. Let’s stay ALL IN!
Be convicted. Seek wisdom. Make changes.
I’m my prayer before I read scripture I asked the Lord to help the words transfer from the page straight to my heart. Then I read:
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart.
Too often I I find myself reading the Bible just to read it. Today I was convicted to slow down and truly absorb what I am reading and apply it to my daily walk!
Lord, may I seek Wisdom and get insight. Living intently for you with purpose and understanding. May I be a steward of the body you’ve given me. Wisdom, Insight, Understanding.
The verses that stuck out to me were verse 5 “get wisdom, get understanding”, verses 14-15, “don’t set foot on or walk in the ways of evildoers. avoid it, DON’T even travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.” and verse 23, “above ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART, for EVERYTHING you do flows from it.” Since I rededicated my life to Jesus just a few years ago I have been doing everything I can to get wisdom and understanding of His word and His plan for my life. To repent LITERALLY means to turn away from something and go in the opposite direction, do a 180 or make a U-turn, as the pastor at my church has taught me. My bible study group has helped me to come to the understanding that EVERY action and word comes from the emotions and personality in my heart.
Verse 19 was convicting. I was reminded of a few stumbling blocks that I’d been blind to for a long time.
Good challenge. Thanks
For me I am immediately drawn to thoughts of me discipling my own son. How I need to be intentional with instructing my son how to and which why to walk in this world. It takes patience and a lot of grace.
“Hold onto instruction, do not let it go. Gaurd it well.
I was convicted in verse 23 to keep my heart spiritually vigilant, I wasn’t last night, just lazy watching tv
Yes!!!!
I need to stop allowing the sin of lust to flourish in my life.
Done.
My conviction came in the form of just keep moving forward, staying on course with the plan God has for me this year!
Here is what jumped out to me:
“So make wisdom your quest— search for the revelation of life’s meaning. Don’t let what I say go in one ear and out the other.
So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.”
Proverbs 4:5, 23 TPT
This is a command for me. I need to do a better job of seeking Him in the moments when I could do that versus watching TV or doing something else; even when I have already done my devotions. I believe He wants to take me to a higher place. I need to place seeking wisdom first. I feel I can improve in this area.
Lord, thank you for your Word which pierces right to the heart. I am thankful for how you love me and show me the right path. I surrender my “extra” time to you. Remind me if I loose focus. I have a purpose in You. I am ready for what is next. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Wisdom vs knowledge 2 different things. Wisdom of God vs Knowledge of man. I’ll choose wisdom.
I always hated in Literature class when the teacher said read this and tell me what the author meant by what he wrote. Yesterday we learned that we need to do that with the bible reading. I should have prayed before reading in my literature classes because it help understand intent. So my conviction is prayer in all things.
I think this is why I love sunrises and sunsets…
Verse 18: The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Day11:
I have not done a very good job in my life of holding onto instruction. Prov. 3:11 and Prov. 5:23 pretty much sum up why it is important. I haven’t valued the chastening of God’s Word and in the second set of verses it talks about dying because if a lack of instruction. I know no better way to provide correction than God’s Word and I had forgotten why continual renewal of my mind through the Word of God is the best way to correct my thinking. In prov. 4:23 it talks about keeping your heart with ALL diligence. I haven’t done that. Thank you Lord for your Grace and Instruction!
“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”
Proverbs 4:13 NIV
”Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23 NIV
God will you keep working in my heart with the Holy Spirit ! Use me for your Glory and define my path as you wish. Amen
What is in my heart will show to ALL ! Keep it pure by gaurding what gets in
I was convicted by the passage that spoke of the path of wickedness. It said, “Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.” When I see evil or wickedness, I am to change direction and keep moving. Not to pause or linger, but to intentionally make a change and walk on a different path.
I was just reading a devotional that I am into….and it quoted Prov.2.10..”Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul “….funny sometimes you get an exclamation point on something you are reading from an entirely different source! Cool.
Lord help me to work on the wrong doing of my tongue and let me use it for your glory instead of it’s evil ways.
The first few verses stopped me in my tracks, realizing that my biological father wasn’t able to guide me because of his struggles with life. Which led me to think of my lack of wisdom and my struggles to guide my children when they were small. My conviction is that it’s NEVER too late to help guide our children or others for that matter especially with the different ways of communications we have today (texting, Skype phone, or in person etc). Knowing that we all need Gods words for life, its imperative that we share them with our children even though they may be adults now. It leads them to life.
Took a while reading this small chapter. Lots of stopping for convictions and reflection. I can easily relate to many past, and current, sins similar to these…but Great! Is thy faithfulness. In Jesus I’ve found forgiveness. Though I need more of Him and less of me. More wisdom, understanding, and change.
I looked up the word that stood out to me and that is perverse and perversity, and one of the definitions was cranky and things that reflect a bad attitude. I’ve been reminded of this many times before and it looks like I’d better work on this more diligently.
Convicted to stay in the word. “Get wisdom, gain understanding” v.5
Every time I listened to this, my kids were immediately in the forefront of my mind. I had two of them listen to this twice with me. My comments to my boys were that. God needs me to be a better father, mentor and teacher for them. to help them also become the best person/ persons they can be. This is what God conveyed to me in this session.
God wants us to know that He is for us; that he has GOOD instruction and gives it with love. As a father’s desire to help his child avoid the pitfalls that he has experienced, He gives us direction as we walk the Path of Life. Help me to stop thinking I know what to do, but to rely on God’s word and ‘advice’. Continue to heed His instructions……help me Jesus.
Verse 13: hold on to instruction, do not let it go, guard it well, for it is your life.
I feel convicted in that I haven’t guarded instruction in the form of regular Bible time. I pray that this challenge will set me on a new trajectory of guarding that instruction once we are done, that my life may be more fruitful to those around me and especially to God.
Get wisdom at all costs.
The author, King Solomon, mentioned that he was instructed by his father when he was young and being cared for by his mom. That struck me as the balance and him saying…hey, you are going to need both of our voices in your life to grow up well rounded, with wisdom and a proper understanding of discernment.
I get convicted because I used to let Tina run with that instruction more often than not, now that my kids are older, there is still some instruction to do but it’s a completely different place as they should have the foundation laid to make wise choices. My role as a father is now a role as a grandfather and a confidant if my kids need a safe place to talk through things.
Understand exactly what it is God wants of us, to stay the path of righteousness in the face of temptation and evil. Be aware of all your actions and all your words.
In verse 23 word says guard your heart above all else and this is the part that got me thinking that so many I allow my heart to be affected by a situation that is frustrating or maddening or a lot of times it’s just a bad attitude and I feel like the Lord is telling me to try to cut those things off faster than I have been and get my heart right with him quicker.
I feel conviction this morning on having a judgmental heart. Always thinking I know where people are at and what they need to change. My father reminds me this morning to guard MY heart (and mind), I am responsible to seek him and what he is asking of me and let him deal with working on others how HE sees fit. He is so good and gentle with us.
Stay the path, do not turn right or left.
Lord please help me to continue to guard my heart, remind me when I stray and lead me on your straight path.
My conviction….though more than a few could certainly stand front and center…would be to stay the course, keep my eyes straight ahead, follow my path, fix my gaze directly in front of me. Do not wander… as I tend to do. This I pray for…for me and those family and friends that can be affected by that lack of concentration I sometimes have.
I did not get a feeling of conviction during this read. During other times of reading I have felt conviction and I will remember this exercise.
Verse 23. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
We live in a society teaming with temptation. Sexuality it’s pervasive. Sexual thoughts are my downfall. I’ve been working hard to avoid it, but I must continue to guard my heart, my eyes, and my thoughts. Satan doesn’t just want me to stumble, he wants my total destruction. Not only that, but he wants me to take as many people with as possible. God continue to give me strength to avoid temptation and deliver me from evil! Let me be a vessel for your goodness!
get wisdon and stay from eviel people,
Listen, my son, accept what I say. I will instruct you in the way and lead you along the path. I can’t count how many times I hear, yet I fall back to my path. Lord, give me strength and conviction to stay on your path, the only path!!
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. How often we compromise and “go with the flow” of our society , co-workers and friends. We are instructed to not even set foot on that path at all.
Vs 25: “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”
I must keep my focus on him, eliminate distractions and worldly things
I was reminded today that I need to direct my focus toward acquiring wisdom and understanding rather than just trying to not sin. I am much more likely to avoid the wrong path when I am pursuing wisdom and understanding because my focus is on God rather than sin.
Convicted! Grateful! Hopeful! Resolved!
Proverbs speaks to me as a wise Father to his son, do this or don’t do that for a better life.
Gentlemen guard our hearts. For what we put in, good or evil, will be what comes out.
I was convicted by v6. I know Solomon was talking about wisdom, but when he said, “do not forsake her “ I read that to mean my wife. I pray for God’s forgiveness.
I think the writers intent is to wake us up. He says “listen” and “pay attention”. He wants to shake us from our slumber.
My conviction came in verse 24.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
In my workplace there is a joke that goes around “that’s what she said”. It is crude innuendo, and God wants me to STOP any participation. He wants me to ignore it.
I have heard the following sayings. “I only “tease“ the people I care about”. I never have heard or seen an instance of teasing in the Bible. I need to stop doing it!
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” My gaze is often distracted by things I fear. My main fear is the fear of man. I fear what others think, and thus I am can be weighed down by trying to impress while at the same time, fearing that I will fail. I imagine all that could go wrong and that can paralyze me. This verse reminds me of Hebrews 12, where we get a more clear picture of where we are to set our eyes: Jesus. That is where I need to keep my eyes, straight ahead on him.
“Do not forsake wisdom”. There are plenty of times I stray and know it at the time whether it is an easier path or driven by my thoughts on deserving something. I know it may not be the wise thing to do. I need to remember not to forsake wisdom and she will protect me.
I think the writers intent is to wake us up. He says “listen” and “pay attention”. He wants to shake us from our slumber.
My conviction came in verse 24.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
In my workplace there is a joke that goes around “that’s what she said”. It is crude innuendo, and God wants me to STOP any participation. He wants me to ignore it.
I found Proverbs 4:23 to be convicting. This verse says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is a wellspring of life.” The LORD is encouraging me to focus on not allowing the fiery arrows to penetrate my heart, to accept the things that cannot be changed at this time rather than seeing it as a negative hopeless situation and being in despair. He reminds me that He is faithful to His children and that His timing is perfect and to trust in Him, alone. He’s got this!
God, help me make another good choice today. Thanks for this conviction. I am!
Verse 10 caught my attention,
“Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.”
I kind of wasn’t sure, so I kept reading through the rest of the chapter. I went back and read again. During the following prayer time God made it clear that was the one.
Love it Ben.
So I confess I was not convicted at first, I caught my toe on verse 12. When I went back and read it a second time I fell flat on verses 13-15. When I was done reflecting and praying the internet kept crashing. Especially when I go to post. God made it clear to me that here is the instructions to walk the way of righteousness.
My favorite verse is Psalm 92:12
” The righteousn shall flourish like the palm tree; and will grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. “
Thanks for staying with it Eric.
Stay the course. Listen and follow him. Avoid the wicked path. Hold to your convictions to avoid evil. He will give us the wisdom we need
So as my retirement draws near, I have become more and more nervous about the decision to leave a job I have enjoyed for 33 years . I am leaving at this point because it has become a job I no longer love for different reasons. But am I leaving because of the wrong reasons? Should I look at it differently? Is my work not done there? But as I read today, I realize I am beginning a new job that lacks the “importance” of the last but begins a new focus on a job that has potential to reach many for His Kingdom. The job that became a worldly job at the end now gives me the experience necessary to work to further Gods glory!
I am getting more and more excited as I learn Gods plan for me!
Awesome!!!!
v23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
So important to stay in the word for wisdom and direction to keep me on the right path and bring me back on when I stray. All in!
Acquire wisdom from God’s word, love and cherish wisdom and understanding.
God provides the guidance and instruction that we need to glean wisdom and understanding. Accountability among our brothers is crucial for us to stay focused and grounded as we learn together.
Verse 23 is convicting me. Reading different versions helps my understanding.
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. NLT
Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. TLB
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. NIV
Substituting the word “affections” for “heart” convicts me big time. I know that some of my affections (lust and physical sex) have been wrong for the past couple of years. Thank you Lord for correcting me.
I like the word “affections” as well Ed.
Yes, Agreed.
It amazes me how much wisdom God has given me and how much I have fought to utilize it over the last many years. I pray that I God will bring me back to being that person I was of days gone by.
At first I wasnt convicted. I had to start over and read again. The verses 14 and 15. Tripped me up. God made it clear to me that this chaper is how to change. What we need to do to stay clear of temptatio. It tells us how to walk on the path of righteousness.
Psalm 92:12 ” The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; and be strong like to cedars of Lebanon “
So I struggle with the not stepping in the foot steps of wicked and following in their path and not speaking with the wicked. I am a Firefighter and the assistant Chaplain and I’m trying so hard to not “be one of the guys” but be an example and its really hard around the kitchen table to not get caught up in the negativity and joking. This year and This challenge is where I begin that change!!!
Be strong in this conviction!
Back to wisdom and understanding. What’s speaking to me is not the comprehensive part of understanding but the adjective. To be sympathetically aware of other people’s feelings; tolerant and forgiving.
Squirrel, one of my favorite verses from EMAW came from the leader pack of memory verses: Proverbs 24:3-4…”By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” If we want to build good relationships, we need a foundation of understanding…the kind you’re talking about.
I need to LEARN to be wise. I need to let GOD be the teacher.
My conviction this morning was the first word in the first verse, “listen”.
In verse 10 Solomon again writes “Listen, my son, accept what I say”.
What a difference between listening and accepting. When I receive wisdom from God and others I need to humble myself and yield to it. I think if I do, my speech will be more acceptable to those around me.
YES that’s where it begins
For the ability to receive and share God’s wisdom
Does what comes out of my mouth reflect the person God wants me to be?
Truly not always….
An observation from the text today is that Solomon gives contrast by comparing two thing:
1) wicked
2) righteous
Those who are wise are associated with the righteous, and those who are wicked are associated with foolishness.
Take away: I often embrace a “good enough” mentality. While that may be permissible when you’re not going to gain much more from the effort you put in, I throw in the towel too soon, too often. I need to repent of this wickedness, more specifically, laziness that leads to wickedness, rather than sober mindedness that leads to righteousness. I need some Holy Ghost leadership to think wisely through my decisions.
Stay strong, guys! Keep connecting here daily!
The fact that God holds wisdom in such high esteem finding great value in it, and had each of his prophets write about it… that should be our (not so) subtle cue that wisdom is something we all need more of in our lives.
Stand up to evil
Wisdom is a gift, given to us, we should not waste it, an treasure it when he gives it to us! For it will light our path in darkness.
Keep focus on Jesus and turning away from the path of the wicked and evil and using edifying language.
Want to be more like Jesus? Hang out with other believers!
Remember we used to spend a lot of time with our neighbors thinking I could be a light to them, turns out they were having a bigger affect on me…. Pick friends that Love Jesus
Stay the path and accept the wisdoms of GOD!! Amen!!
At my age I have many experiences and knowledge. I need to have God turn these into Wisdom. I then need to turn this Wisdom into actions that reflect Christ in my life.
The world offers us infinite ways to find happiness but not fulfillment. Happiness without fulfillment does not last long. For me I find both in God, my family, my friends and my Church. And fishing:)
I have to keep on the straight paths. Many times I have taken the broken road that leads to nothing
Stay on the path through Christ and tame your tongues.
Solomon thought that wisdom and understanding was the most important things to have. Worldly wisdom is not what Solomon had in mind, here either. Wisdom and knowledge of the things of God should bring a person even closer to God; and therefore, keep him from failure. He speaks of wisdom as if it is a person. Wisdom is spirit. Conviction; Always seeks God’s wisdom and His understanding. This takes action on my part.
It is so easy to get “off” or perverse in your speech just to fit in around others. But God has not called us to “fit in” but to be set apart.
I like this—”It’s not fit in it’s stand out.”