May 23rd – Proverbs 23: Give Your Heart, Keep Your Eyes

“My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways” – Proverbs 23:26

I love the opening line of this discourse in Proverbs 23: “My son, GIVE me your heart”. This is the call of wisdom and understanding; we must GIVE our hearts to the discovery and application of wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Casual observers don’t get the benefits of wisdom and understanding, only serious seekers.

But the second part is incredibly important and often overlooked. In addition to a diligent heart seeking of wisdom and understanding there is one more critical component, “Let your eyes keep to my ways.” Keeping your eyes speaks of focus. You can KNOW the right things all day long, but what we focus on and look to is important to our development. One major theme in scripture is, “You become what you behold”. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in II Corinthians:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – II Corinthians 3:17,18

This scripture tells us something simple, yet profound. It’s as we look to the glory of the Lord, that we are changed into that very same image! Many people seek the Lord with all their heart but allow their focus to drift off of Him and onto the things of this world. In this scripture, the gaze drifts onto the prostitute or wayward wife. I can’t tell you how many believers I have encountered who seek God with their heart but allow their focus to “linger” on things of this world, like lust.

But look at what is waiting for the man who lets his gaze linger:

“For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men.” – Proverbs 23:27,28

The unfaithful woman waits like a bandit for the man whose gaze is off focus. Her “goal” is to multiply the unfaithful among men. Sin never seems that bad until it grows up:

“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” – James 1:15

LIFE LESSON:

GIVE the Lord your heart, but KEEP your eyes fastened on Him!