December 16, 2025 Morning Devotional
Morning Devotion: Read Proverbs
Proverns 4:20 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.
Three times in Proverbs chapter four we see the word “heart.” In fact, the word heart is mentioned 78 times in the book of Proverbs. It would seem that the heart’s relationship with wisdom is important.
Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Proverbs 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Keeping something on your heart denotes an intimacy and a love for the item or issue of importance. When something is on your heart you are continually thinking about it and caring for it. When something is on your heart you create a protective barrier around it so that nothing comes between, hurts, defiles or hinders you and your hearts desire. It is a heart issue.
Is the wisdom of God on your heart? Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding is to depart from evil.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
How do we protect that which is in our heart? Proverbs 4:20 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.
We must first address the issue of possession. Does your heart posses the wisdom of God? How can you have intimacy with something you do not have in your heart. Without possessing the wisdom of God in your heart, then the interest in the wisdom of God results in nothing more than infatuation.
In our world today there a host of people infatuated with the things of God and prophecy and biblical truths. Many people are looking and trying to figure out what is happening because of the intrigue not because God is on their hearts.
The same people are trying to figure these thing out so they will know what will happen to them in the end. While the born again believer looks into these things to find out when their true love, their hearts possession will return and be with them.
One is concerned with self and self protection while the other is concerned about their true love, their hearts desire. Can you see the difference?
The second issue is protection of that which you have in your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
In effort to protect the wisdom of God in our hearts we let the wisdom of God guide us and lead us.
Proverbs 4:24 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.
These verses teach us how to protect the wisdom by using the wisdom to make proper decisions thereby protecting the heart.
These instructions and more are found in the book of wisdom the bible. One person said the B.I.B.L.E. is God’s “Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.”
Do you read the bible? Sin will keep you from the bible and the bible will keep you from sin, and that is primary the issue of the heart.
It all begins with having Jesus in your heart.
The choice is still yours,
Pastor Cook
