A poem for the Proverbs series inspired by Proverbs 7:3b “Write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Each spoken word, a mallet.
Tink. Tinktink.
Frenzy of chisels
etch the surface,
carve ruts which brim
with scripted flakes
of writing. Unmuzzled
thoughts split the tablet to pieces.
Read the Proverbs blog series from the beginning here.
Fidelity isn’t inherent to our natures; it has to be taught. Chapter five of Proverbs contains a father’s warning to his son to keep away from seductive women – not go anywhere near them.
Unfortunately in our “do what feels good” culture today, fathers no longer tell their sons to “drink water from your own cistern” (verse 15) – a euphemism for remaining faithful to one’s wife. Sons are exposed to pornography, witness condescending conversations, and handed condoms. The role of the man is degraded from “father” to “baby daddy.”
Read the Proverbs Series from the beginning here.
Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Safes. Locks. Bolts. Tornado shelters. Vaults. Passwords.
We value our possessions and keep the most precious locked away as safely as possible and yet we wear our hearts and our emotions on our sleeves.
Obviously, we don’t literally pin our beating, blood-pumping heart like a bracelet. We would die very quickly. In His wisdom and perfect design, the Lord surrounded our literal heart with our chest bone in order to protect it.
We should take a cue from our skeletal structure when we think about our figurative heart – the one we create phrases about like “that warms my heart,” “my achy breaky heart,” and, of course, “bless her heart.”
Scripture tells us to guard our hearts above all else. We take precautions with our jewelry by putting it in safes. We protect our writings and emails by using passwords. We even use military and police to guard our citizens.
But how do we guard our hearts?
When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother, he taught me and said: “Your heart must hold on to my words. Keep my commands and live. Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 4:3-5
Live a life that causes your children to gain respect for you and speak words that encourage them to listen. Parenting is not merely dishing out the punishment when children get out of line. That is the role of a disciplinarian. The primary function of parenting is to disciple a child.
One of my closest friends frequently quotes her father’s challenge to her – “Know who you are and whose you are.”
Her father emphasized this so much as she matured that it has become an integral part of her identity.
Proverbs 3:5-8
I think I just missed my turn. In 5:00 p.m. In Memphis traffic, this realization can ruin your evening. My thirty minute drive home became an hour-long excursion as my GPS said my destination did not exist and my mom reassured me on the phone that if I took a left at the next light I would eventually recognize my surroundings.
The feeling of being on the wrong path is even worse when it involves the way you approach other people. Have you ever realized that you’ve been on the wrong side of an argument? Or that your reaction to a situation was out of line? Have you ever tried to figure out a riddle only to hear the answer and realize that you were obsessing over the wrong detail?
Have you heard this one before? Mary’s father had five daughters. The first four were named:
Na
Ne
Ni
No
Most likely, what is the name of the fifth daughter?
Copyright © 2013. Pedestrian God Ministires
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