December 13, 2025 Morning Devotional
Morning Devotion: Read Proverbs - Keeping Your Heart in Wisdom
Proverbs 4:11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. 20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
The father continues his instruction to his son. Wisdom reveals two paths, the path of the wicked and the right path.
We are all prone to wander therefore wisdom must be taught, received and followed. It is the guide that keeps our steps strait and prevents us from stumbling into sin.
There are two strong admonishments in this portion of scripture.
Take fast hold of instruction. - verse 13
Keep thy heart with all diligence. - Verse 23
To fulfill these admonishments require personal purpose. One must consciously and continually use the instruction given. One must consciously and continually, with awareness, use the instruction to prevent oneself from falling into the path of wickedness.
To fulfill these admonishments means one must evaluate everything in the light of wisdom’s instruction. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Paul writes in Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”
Every time you make a decision to turn to the right hand or to the left, even in the slightest bit, you have lessened your walk with God.
Have you heard of the old idiom, “Give the devil an inch and he will take a mile”?
That is what happens when your heart decides to relax and relinquish God’s wisdom even in the most minuscule way. Every decision apart from God’s wisdom and way is literally saying “I am making God second place and making myself more important than God.” Which is exactly what Lucifer wanted Adam and Eve to do in the garden of eden.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
In our text, the father instructs the son not to give in to any way but the right way of wisdom and instruction.
My friend, don’t give in, even if it looks good, don’t give in, follow God’s wisdom and way. Stay on the right path.
The choice is still yours,
Pastor Cook
