Scripture
A Father’s Wise Advice
1My children,[1] listen when your father corrects you.
Pay attention and learn good judgment,
2for I am giving you good guidance.
Don’t turn away from my instructions.
3For I, too, was once my father’s son,
tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.
4My father taught me,
“Take my words to heart.
Follow my commands, and you will live.
5Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
6Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
7Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
8If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you.
9She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown.”
10My child,[2] listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
11I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
12When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
13Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.
14Don’t do as the wicked do,
and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
15Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
Turn away and keep moving.
16For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
17They eat the food of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence!
18The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
20My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
23Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
24Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
25Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
Translation notes (2)
- 4:1 Hebrew My sons.
- 4:10 Hebrew My son; also in 4:20.
The Tree and Its Fruit
45A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Kids are unbelievably impressionable. You know this to be true. How often have you heard a child say something that sounded just like their parent, teacher, or sibling? Whether we realize it or not, the children in our lives watch us and imitate what they see us doing, hearing, and saying. As a result, if we want to lead and guide them well, it begins with us. We have to set an example that is worth following. All of this, Scripture teaches, begins with the heart.
Jesus spent a great deal teaching and talking about the heart. We can read about one of these times in Luke 6 “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart,” He said (verse 45). He taught that just like we identify a tree by its fruit, we can also identify a person by the fruit they are producing. All of this stems from our hearts. Whether good or bad, what flows from our hearts is our fruit, and the children in our lives can see the fruit.
As we think about the importance of producing good fruit, we have to ask how to have good fruit. Proverbs 4:32 helps us know what to do. The verse says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” So we have to guard or protect our hearts. This means focusing on God and the things of Him so that we can grow. If we do these things, the fruit will follow, and our children will notice the fruit we are producing.
So, what kind of fruit are you producing? Are you producing good, godly fruit, or fruit that is not of God? How is that fruit influencing the children in your lives? How can you begin or continue to cultivate godly fruit in your life? You may never realize the example you are setting for the children in your life!
Moving Toward Action
Do a heart check today. Is your heart focused on the right things, or are you distracted? Are you making decisions that honor God, or are you doing what is in your best interest? Are you daily becoming more like Jesus? As you set your heart on God and the things of Him, He will use you to make a difference.
Going Deeper
Proverbs 4:1-27 (NLT)
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