Proverbs 4:1-27

4:3-6 | The presence of the mother in this verse is significant, because it depicts godly instruction in a family setting.

4:5-9 |The key to getting wisdom is to understand that no one has it to start with; God provides it. This also means that anyone can acquire wisdom who will pursue it (Matt. 13:44). The heart is the womb in which all actions, attitudes, and ambitions are conceived.

4:10-19 | Wisdom is not achieved with one choice; it is a journey of many steps, a path upon which a person openly receives truth. Jesus continually spoke of people who had ears to hear but did not listen (Matt. 11:15; 13:9; Mark 4:9,23; 7:16; Luke 14:35). The wise will apply an attentive ear to God’s Word, hearing with their hearts and minds.

4:18-19 | The way of light and the way of darkness are clearly marked out; those who seek wisdom will be able to discern - and keep discerning - which path is safe. Christians who walk the pathway of light may lose their footing, but God quickly illuminates the problem. Those who stumble in the darkness have no way of discerning what has tripped them up.

4:23 | Here, Proverbs gives a key to harnessing the tongue’s power. What is in the heart generally springs from the mouth (Mark 7:21; Luke 6:45). Therefore, everyone needs to diligently guard (keep) his or her heart - the inner person, what constitutes the seat of one’s intellect, emotion, and will - by being sure that Christ is at home there. Until Christ is on the throne of a person’s life, he or she cannot have the kind of heart that will roduce the right kinds of speech: one that is constantly readied and receptive toward God.