Bible 365 Devotional

TYING THIS ON


 PROVERBS 6:20-23 NKJV 

20 My son, keep your fatherā€™s command, 

And do not forsake the law of your mother. 

21 Bind them continually upon your heart; 

Tie them around your neck. 

22 When you roam, they will lead you; 

When you sleep, they will keep you; 

And when you awake, they will speak with you. 

23 For the commandment is a lamp, 

And the law a light; 

Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 

 

 

Depending on your background, the title of this devotional could be misleading. But that was not my intent. This is a proverb that underscores the importance of having Godā€™s word occupy an important place in our heart and life. 

When Solomon is encouraging his son to pay attention to his words as a father, we can apply the same principle to Godā€™s word. But Solomon is not advocating a casualrelationship with the wisdom of his words. Solomon is speaking to a son regarding connecting to his words. This is where we get - bind them on your heart and tie them around your neck. 

Solomonā€™s advice, and he was well equipped to offer advice, was that the wisdom of his words would lead, protect and speak with the young man. Because the commandment is a lamp, the law a light, and the corrective words were the way to life. That may be putting a huge emphasis on Solomonā€™s advice, but we can gain even more if we apply it to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

We are consistently reminded to be a people who take Godā€™s words seriously. In the Old Testament days, people would write Godā€™s word on their doorposts. They would also write scriptures on slips of paper, encase them in metal and tie them on their heads between their eyes. 

I would not encourage either practice, but there is a principle of treating Godā€™s word with reverence. When we adhere to the word that we have received in our lives, it produces some good things. Godā€™s word can still lead us as we go about our life, give us a peace that enables us to sleep without fear, and speak to us in our waking hours. 

Godā€™s words to us are a lamp and a light, and His instruction and correction produce life in us. This puts an entirely new perspective on reading the Bible. Too often, we have viewed Bible reading as a chore or Christian duty. Instead, we should be looking at Godā€™s word as the source of spiritual light and instruction that greatly enriches our lives. How we see the scriptures will go a long way toward what we receive from the scriptures. 

So tie Godā€™s word onto your heart. What His word adds to your life is worth keeping it close. 

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