This will probably speak more into the life of men than women because as men we tend to not want to read the instructions before attempting to put something together. We don’t ask for directions when we are lost either, but we’ll save that for a whole different post :)
Man or woman, some of us will try to do things on our own without following instructions. When we pay for an item, it’s not like we get a discount by not using the supplied instruction manual. So, why do some of us discard the instructions and just start putting something together as if we knew what we were doing? For some of us it may be that we have experience building things and we figure that everything is basically put together in the same manner so why waste time with reading the instructions? Sometimes it is a matter of not believing we need the instructions; sometimes it is just because we are impatient. In the end, generally what happens is if we don’t start with the instruction manual first, we end up having to take the item apart after putting it together improperly and then succumbing to reading the instructions to find out what went wrong. Of course, this method will lead to the project taking more time as it ends up being put together, partly taken apart, and then put back together correctly.
Why be so prideful that you think you can do this on your own without the instructions? A lot of times we actually try and do the same thing with God. How can we worship and honor God or even pray in a language he understands if we haven’t taken the time to get to know him more? The Bible is kind of like an instruction manual. Not in that it gives us step-by-step directions, but in that it shows us step-by-step God’s plan for redemption of his creation and how the order of the universe will happen. It shows us how we can come to know and understand God on a greater level the more we study and meditate on the scriptures.
Proverbs 4:13: Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
Here God’s instruction to us is to “Hold on to instruction” and “guard it well.” Why? Because it is our life! Do you want to go through life following your own ways only to make a mistake and realize that you have go back in your thought process and your actions and try to correct what went wrong so that you can continue on in the proper way? A lot of our missteps could be avoided if we just try to learn about God and His ways through reading and studying the Bible more.
As important as instruction is to life, in Proverbs 4:23 we learn something that is more precious than the finest gold:
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
If we must heed instruction because that is a key element to our understanding and living the life we were called to live, then guarding our heart protects the source of our life. The heart is the muscle responsible for keeping us alive physically. Without it, oxygen doesn’t get carried through our bodies and our organs suffocate and die. Knowing how important our heart is, why are we so careless with it? We open up our hearts to the first person that shows interest in us. We let our guard down and feel comfortable with people we barely know! Our hearts are very precious to us and precious to God. He calls us to guard our hearts and protect it from evil and death for it is the wellspring (source) of life.
Has anyone said hurtful things to you? Have you been taken advantage of in the past and even realized it was happening, yet did nothing to stop it? Once someone begins to attack your heart and see that you are becoming weary, they will not stop so you can recover. They will keep coming at you until they have taken away all of your joy and hope and turned you into an angry and defeated person. Pray to God for the strength and wisdom to get that negative person out of your life. If you aren’t in a situation like that, pray for protection from opening your heart to someone that may take advantage of that for their personal gain.
Seek God and his righteousness and he will protect you and instruct you in his ways if you just let him. Fill your heart with God’s love for you and reflect that love back upon him. That’s all he truly wants is to have a relationship with you and be trusted with the heart he gave you. God created your heart just for you and he wanted it to be filled with his Holy Spirit). With your heart for God and the Holy Spirit filling it there is nothing that can stand against you to cause you harm. Follow God’s instruction for your life and he will keep you following the straight path.
Related posts:
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 23
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 7
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 9
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 2
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 31
Tags: Bible, daily devotion, God, meditation, prayer, proverbs 4
