When I was a son to my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments and live; 

Proverbs 4:3-4

In Proverbs chapter four we are privy to a very personal conversation. Solomon, now the king of Israel, continues to implore his sons to be wise and that if it isn’t enough to just hear his admonitions, he begs his son to listen to his grandfather, King David. These are God-breathed generational pleas from father to son to grandson. They are as applicable to the female in a household as they are for the males in a household. The whole conversation boils down to…

Hold Wisdom Fast in Your Heart!

You may have noticed, as I have, very strong recurring principles about Heart Matters… 

First

All these admonitions are personal. God is not talking about the other gal who annoys me in my yoga class. He isn’t bringing His truth home to the snob cousin who always tries to outdo me in every conversation. At least, God is not trying to reach these ladies while I am reading and studying these verses. God is speaking directly to me! Hopefully…prayerfully, the women and men in my circle will also read and study these principles and when they do God will be reaching out specifically to them. But, today, and in these 31 Days, God is requiring my listening heart and yours!

Second

The ‘heart’ in these four verses (and I imagine in the remaining verses this month) is active, NOT passive. My heart is being kept. My heart is being written on. My heart is trusting. My heart is holding. And not only is my heart active it is continually active. It is always being kept, written on, trusting, and holding. And not only is my heart continually active; it is collectively active. While my heart is kept it is written on and also trusting and also holding and etc… as we keep adding ‘heart’ verses to our knowledge and wisdom.

Third

If the above two insights are true, and I believe they are, then I must wrestle with the absolute truth that I, and no one else, is responsible for the ‘what’ and ‘who’ that is going on within my heart or as we have learned, the ‘what’ and ‘who’ that is within my very soul. What and Who is my heart keeping? What and Who is being written on the tablet of my heart? What and Who is my heart trusting? What and Who is my heart holding unto? 

Fourth

God is asking us, He never forces, to keep Him, Jehovah-God, as the Who is keeping, as the Who is writing, as the Who is being trusted, and as the Who my heart is holding unto. God also makes clear that the proof that it is He we keep as our Who, is in the keeping of His commandments. It is in binding kindness and truth together, it is in not striving against Him and wanting our own way. It is holding fast to His wisdom! 

Fifth

When we combine all these remarkable conversations God is having with us and truly trust Him with all our hearts to commandeer us deep down in the depths of our souls, then and only then will life on this earth be worth living! 

And…

Sixth

…Whew!! That is a lot already! Cannot wait for tomorrow and ALL God has for US!