The Wednesday Word 4.27.2022

 

Proverbs 4:20-27 NLT

20 My child, pay attention to what I say.

Listen carefully to my words.

21 Don’t lose sight of them.

Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

22 for they bring life to those who find them,

and healing to their whole body.

23 Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.

24 Avoid all perverse talk;

stay away from corrupt speech.

25 Look straight ahead,

and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;

stay on the safe path.

27 Don’t get sidetracked;

keep your feet from following evil.

 

We hear the kinds of things that believers say and they can sometimes be reduced to catch phrases. They become oft repeated for a very simple reason. They are true. Some of the most frequently referenced are from Proverbs. In verses 20-22, we have one of the most basic truths. The words from the Scriptures can bring life and healing to those who let them sink into their hearts and minds. It is easy to hear these kinds of statements and dismiss them as sweeping exaggeration designed to grab attention. Well, I can testify to just how true these words can be.

I sat in a Sunday School class twenty some years ago when a few lines from Isaiah caused a visceral reaction in my body akin to lightening. I had never heard it before and in that split second, everything I thought I knew about God’s opinion of me was shattered. In its place was relief, hope and freedom. I know the power of the Holy Word. I am living in its light.

Years later, a young woman stood at the baptismal font and explained that one morning as she randomly looked at the cloth draping the altar, the scripture it bore resonated for her for the very first time. It led her to take the next step in her journey. I could never have known what it would mean to her when, years before, I chose that verse to be sewn into that cloth.

Take these words to heart. God’s words change lives if you take them in and let them guide you…something to pray about,

Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.

                                                                                                    photo by Aaron Burden

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