May 23, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 23
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Following Scripture Verses

1. When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2. And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4. Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9. Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10. Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11. For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12. Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13. Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15. My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27. For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30. They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Today's Pathway:
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"My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." - Proverbs 23:26

In today's verse Solomon puts out a plea to his son. He asks him for his heart, and he asks him to observe his ways. There are several thoughts that I have concerning this, and we will take them in reverse order. First of all, when Solomon asks his son to observe him, he is implying that the direction that he as a father is heading is the right way. This is very important. We parents are setting an example for our children whether we intend to or not, and we must be living in such a way that when they imitate us they will be doing what God intends.

Second, Solomon is calling for his son to pay attention to him. He wants to be observed, for he knows that he is providing proper leadership to his son. I wonder if we are living in such a fashion that we want our children to watch us, so that they can grow up to be like us?

Finally, and perhaps most important, Solomon opens the verse by asking his son to give him his heart. He wants his son to trust him, love him, and desire to be with him. Personally, I believe that Solomon never could have successfully asked his son to observe him if he hadn't gotten his heart first. People follow after that which their hearts desire. If a young man loves baseball he will watch it every chance that he gets, and he will want to learn everything he can about it. If a man loves cars, he will watch races, visit garages, and read magazines so that he can know everything about the automotive industry. When a child gives his heart to his father or mother, he will desire to be with them, and ultimately be like them.

Do you have your child's heart today?

Pastor Mark J Montgomery