Dave's Diary

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I worship and adore You as the Giver of Life, whose Word leads Your faithful people into fullness and abundance of Life. As I approach Your Word today, please guide me in the path of Life. Amen.

Reading

Read Proverbs 7 slowly and prayerfully. Notice which verse particularly jumps out at you. Re-read that verse a few times slowly. Write it down in your journal. Try to memorise it so that you can reflect on it without having to read from the page.

Prayerful Reflection

Now take that Proverb and think about your life at the moment. Is there a situation in your life to which that Proverb applies. Ask the Lord how this verse from His Word is telling you to live out His wisdom in that situation. Make notes in your journal.

A Devotional Thought

Proverbs 7:² Keep my commands and you will live;
    guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

Proverbs 7 is mainly characterised by a father warning his son against the powerful and life-threatening dangers of lust, sexual sin and marital unfaithfulness. But today verse 2 drew my attention as the heart of the chapter. Proverbs 7:2 tells us that God’s wisdom and direction are not merely helpful suggestions for living. They are desperately important. Keeping in step with them will save us from death and will lead us to true life; but disobeying them will inevitably end in disaster (v.23, 26, 27).

To impress on us just how crucial it is to treasure up God’s Word in our hearts, the Proverb uses the image of us protecting our eyes from danger. In the Good News Translation verse 2 says: “Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes.” If you’ve ever had something poke you in the eye, you’ll know exactly what this image means! We protect our eyes passionately because they’re incredibly valuable to us, and we should be just as passionate about honouring God’s Word by reading, studying, memorising and obeying it.

Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for how lightly I often take Your Word and how easily I tend to ignore or disobey it. Lord, have mercy on me. Holy Spirit, please protect me throughout today by bringing Your Word to mind whenever I need it, and by empowering me to stay in step with it. Amen.