Proverbs 4:24 “Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. ”
I love discovery, don’t you? Whether you like finding a revolutionary product, an off-the-beaten-path location, or an amazingly cheap deal on a product you like, there is something exciting about discovery. These days, I am excited to find fuel for my truck under five bucks!
On the flip side, it can be disappointing to learn that your “discovery” is old news to everybody else. You might be the last person in the world to find such a thing! At the risk of being the last one to discover a Bible truth, let’s look at what caught my attention in the familiar verses of Proverbs 4.
The last part of Proverbs 4 is dedicated to the subject of friends. Solomon warns of the “path of the wicked” and the “way of evil men.” His advice for his son is to “avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” Although parents should teach their children about the right and wrong kinds of friendships, that is not what jumped off the page to me.
Verse 23 is a familiar verse that we have even used as a summer camp theme: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Your heart is important because it will dictate where you go and what you do. We are to guard (“keep”) our hearts with “all diligence.” That is a message in itself, but that is not what caught my attention.
Alright, are you ready for my discovery? Verse 24 says, “Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.” Now, do you think the father is describing what the son says, or what the son hears? In this chapter about friendship, I had never stopped to consider that, in context, verse 24 is talking about what your “friends” say! To guard your heart (verse 23), you must guard what comes in your ears and eyes and where your feet go (verses 24-27)!
What you say is important, but what other people say is important, too. We are more affected by what other people say than any of us would like to admit. Who are you listening to? Is their talk wholesome? Is their advice biblical? Do even their lyrics promote God’s way? If you are going to guard your heart, you must guard what you hear!