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Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro

Foolishness' Call and How to discern it - part 6 - Proverbs 9:18

3/31/2011

But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol. Proverbs 9:18

We now come to the closing verse of the this passage. We have been warned of the dangers of listening to Folly and her call to live foolishly. We've seen where she dwells and from where she is callling us. We've also seen that she is calling us with deception and lies. But the final warning that is given to us has to do with where those who listen to her wind up going.

One of the reasons we listen to the call of foolishness is because we do not realize where we will wind up spending eternity if we follow her counsel. We are told that we do not know, as we foolishly listen and follow her counsel that we will end up dead. We will go to the dead - because that is where all her guests find themselves in the end. What an interesting picture this paints for us. She invites guests to come and partake of what she offers to them. Yet what she feeds them, though appetizing at first - winds up killing them spiritually. What a hostess she is to us - lying to us and deceiving us into eating what will bring us death. This gives us another clue to where she is from. The other one who did this did it in the garden - with the offer of food to Adam and Eve. Satan offered them what seemed to be food that was delightful to the eye and that also looked good for food. But when they partook of it all they received was death. The same lie that was offered in the garden is the same lie that is still being offered to people by Folly today. And it has the same consequences - it yields death for us instead of life.

A wise man will learn how to discern when foolishness is calling. It is not an easy thing to do because we are fallen - and our tendencies are to walk in such things. It is only as we renew our minds with God's Word that we will be able to detect the lies of the evil one, the calls of foolishness to us, and the deception that is involved. But no matter what the cost for us - to discern foolishness' call is vitally important for us. It is also vital that we take the time to instruct and advise our sons and daughters to do the same. May God bring up a generation that learns to reject Folly's call - and instead - have our ears and spirits in tune with the voice of God's Spirit instead.

Foolishness' Call and How to Discern it - Part 5 - Proverbs 9:17

3/28/2011

"Whoever is naive, let him turn in here," And to him who lacks understanding she says, "Stolen water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Proverbs 9:16-17

Up to this point we have only had limited information upon which to examine Folly's call to us. We have had to use our understanding and insight to see that such a call is detrimental to us. But when we come to verse 16 of this passage we no longer have the slightest doubt that the call to foolishness is a call to wicked, sinful choices and to a life embracing deception and lies.

"Stolen water is sweet." This is the statement that Folly offers to us. This is her advice to those seeking to make their paths straight in life. This phrase is actually saying to us that stolen water is sweeter than water that you have by normal legal means. We are being told that there is something about immoral, illegal behavior that makes the water taste just better than it normally does. The quest of stealing it adds something - maybe a sense of adventure and risk - that just drinking your own water does not provide.

There is a biblical allusion here that Keil and Delitzsch offer that is fascinating to me. A passage in Proverbs chapter 5 is mentioned where we are told to "Drink water from your own cistern and fresh water from your own well." (Proverbs 5:15). What is counselled here is that drinking stolen water or water that is NOT from your own spring or well - is compared to adultery. If that is the case here in Proverbs chapter 9, then this passage explodes with meaning - and warning. Folly will encourge you to drink sexually from a fountain other than that of your own marriage. Adultery and fornication are being encouraged. Steal a drink from your neighbor's marriage - or from an unmarried woman's life - that kind of sex is far more sweet than being faithful to your own marriage. This is wicked counsel of the worst order! Whether or not this refers to stealing water - or adultery and fornication - either way, Folly is out to destroy us.

The second thing she says to us is that ". . . bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Here again Follly is saying to us that we need to be deceptive. Simply eating bread with family or friends is not enough. We need to be eating bread in secret - which intimates that we are doing something that necessitates hiding from others. Anyone with an eating or drinking problem will tell you that when you begin to hide your eating or drinking from others and do it secretly - you've got a serious problem. When I sneak a cookie - or buy some kind of food I know I shouldn't be eating - it is amazing how often I eat this food away from the sight of family - who lovingly would warn me that eating that way is not the healthiest choice for me.

The sad thing is that Folly is lying to us. She is saying to us that even the water and the food taste different when we sin in eating and drinking it. Normal living, holy living - is a drag - and only people who are boring live that way all the time. Live on the edge - do something out of the ordinary - live for yourself a little. These are the messages of the fool - and they are heard and heeded by other fools.

Amazingly - the truth is that God sees you even when you drink your stolen water - when you commit adultery in secret - or when you eat your bread hidden from the sight of others. God sees - and He will eventually expose you and show your folly. It is far better to live in open obedience - than to listen to lies that secret sin is better. This, though, is something about which we must absolutely warn our children. These lies WILL come to them and it would be much to their benefit to be able to recognize them as lies when they arrive. A wise father will take these things to heart and will take the time to faithfully teach his children to avoid them.

Foolishness' Call and How to Discern It - Part 4 - Proverbs 9:16

3/27/2011

"Whoever is naive, let him turn in here," And to him who lacks understanding she says, Proverbs 9:16

We continue to look at the call of foolishness and how to discern it. So far we've primarily looked at the place where foolishness dwells - the company that she keeps, and the way that she is sitting on the spiritual sidelines calling out to those who desire to live godly lives - being a dangerous distraction to them. Today, we see what she says - we see the actual call of Folly to those who will make the mistake of listening to her.

There are two things that foolishness says to us as she attempts to get us to turn our gaze from the path in front of us. The first is a simple call to come to where she is. "Whoever is naive, let him turn in here." We have seen this word "naive" (which is the Hebrew word "pethi") before. The thing that we need to see here is that the simple or naive is one who does not yet fully understand God's Word. They are deficient in seeing the world from God's perspective - and as a result their moral maturity is lacking. The call of foolishness to such a person would most likely involve a call to be open-minded to seeing things other than how God sees them. Foolishness does not usually say this outright - but the call nevertheless is for someone to listen to "another" view of morals and righteousness.

Foolishness calls out to those who are lacking "understanding." The word here is "leb" and it means heart. The reason foolishness calls to such a one is because they lack a fundamental growth in their inner man. They are lacking a heart for God - and as a result - they lack a true devotion to the Lord and to what He teaches. This is why they are a prime target for the evil one. He knows that they have yet to fully embrace God's ways and God's Word - therefore they can be picked off easily by a call to be broad or open minded.

This call for an open mind is one of the most dangerous things in the arsenal of the wicked one. It is not that God does not want us to think - but that He desires for us to first submit ourselves to His Lordship and His Word. The original sin in the garden was a rebellion that was centered in wanting to make up our own minds concerning the knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve partook of that fruit - far more than just a new taste was in their mouths. God desired for them to partake of the tree of life and live according to the life that God would grant them in Him. But because they listened to the devil and believed his lie - they decided to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They wanted to decide for themselves what "living" was about - and it yielded to them and their posterity - death.

This lie continues to this day - and is still effective among the sons of men. God has given us His Word - which shows us the way of life. It reveals to us all that we need to know to develop morally and spiritually. We can know life and life abundantly! The problem is that we hear another call - the call of foolishness. "Come on!" Folly says to us. "Have an open mind about these things." Folly would have us think that morality - righteousness - holiness is not just what God says. We should think for ourselves - determine our own right and wrong. God even knows that in the day that we determine these things for ourselves - we will be like Him knowing good and evil! But the lie kills - it killed in the past - and it will kill today. Hold fast to God's Word - and hold fast to how God defines life. Do not listen to the call of foolishness. Remember that the man is blessed who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scoffers. The man is blessed who meditates on the Word of the Lord - day and night - so that he may do all that is according to that Word. If we want to know Who to listen to in life - we should listen to God as He speaks by His Spirit through His Word. That is the way of life - and those who partake of this fruit will know life indeed.

Foolishness' Call and How to Discern It - Part 3 - Proverbs 9:15

3/26/2011

Calling to those who pass by, Who are making their paths straight: Proverbs 9:15

So far we've seen that Folly as personified in this passage is someone we do not want to heed. Yet still foolishness calls to us every day. Here in this verse we find that Folly is calling to us. The word "call" here has the idea of inviting, summoning, or calling by name. One thing we need to grasp in life is that while we live in a fallen world, sin is going to be calling out to us. A couple of insights from this passage, though, will be very profitable for our consideration today.

First of all we see that Folly is calling to those who are passing by. Thus, we see that if we listen to a call to foolish living it will be a distraction from us following the way that God has us going in our lives. Elsewhere in the book of Proverbs we are warned to keep our eyes directly ahead - focusing on the next step - focusing on the direction that we are going as we follow the Lord. Thus the best thing we can do is to stay focused on the way the lord is leading us and ignore distractions immediately. Let what the Lord is saying and doing presently in your life consume your vision - and be quick to ignore or put away other voices and other messages that try to pull you away from a singular pursuit of His ways and His paths.

Second, we see that the call of Folly comes as we are "making our paths straight." This speaks of someone who is actively wanting to walk in God's ways - in holiness and righteousness. This is when we can almost expect distractions and interruptions that try to call our attention away from a life dedicated to holy and godly living. It should be no real shock to us to remember that our lives are littered with signs, with noise, with everything that is trying to get our attention. Probably no other time in history had as many distractions as ours. This is why it is so important to learn to disregard the vast majority of them - and to disregard them altogether if they are interrupting your devotion to the Lord.

The desire of Folly is to first get our attention. Then as we hear what she has to say we find not just our eyes, but our minds becoming distracted from God's Word and ways. If our attetion is successfully maintained, then our reasoning will be challenged - which can lead to sin if we continue focusing upon ahd listening to the wrong things. A wise man learns to maintain his focus and to push distractions and disturbances out of his mind. In doing this, he does much to protect himself from the pitfalls and traps set by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Foolishness' Call and How to Discern it - Part 2 - Proverbs 9:14

3/25/2011

She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by the high places of the city, Proverbs 9:14

Where do we find foolishness calling to us - offering us an invitation to partake of her harmful food? We read here that she is sitting at the doorway of her house. If we remember the counsel of Psalm 1, this is not a good thing. Psalm 1 counsels us, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of the sinners, not set in the seat of scoffers." This woman, folly, is among the scorners - those who scoff at the things of God and prefer a self-directed life rather than a life directed by the Spirit and the Word.

We get an idea that Folly is a lazy woman from this as well. The wise woman of Proverbs 31 is not often sitting at the doorway of her own home calling out to others - but rather is working hard for her family. Those who call to us from sedentary lifestyles are probably calling us to a life that lacks diligence and hard work. This will not end well for us if we listen. Since this passage is directed to sons by their father, we would do well to consider our own society in this. One thing that I believe is robbing us of hours of our lives is our penchant for entertainment and games. Consider the hours daily devoted to television, movies, online gaming, and gaming on consoles like Xbox and other video outlets. I've seen young men waste not just hours, but days wanting to master games. I've known of young men who have wasted the better part of their teenage and young adult years laboring to be the best and have the highest score on these games. And since they produce new ones as well as update old ones - a young man can waste 10-15 years of his life doing little more than exercising his thumbs as his mind is numbed to the real world around him. Indeed foolishness calls to us from the lazy position of staying in the doorway of her home.

The second place we see Folly is on a seat by the high places of the city. This is an interesting location because it corresponds to places of false worship. God warned about worshipping in the "high places" because they thought due to the height of the place they were closer to God. The problem with the "high place" worship, is that it was usually not guided by the Old Testament Law. They would worship various deities there - and often would mix the worship of Jehovah with these false deities. Often the high place would involve a grove of trees for privacy - but these would also be used for the purpose of hiding the immorality and ungodly sexual practices that would happen there. Therefore God commanded the people to stay away from such places - and worship Him at the temple He established or the Tabernacle when the temple was not yet built. This would ensure that God's priests would be there to guide their worship so that it would be scriptural.

The "high places" of this present evil age are where Folly calls to us. These places do not honor God's Word or a proper worship of Him. They are filled with false teaching and errant theology. Folly sits there and calls to us to turn from the Word and from a lifestyle of worshipping God aright. Instead we are called to embrace a far more supposedly tolerant religious and moral life. God is presented as mean and oppressive in such places. We will find later in this passage that the counsel Folly gives is dangerous because it calls us to abandon God's ways and embrace worldly ones.

When we look at Folly's call we see that where this call is issued should give us pause to listen. Bad company will corrupt good morals - and often the place where such counsel is given should serve as a severe warning to us to turn away from it before it is uttered. A wise man notices where ungodly counsel congregates and tends to avoid such places - unless he or she is going to witness to them there. As the fools sit in places of laziness and ungodly doctrine offering their advice there - we should prefer to be in places where we know godly men and women meet - and where the Word of God is honored and God is worshipped in Spirit and truth!

Foolishness' Call and How to Discern it, Part 1 - Proverbs 9:13

3/24/2011

The woman of folly is boisterous, She is naive and knows nothing. Proverbs 9:13

For the next several days we will look at the call of the foolish. Solomon, inspired by God, gives us a fascinating look as he personifies the way that fools are called to the stupidity of following after their own lusts and the ways of this present evil time. He does this by making the call of the foolish into a person. Let's take a look at this portrait of the fool's call and seek to learn from it so that we will not be caught by her siren sounds and find our faith shipwreck on the rocks of flesh and the worldliness that it embraces.

We see that our nemisis here is described as "the woman of folly." This term is less than flattering because the word folly here is the Hebrew word "kesiylut" which means foolishness or stupidity. Thus we have here a stupid, foolish woman who is going to call to us. The word kesiylut coes fro the adjective kesiyl which means "a fool." Kesiyl is a very descriptive word in that is speaks of soeont who is unable to deal with life in a successful or practical way. It is used in Proverbs 1:22,32 to describe soeone who lacks any spiritual understanding. The fool here hates knowledge - loves waywardness (in regard to God's commandments) and is utterly complacent when it comes to spiritual things and any sense of accountability to God. Ecclesiastes 2:14 speaks of one like this as being someone who walks in spiritual darkness with a haze preventing the from seeing truth or righteousness. Therefore, when we read that this woman of folly is boisterous, naive, and knows nothing, it is easy for us to agree with this assessment.

Folly is boisterous. The word used here is "hamah" and it means to murmur, growl, roar, and howl. In this context we get several pictures of the one who will call us to a foolish lifestyle. They roar and howl as they live it up in their lifestyle. They see no consequences to their actions so they howl in their pleasures. I will probably sound too much like a puritan when I say this (but since I have great respect for the puritans, I would consider this a compliment) but they love their loud, rambunctious parties and revel in their wickedness. The one who loves his or her sin to the point of bathing themselves in it - is someone we should ignore. We see another picture with this word of how this one will react to righteousness and a call to a holy lifestyle. They murmur and growl at such things. We hear them complain and snarl at one who has the audacity to say that there is absolute truth - and that truth is God's Word. They hate it when the standards of God are lifted up - and even despise it more when those standards speak out against their chosen lifestyle of rebellion. We would be wise to recognize such things and keep our ears closed to the call of such people to "live it up" when the truth of their words is that they want us to "death it up" instead.

Folly is naive. The word used here is "petayyut" which means to be simple or naive. It has the idea of one who really is not aware of that their actions have true implications and do impact their future. The reason for this is as was stated at the beginning of this post - they are foolish and stupid. They really don't want to be bothered with the facts of where their lifestyle is taking them. They are the proverbial ostrich with its head stuck in the sand. The problem is that as they naively pursue their ungodly, unscriptural choices, the consequences of their actions are piling up for them. They cannot escape the judgments of God - because He has set it up so that rebellion has consequences.

Folly knows nothing. The statement here is about as plain as any made anywhere in Scripture. The word for know is "yada" and it is pretty much the basic word for knowledge in the Hebrew language. Folly is unable to learn, perceive, or discern. The call that is going to be issued to us - the call of the foolish - is one that is unable to discriminate between good and evil - between right and wrong. It is a deadly call because it is a spiritually ignorant call. Worse than that, it is a spiritually darkened and rebellious call. When we embrace the call of the foolish - we are embracing what is diametrically opposed to what God desires in our lives. Oh that we would learn to discern and recognize this call in all its various forms as it comes to us. This is what the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 5 verses 13-14. We read there that there are those ". . . who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. If we turn from folly's call and turn instead to wisdom's call, we will be able to grow in such discernment. That should be our worthy goal.

Speaking Frankly With Our Sons, part 7 of 7 - A Pondered, Straight Path

3/23/2011

Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:26-27

Watch means to weight out or to ponder. The idea here is that someone is pondering evil and then choosing to avoid it. It means to seriously think about the path your feet are going to take - and choose to take them in a direction pleasing to the Lord. Sometimes we don't think enough about the path of our feet. We just act and go along with our lives. We don't take the time to think about where we're going - what we're doing - and where it is going to lead when things reach a conclusion.

We are told that if we will do this we will have all our ways established. Ways is "derek" which again is the Hebrew word that refers to our lifestyle - the way we're going in life. To have that way or that lifestyle established means to have it firm and fixed. It means our lifestyle is one that is upright and good. We will have a life that matters and just as important - one that will be steadfast in what pleases and honors the Lord. There is also a sense in which we are being told our lives will last - whereas the worldling and the wicked man will only be temporary.

When we look at the way of our feet, we need to know not to turn to the right or the left. This is assuming that our feet are on God's paths and ways and not our own. When we turn to the right or the left, we are choosing to depart from God's paths and walk in our own, the world's ways, or those of the devil. Which ever of these three are true, we will find ourselves in a way that is wrong - and ultimately a way that will hurt and cost us.

The only turn we should make in life is one away from evil. The word "turn" here is a Hebrew word that means to go away from something, to desert it, to quit, to keep far away. When we see evil we need to remove ourselves from it - depart - honesly - RUN! To hang around evil is to court its greater influence in our lives. When we see evil we should hide ourselves from it. The longer we remain in the presence of evil, the more likely we are to participate in it. Thus the wise man runs from evil.

Think about where you're going. It is important to do this - to consider our lives and examine them from time to time. It is too easy to begin to wander from the ways of God - too easy to take a path that leads us away from the Lord. That is why this Proverb helps us so much - it encourages us to think through where our journey reaches its destination. We think about the end of things. When we do this - we will see the wisdom of turning away from evil and keeping clear of the wicked one and his ways.

Speaking Frankly With Our Sons, Part 6 of 7 - Distractions and Focus

3/22/2011

Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Proverbs 4:25

Godly fathers warn their sons about distractions. It was a distraction that led to the fall of mankind. It was when Satan got the man and the woman to look at the one thing they probably should not have set in their sights that they were distracted enough to make the mistake of not just look at it - but partake of the forbidden fruit. In much the same way, our sons are being constantly given things to look at that are not wise for them to put in the path of their vision. What we look at long enough - will so fill our vision that we want to partake of it. That can get our sons in all kinds of trouble.

Dad speaks frankly with his sons, telling them to have their eyes look directly in front of them. He says this again with greater intensity telling the boys to let their gaze be fixed straight in front of them. This is important for sons because they are going to face a tremendous amount of visual stimulation from the world. We are warned against a worldliness where we live for the lust of our eyes. This warning should remind us as fathers that what our eyes see can stimulate very strong desires that cry out for fulfillment.

David had a vision of a beautiful woman bathing in front of his eyes one evening in Jerusalem. He could have looked away, but rather than do this, David fixed his gaze upon Bathsheba. Soon, looking was not enough for David - he had to have more. That look led to a horrible set of problems, beginning with adultery, and ending with a devastating set of consequences for his entire family - indeed, for all of Israel.

Oh, how we need to use such things to warn our sons against the sins of the eyes. How we need to warn them to keep their vision fixed straight in front of them. They need to have a vision that dominates their lives - and it needs to be one where they focus on Christ. Paul told us that when we gaze at Him with unveiled faces that we will be transformed into the very image that is set before our eyes. May we be diligent in encouraging our sons to have that vision be the Lord Jesus Christ!

Speaking Frankly With Our Sons, Part 5 of 7, The Words We Speak

3/21/2011

Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.
Proverbs 4:24

Any godly father who understands spiritual things knows that when urging his sons to have godly hearts, he must also address in almost the same breath how they use their mouths. Jesus taught us the truth that it is out of the mouth that we know the condition of the heart of a man. He told us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Therefore when we take the time to examine the things that are coming out of our mouths, we will be able to better know what is lodging in our hearts.

The father frankly speaks to his sons about the need to put away a deceitful mouth and devious speech. The first term here about a deceitful mouth has to do with perversion and deceitfulness. It is a Hebrew term used to describe a person who speaks without any integrity in God's eyes. He would rather speak deceptive things than the truth, immoral things rather than moral. Scripture speaks of such a man as an evil, worthless man in Proverbs 6:12.

Our society is growing more and more coarse all the time. We know and see this through the language that we hear in the public square - and from the entertainment industry. I may sound old fashioned, but I remember speaking with my mouth about how an entire theater gasped in horror when Frank Butler cursed at the end of "Gone With the Wind." It was a ground breaking moment, but unfortunately was a harbinger of things to come. Now, what that one actor said is common fare during prime time TV and is considered nothing to us today. The language that is spewed at all hours of the day should shock us, but unfortunately we just yawn at the spiritual depravity of our day and move on with life.

The only way back to a godly, moral society is to rear a generation of sons who no longer consider such things commonplace. Unfortunately for us, one of the problems is the current attitude of the church.
We have moved from a cursing society to a cursing church. The rave of the day among some of our youth is the rise of conservative, evangelical preachers who litter their sermons with language that at one time made the world gasp in theaters. This development, while seeming to be really cool to some of our youth - will only result in a continued increase in those whose mouth is revealing a heart filled with perversion. Some may balk at this assessment, but when we see that the godly father commands his son to put such a mouth away - can this be too far off from the truth?

The second command of the father is for the son to put "devious" speech far from him. "Luz" is the Hebrew word used here and it means to be crooked or perverse. The idea here is to deviate from God. When our speech deviates from God's standards and God's ways - and in all honesty, from God's Word, we are headed in a very dangerous pathway. Knowing that some will read this wondering just what good, godly speech is - and what words that we should avoid - I want to comment very pointedly about such things.

Our current crop of curse words are focused on some very interesting things. A couple of curse words deal with defacation. When we read in the Old Testament that God required Israel to take a shovel and cover up their waste - it only goes without saying that speech that uses such words on a regular basis probably ought to be buried as well. The other more common curse words seem to center around a crass way of speaking about the reproductive process. Once again it is fascinating that God's commentary about this is that the marriage bed is holy and that sexual relations between a man and woman should remain in their own bed - and not in the common conversation of society. Some will scoff at such statements - but I would argue with them as to what kind of biblical admonition encourages such speech? Paul writes to the Ephesians, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification." Wholesome words are those words that are not rotten - and since God does not encourage worldliness, but greatly discourages it in 1 John 2:15-17 - we might also do well in discouraging speech that far more resembles the world than resembles the Word.

Fathers, we need to encourage a new generation of young men who speak so as to please God in all that they say. Their hearts need to glorify God with what dwells in them - and their mouths need to reveal the godliness of their lives by speaking those words that are good for edification according to the need of the moment for those who are listening. It would bless our society to see men who once again value a common-speak that does not offend or shock - but that blesses and encourages.

Speaking Frankly With Our Sons, Part 4 of 7, Heart Issues

3/20/2011

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23

The heart is the key to walking with God. When the heart is changed and sanctified, the life will be godly and will be pleasing to the Lord. But when a man's heart is not guarded and kept for the Lord, there will be problems. This is why the father who is speaking frankly with his sons, will urge them to do all that is necessary to watch over their hearts.

The word "watch" used here is the Hebrew word, "natsar" and it means to watch over something, to guard and to keep it. This word was used to describe how a person is to maintain something that is entrusted to them. Whether we truly realize it or not, God has given us our hearts. He has given us life and a direction in which it should be going. Once this wonderful gift of salvation and a new heart is ours by God's grace - it is our duty to protect it - and to make sure that we watch over what God has done in our lives. This "watching" is to be done with all diligence. The word used here is "mismar" and it means to have someone put into custody, to guard them. It speaks of things that are in a condition of being watched and controlled. What a fascinating word to use here. We are to watch our hearts and do so with a diligence that would be reminiscent of a prison - or the watch of a military unit at night. This is no casual affair, but is something that is of the utmost seriousness. God is absolutely serious about what we are doing with our hearts.

The reason for this "due diligence" over our hearts is because our hearts are vital to our spiritual lives. The father tells his son that from his heart flow the very springs of life itself. A literal way of translating this passage is to say, "from out of it are the issues of life." William Harvey, in the seventeeth century, discovered the circulation of blood in the human body. This one discovery absolutely revolutionized science and medicine. Over 2500 years before Harvey, the writer of Proverbs, inspired by the Holy Spirit, accurately spoke of how the heart was the very location where springs of life flowed out into the rest of the body. The heart pumping the blood of the body through the arteries - is the very wellspring of life for the entire body. If we watch out for the health of our heart - we are doing what must be done for a healthy body. Kill the heart - and the body will die. In a similar way, the heart is the seat of our spiritual life. Keep our hearts and we will maintain a life of holiness and godliness. Let our hearts go and we will find that the life of God will no longer flow freely through us and in us.

The godly father impresses such things on his son. He makes frank statements to his boys about the need to maintain a vital spiritual life where a heart for God is not just maintained, but is encouraged to flourish. The father who takes this job seriously will be the father who rears sons to be men of God. Dad, are you challenging your sons to maintain hearts for God and the things of God?