Attend To My Words

            My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Proverbs 4:20-23 (KJV)

 

            When the Lord says, “Let Me have your attention,” it should make us stop everything we are doing and direct our attention and focus on His words. The importance of what is being said has been magnified by His insistence that we pay attention and listen carefully.

            We are drawn to a heightened awareness of the importance of continual communion with the Word of God that cause His words to find permanent residence in our hearts. As a son or daughter of God we have a special responsibility to honor our Father and His words. Verse 20 begins, Nb ben, My sons (translated as such 2978 times), or My children (translated as such 1568 times). This makes what is being said personal and exclusive to those who are in the family as children of God.

            The Father is talking to His child and giving important instruction concerning the issues of life. The word translated, issues, is the Hebrew word, hauwt towtsa’ah, which, besides, going forth, means, the source, of life. It also carries the thought of, escape from death. As the children of God we are being taught one of life’s most important lessons: Our life flows out of the Word of God, which is the source of life, and our escape from eternal death is held in its words.

            Nothing is more important to our well-being than the Word of God. Nothing has such weight and value to the human spirit, soul and body. Is it any wonder, then, that our loving Father would encourage us to keep His Word in the midst of our heart?

            The “heart” spoken of here is the inner man of the soul, the seat of our understanding. This word, bbl lebab, refers to the seat of our will, our inclinations and the seat of our appetites, emotions, passions and courage. No wonder that we are to keep the Word in the midst of our heart . For something to be in the midst, Kwt tavek, is for it to be fully permeated by and held in the center as prominent and dominant. May we be saturated with His life giving words today.

 

 

George

 

Copyright (c) 2009 George M. Stover Jr.