Prayer: Father, may I value Your instruction like a son. May I see myself as a son in Your eyes. Restore to me the relationship with my son. Amen.
Reading: Proverbs 4 key: vs. 1-4
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction.
Pay attention, to gain understanding.
2 For I give you sound learning—
do not forsake my instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
tender and special to my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me:
“Lay hold of my words in your heart,
keep my commands and you will live!
Attention: Most of us have wounds which stem from our fathers. None of us had perfect fathers growing up. Even Solomon’s father was not perfect. If you know his father David’s story, he had his flaws.
Today, Solomon is appealing in this proverb to his sons. In the prior two proverbs and several of the following, Solomon addresses the proverb to his son. In today’s proverb, he even reflects on his relationship with his father.
For most of my childhood, my father worked swing shift, which means he worked evenings. I only saw him on weekends. In the first few years of working for Boeing, he worked many weekends too. In fact, there was an entire year in which he did not take a day off, except the major holidays. The work was available, and my family had moved from Kansas to Washington State, because the economy of Wichita had collapsed. It was a providential move, as God provided for our family. But dad was not available.
A popular phrase today is the phrase “absentee father.” My dad was absentee due to work schedule. Some of your dads were absent due to military obligations or through divorce, which I have experienced. Regardless of how a father was absent, most of us have suffered loss of instruction which we desperately needed. Mothers were given a role from God which did not include being a father too.
Have you ever experienced a connection with a teacher, with whom you hung on their every word? They were captivating and possessed a mastery of language which made you feel they were speaking only to you? For the continuation of our study in Proverbs, can we assume a role as a son of Solomon’s and as a son or daughter of Adonai? Can we view ourselves as being mentored by the Holy Spirit? This is instruction which we vitally need. Solomon is so assured of wisdom of which he has been divinely gifted, that numerous times he defines wisdom as the essence of “life.” Wisdom is life giving! “Hold on tightly to instruction, do not let it go—guard it, for it is your life” (vs. 13).
Solomon and us are separated by centuries of time, but the wisdom he speaks is still essential and foundational to our lives. Are you listening?
Action: I am listening Lord! I will pay attention to Your instruction given through Solomon. I will guard my heart with wisdom.
Yield: I am following instruction when I will not walk in the way of evil people.
Engage: I am engaged when I listen and obey instruction.
Relationship: I am being a son when I listen and receive instruction.
Prayer: Father, I am Your son and I show that to my family and friends when I listen and obey Your instruction. I am Your son. Amen.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 4:13
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom
and the man who gains understanding.
Music Video: Micah Stampley – Take My Life
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”