The Proverbs of Solomon are poignant, pensive, potent, and perennial. They are poignant in that they are profoundly moving; they tend to pierce to the very heart of the person who will listen to them. They are pensive, producing deep feelings, possessing the potential to influence lives, to cause decisions calculated toward improvement and better management of ones life. They are potent, filled with moral power, the kind that often causes drastic moral changes and deliberate course alterations. And they are perennial. Their effectivity remains even after they have been applied. That is, you can use them over and over again and they still remain effective; the power is not diminished by use.

I would like you to notice some sayings in Proverbs 4 that have to do with keeping yourself. These are sayings that, when applied, are very useful in guarding what is particularly yours–your heart, your words, your eyes, your path, your direction.

Keep your heart. Proverbs 4:23–“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” The heart is where decisions are made, plans are devised, a course of pursuit is formulated. As such, it is the vial consideration in all keepings. The heart must be guarded meticulously. Our of it are the “issues of life.” In other words, all of your life’s doings issue from this one source. Only as you manage your heart carefully can you manage your life effectively.

Keep your words. Proverbs 4:24–“Put away from you a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from you.” A froward mouth is a disobedient mouth. A froward mouth is a stubborn mouth. A perverse tongue is one that is obstinate, rebellious. In both cases, the direction is away from what is righteous and holy. I doubt that there is any part of mankind that has caused more trouble then the uncontrolled tongue. “The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). Just when you think you have it under control it rears up and strikes a new blow, spewing its venom all over the situation. Only when a man gives proper diligence to keep his heart free from envy, scorn, maliciousness, can he manage his tongue. Even then, it’s a constant battle, one that requires a never-ending effort.

Keep your eyes. Proverbs 4:25–“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” It’s easy to be bedazzled by the lights of the world. They are cleverly situated so as to be very attractive. The moral man must keep a strait view; and he must keep a straight view. It must be strait in that it has to be restricted– restricted to the sight of the things that have substance, things that appertain to purity. That’s an admittedly narrow view, but one vital to reaching the goal. It must be a straight view in that it cannot be deterred from its point of focus so as to be thrown off course. And, again, all this is related basically to what that man thinks. If he keeps his heart, his eyes will focus without myopia or defection.

Keep your path. Proverbs 4:26–“Ponder the path of your feet, and let thy ways be established. I believe it was Yogi Berra who said, “when you reach a fork in the road, take it.” Clever, but impossible. “Watch where you’re going,” is the message here. Every person is going somewhere. And you can’t go both directions at the same time. The road is either the broad way–well lighted, without many curves, with lost attractive views alongside; or it is the strait and strictured way, one that is arduous and full of difficult-to-manage turns. The end of the broad way is most undesirable, while the end of the strait way is eternal life, making it well worth the difficulties of the trip. Once again, the trip is planned, the course of pursuit decided in the heart of the man making the journey. He must decide where he’s going and how to get there.

Keep on keeping on. Proverbs 4:27–“Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.” Here is an admonition to continued faithfulness. You can’t stop and start and start and stop and expect to reach the goal. The path is delineated, the course determined. There has to be a steady progress toward the goal, no looking back, no looking from one side to the other. Dedication is the basic element in making a straight course to the goal. Notice, all of this is commenced with “keep thy heart with all diligence.” Diligence is determination; it’s a wilful decision to keep at the project, to not be led astray by distractions or delusion.

It’s so important that we keep our hearts, that we guard everything that goes into and out of it. The battle is a constant one, one that won’t end until we have reached the end of the road. It’s your heart, your words, your eyes, your path, your direction. In other words, it’s ultimately your choice where you go.

---Dee Bowman