Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. (NKJV)
The word of God is central to the health of our body, as well as our spirit and soul. These verses say that they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. The amplified version adds that they are healing to all their flesh.
These are the promises of God, but they are also a direct result of following instructions. Here I can see four instructions: pay attention; listen; look and keep them in your heart. Let’s look closer at these:
Pay attention! That is something we were likely to hear in a classroom setting when someone began to drift off during the afternoon! It should spring us into action so that we are ready and willing to learn what the word says about something. The King James version says ‘attend’ to my words, and the word attend is translated from the Hebrew word ‘QASHAB’, which describes the pricking up of a horse’s ears when they want to amplify a sound. I’ve noticed dogs doing this too, when they can distinguish their owner’s voice from others. It simply means for us to give undivided attention to the word of God. Tune into the word as you would tune into a television programme. Even though the programme was already being broadcast, you won’t see it until you tune in.
Look! In fact, it is an even stronger suggestion; do not let them depart from your eyes. The NIV says don’t let them out of your sight. I don’t think this means literally, though I love having scripture on my wall or on my vision board, so I can see the word whenever I want. There isn’t anyone that won’t benefit from reading the Bible daily. I believe this is talking about prioritising the word and letting it get right into your heart.
Listen! These days we are blessed with multiple ways to listen to the word of God, and we don’t have to wait for a service, conference, or meeting. We can listen in our cars, homes, and outdoors via our mobile phones, radios, etc. However, once again this is talking about being tuned in to the word. Lots of us use DAB radios these days but I’m sure some remember tuning in a portable transistor radio using dials – it could be quite tricky to eliminate the crackling noise until you had a perfectly clear sound. We need to focus our attention on the word to the exclusion of all other distractions.
Keep them in your heart! This is about meditating on the word until it becomes part of your very flesh. The book of Joshua says ‘..meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.’(Joshua 1:8) This is our part to play, and there is so much good advice for us in the Bible – it is the owner’s manual written by the owner himself.
The word of God promises spiritual and physical life, health, and healing. These verses clearly show that our flesh bodies benefit from us reading, listening, paying attention, and meditating on the word in our hearts.
So let’s let the word of God make a difference to our bodies today.
Comentarios