LOVE YOU LIKE FAMILY
Proverbs 7:1-5 NLT
Follow my advice, my son;
always treasure my commands.
Obey my commands and live!
Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.
Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
Love wisdom like a sister;
make insight a beloved member of your family.
Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
This proverb is the warning from a parent to a son regarding avoiding immoral women. But I believe we can look a bit deeper and see this as a way to stay away from the allure of sin.
The crux of these five verses is our approach to God’s Word and commands. How we value and respond to God and His word will make a big difference in how we live out our lives. Keeping God’s words and treasuring His directives are a safety net. Jesus said to the crowds listening to Him, “he who has ears to hear, let him hear.” It wasn’t the physical hearing that Jesus was referring to, but rather the heart to hear. The right attitude and perspective toward God’s Word. This is the message of these verses in the Proverbs. Don’t just read the words. Don’t just give them a passing glance. Treat them as a valuable treasure. Guard them as you guard your own eyes. That’s an interesting analogy. We instinctively protect our eyes, recognizing how important they are. Guarding God’s word in the same manner carries a whole new meaning.
And remember God’s word and directives. Tie them on your finger. I haven’t heard of anyone doing this lately, but people used to tie a string on their finger to help them remember to do something. Joy still uses string attached to her phone to help remind her to pray for certain things. So the admonishment is again, don’t let God’s word slip from your mind, remember it, and write it on your heart.
I get a kick out of this next phrase. Love wisdom like a sister. I grew up with a sister. That is not a romantic love; that is a family love. You look out for family. You protect family and you watch over a sister to make sure she is okay. You don’t want to hurt or upset your sister. Loving God’s wisdom is a family thing, not a feeling or a romantic thing. You make allowances for family. You lean toward family before anyone else. By the same token, we lean toward God’s wisdom and understanding before anything else. All other sources of wisdom are secondary. God’s Word and God’s wisdom are close to us.
And the result of this protective, treasuring attitude towards God’s Word is that it will help us steer clear from the allure of sin. Sin has a siren call on our flesh. We need some deterrents to help us stay away. When sin promises something good, and Scripture refers to the temporary pleasures of sin, we need something that calls to us stronger. Treasuring and remembering God’s Word is stronger. Loving God’s Word and doing what He directs is a better path. Not an easier path, but a better one.
So when you read scriptures. When you take time to think and meditate on putting God’s Word in your heart, you are not just doing a religious duty. You are developing a love for truth that will lead you to a better path. And you are honoring the Lord with your time and life.
PRAYER
Lord, I love Your Word. I treasure and protect it in my life. I know what it produces in me is good and sets me on a better, cleaner path.