Let us pay attention to the word of God!
[Proverbs 4:20-27]
Have you ever heard the word “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD)? This disorder is a psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents with distraction, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and learning disabilities. The symptoms of this disorder are characterized by poor concentration and impulsive behavior. There is large change in emotion and symptoms of poor memory. It is also difficult to predict behavior and difficult to control anger. Also, because they are weak against stimulation, they are good at interfering. It is reported that 75% of children with this disorder consistently have behavioral problems such as hostility, anger, aggression, and rebellion (Internet). When I think of this attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, I thought that among us Christians there is a spiritual attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A characteristic feature of this disorder is that we Christians not only don’t focus well on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith, but also don’t focus well on the word of God. Rather, we who have this disorder often speak and act impulsively because of our emotional changes. How can we overcome these obstacles? How can we focus well on Jesus and focus on His word?
If we look at the first half of Proverbs 4:20, God is telling us this: “My son, give attention to my words ….” I would like to learn 5 lessons from today's text on how we should pay attention to the word of God:
First, we must listen closely to God’s words.
Look at Proverbs 4:20b – “… listen closely to my words.” King Solomon has already said in Proverbs 2:2, “Turning your ear to wisdom …”, and in 5:1, “… listen well to my words of insight”. I think this age in which we live is a flood of information. There seems to be so many things that our ears can also hear due to the information pouring out here and there. The problem is that the more we hear in this information age, the more difficult it is for our ears to hear God's voice quickly. As a result, it is easy for us to make unwise and improper choices. The unwise and inconspicuous choice is that we “will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their (our) own desires, they (we) will gather around them (us) a great number of teachers to say what their (our) itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3). We must listen to the “sound doctrine”. We must listen to God's word. The reason is because as we listen to His word, we will become wise and understanding. Then we will be able to discern and hear the information and words pouring out like the flood in this world with wisdom and understanding of God. Jesus said in John 10:27 that the Lord's sheep hear the Lord's voice. As the Lord's sheep, we must listen to the voice of the Shepherd. This is the life of paying attention to the word of God.
Second, we must not let God's word out of our sight.
Look at Proverbs 4:21a – “Do not let them out of your sight, ….” King Solomon has already said in Proverbs 3:21, “My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight.” However, I think we are breaking this word and causing God's sound judgment and discernment to let them out of our sight. The reason is because Satan is constantly tempting us to live and make us driven by the lust of the eye (1 Jn. 2:16). As a result, we often walk by sight rather than by faith. How can we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7)? In order to do this, it is important for us to look at and read the record of God's word and ponder it (Park). Why is this important? The reason is because by doing so, our faith is strengthened (Acts 17:11-12) (Park). When we fail to focus our eyes on the Lord and keep turning to difficult situations or people around us, we are bound to shake. Even in the Bible, the disciples of Jesus looked at the storm. They were afraid because their faith was shaken. It was because they couldn’t see the Creator God who controls the storm. In order for us not to make this mistake, we must open our ears and listen to Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:17). The reason is because faith comes from hearing the words of Christ. Not only our ears but also our eyes should pay attention to the word of God. We must see, read, and meditate on the word of God, so that our faith can be strengthened. Also, we must keep the Bible next to us and read it all the days of our lives (Deut. 17:19). Therefore, we must learn to fear God so that our hearts are not prideful over others, and we must not turn aside from His commandment, to the right or the left (v. 20). And we must walk with solid faith, seeing with our own eyes and looking straight at the Lord (Prov. 4:25). I remember the words of Hebrews 12:2 – “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We should pay attention to Jesus, who perfecter of our faith. This is the life of paying attention to the word of God.
Third, we must keep God's word within our hearts.
Look at Proverbs 4:21b – “… keep them within your heart.” We cannot end by just hearing the word of God with our ears and see with our eyes. We must keep His word well within our hearts. What is the reason? Look at verse 22: “for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.” The reason we must keep God's word well within our hearts is because it not only becomes life to us, but also health of our whole body. In the end, both our life and our health are under the sovereignty of God. When we hear, see, and keep the word of God within our hearts, “God of the spirits of all flesh” (Num. 16:22) will also protect our lives and our health. So, King Solomon says in Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
I personally believe that we Christians, especially church leaders, should be good at managing. The basis for this is 1 Timothy 3:4 – “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.” The apostle Paul is saying this as one of the qualifications of an overseer. Then, when we asked what we should manage well, I thought about 6 things: Healthcare, time management, financial management, crisis management, heart management, and soul management. Among them, when I think about heart management, I really thought of two things that could help us keep our hearts well:
(1) We must diligently reflect on our hearts.
Look at Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” We must diligently examine the thoughts and will of our hearts with the living and active word of God. The reason is because “What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean'” (Mt. 15:11). This is what Jesus says: “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean’” (vv. 18-20). We must fight spiritually in the realm of thought. We must have good thoughts not evil thoughts. We must fight with hate (murder) thoughts (1 Jn 3:15), sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and we must think about love and the truth. Look at Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”
(2) We must break up our hearts diligently so that our hearts will not be hardened.
We must soften our hearts. Look at Hosea 10:12 – “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; ….” How shall we break up our hearts? We can find the answer in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(a) We must receive teaching through the word of God.
The time has come, as it is said in 2 Timothy 4:3. It is the time when men will not put up with sound doctrine but to suit their own desires, they gather around them the great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. But we must listen to the sound doctrine. We must listen to the extent that our hearts instruct us (Ps. 16:7).
(b) We must receive rebuke through the word of God.
Look at Ephesians 5:11 – “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” The indwelling Spirit reveals our sins through the word of God when we participate with the fruitless deeds of darkness. When the light of God's holy word, the sword of the Holy Spirit, shines on our dark hearts, we have conscience stricken. And our hearts are broken by the word of God that is like a hammer (Jere. 23:29). Then, like the 3,000 believers in Acts 2, we have no choice but to listen to God's word through God's servant and respond like this: “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). At that time the apostle Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (v. 38). We must be rebuked by the word of God and repent of our sins.
(c) We must receive correction through the word of God.
Satan twists our minds and makes us walk on a crooked path. But God makes us think the right way with the word of God and also enables us to walk the right path. If our hearts are not on the right path, we must take instruction and rebuke from God's word and walk on the right path.
(d) We must receive training in righteousness through the word of God.
We are the righteous who have been justified by believing in Jesus Christ with the exclusive grace of God. Therefore, we must live righteous life. In order to do that, we must be trained in righteousness through the word of God. We must keep our heart, which is the wellspring of life more than anything. But in order to keep our heart well, we must keep the word of God in our hearts. This is the life of paying attention to the Word of God.
Fourth, we must speak the word of God with our lips.
Look at Proverbs 4:24 – “Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.” King Solomon advises us to keep God's word well in our hearts, so not only should we keep our hearts, but also our lips. His admonition message is to put away “a deceitful mouth” and “devious speech” far from us. When I meditate on the words of this exhortation, the thought is that if our hearts are crooked and deceitful because we have not been able to keep our hearts well with the word of God (right instruction), then what comes out of our hearts can only be crooked and deceitful words. is. I think the same goes for ears and eyes. If our hearts are not paying attention to God's right instruction, we will have no choice but to listen to the crooked and deceitful ears, eyes, and lips, look at them with our eyes, and speak with our lips. This is what Proverbs 26:24 says: “He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his heart.” We should not disguise deceit in our hearts with our lips, like our adversaries and hypocrites. Rather, our hearts must be true and we must speak truthfully with our lips. This is what the apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 3:10 – “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.’” If we love life, we must control our lips. By no means do we speak evil words and deceit with our lips. In order to do that, we must keep our knowledge with our lips (Prov. 5:2). We must keep the knowledge of the Bible and the knowledge of God with our lips. And we must speak the word of God. We must testify the word of God. This is the life of paying attention to His word.
Fifth and last, we must make sure that our feet do not turn away from the word of God.
Look at Proverbs 4:26-27: “Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.” King Solomon recommends that the path to be taken by our feet should be measured. This means to think deeply about what we are trying to do and whether it is in danger (Park). I am sure there is on one among us who will walk to take our steps forward, knowing that it's a precarious road. In particular, no one will walk down that road knowing that it will endanger our lives. Rather, we will choose the established path and try to walk that path (v. 26). Therefore, King Solomon is now encouraging us to strengthen all our ways. In order to do that, the Bible says that we must turn our feet away from evil (v. 27). In other words, because feet that don’t turn away from evil can endanger not only our physical life but also our spiritual life, we must make our feet turn away from evil.
As I meditated on these words, I remembered the “A young man lacking sense” in Proverbs 7:7. He approached the corner of an adulteress’ street (v. 8), fell into her temptation and followed her like an ox goes to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool (v. 22). Because this foolish young man didn’t heed the word of God, his heart turned to the adulteress’ path and was deceived by that path (v. 25), and his feet turned to the perilous adulteress’ path. And what was the result of the foolish young man on his way to that perilous adulteress? Look at Proverbs 7:23 – “Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.” The result is the loss of life. Therefore, we must pay attention to the word of God so that our feet don’t turn away from His word. In doing so, we will reinforce our path and not lean left or right. And we will be able to walk the right path. This is the life of paying attention to the word of God
We must live a life of paying attention to the word of God. We must develop our spiritual concentration and listen to what God is saying to us though His word. Also, we must not let the word of God to depart from our sight. And we must keep the word in our hearts. In the midst of that, we must speak the word of God with our lips. And we must keep our feet not to turn away from the word of God.