May 19th

May 19th -- Proverbs 4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%204&version=NLT)

A Father's Wise Advice

Please go read this passage, as I will not be attempting to sum it up. Things like Psalms and Proverbs are more like concepts than anything, so they're almost impossible to sum up and I'd hate to wrongly convey any part of it, so go read it, please.

I just came back from Overflow 2013. (Life-changing btw, but that is for another post on my personal blog). Now, at that place, God spoke to a LOT of people. That is INCREDIBLE, but it's not if we don't let it change anything - if we turn away. The first two verses say we need to pay attention to the wisdom from our father... and then NOT TURN AWAY FROM HIS INSTRUCTIONS. It then talks about wisdom, and how great it is. Then avoiding the ways of the wicked, for that will bring you down the wrong path. It then says to "pay attention to what I say", as well as listen carefully and let what they hear actually change their heart, because those words bring life. Action words are no good if we don't apply them into actions.
Also, I want to point out that in verses 23-27 it makes 3 big, but short points.
1) Guard your heart. This passage says it determines the course of your life. Be aware of what your heart is set on, because if it's not set on God, it's steering you away from Him.
2) Avoid perverse talk. Stay away from corrupt speech. I don't think that needs clarification. But I just want to point out, in a Beth Moore study, she made a great analogy. Our bodies are like ships, and our tongues are like rudders. They seem tiny and insignificant, but they can steer that whole ship. Where's your tongue steering you?
3) Look ahead, mark a path, and don't get sidetracked. We talked about this at Overflow. Living for God is like a race. We need to choose to mark off/follow that path, then fix our eyes on Jesus/the path, and not allow ourselves to be distracted from it.
When you hear God, folks, LISTEN. Listen and then DO NOT TURN AWAY FROM WHAT YOU HEAR.

That's all! God bless! Shalom!