“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
~ Proverbs 4:23
Hi James and Ellen,
Where are toys kept? Toys are often kept in a toy box. Where are clothes kept? Some clothes are kept in a dresser. Where is food kept? Food can be kept in a pantry. Do you know that you keep things in your body? The Bible says that it is in your heart where you keep things. Proverbs is one of the Bible’s books. Most of the proverbs that are found in the book of Proverbs were written by Solomon. Do you know what a proverb is? A proverb is a short saying. A proverb is a wise saying which is always true. Your grandpaa wrote yesterday about a magnificent temple that Solomon built for God to live in on planet Earth. God wanted to live on planet Earth with His specially chosen people – the Israelites. When Solomon was a young guy, God blessed him with a special gift. The gift that God blessed Solomon with was wisdom. Do you know what wisdom is? Wisdom is the ability to astutely make wise decisions. Solomon used this wisdom gift to become a world leader. As you get to know Solomon, you will find that Solomon sometimes did not prudently use the wisdom gift that God gave to him. What Solomon wrote in proverbs to do, Solomon sometimes did not practice what he wrote. This is not an excuse though for a guy, gal or kid to not obey what Solomon wrote in the proverbs that he penned. Even though Solomon was very wise, Solomon did not know everything. Solomon was not immune to having to experience daily life tests. Life tests are not easy to take. A guy, gal or kid will sometimes need to first fail a life lesson so that he or she will know how to pass a life test.
Who do you know who can teach you wisdom? Who do you know who can fill your heart with things which God wants you to know? Your teacher at your school can teach you things. Your Sunday school teacher can teach you things. Your grandpa or your grandma or your Aunt Carrie or your Aunt Lynn or your Uncle Kris or even your grandmaa or your grandpaa can teach you things. Your ma teaches you things. But who per Solomon is to teach you wisdom? Per Solomon in Proverbs 4, it is your dad who is to teach you wisdom. Your grandmaa’s dad taught your grandmaa wisdom. Your grandpaa’s dad taught your grandpaa wisdom. Your grandpaa’s grandpa taught your dad’s grandpa wisdom. Your grandpaa’s grandpa taught your dad’s grandpa how to farm. Your grandpaa’s grandpa taught your dad’s grandpa when it was the right time to plant crops that your dad’s grandpa grew – such as corn and oats, how to keep weeds out of the growing crops and when the right time was to harvest the crops. Your grandpaa’s dad taught your grandpaa how to take care of the animals that your dad’s grandpa raised – such as cows and pigs. Your grandpaa’s dad taught your grandpaa that it was okay to be someone different. Your grandpaa’s dad liked owning something that no one else had. Your grandpaa’s dad owned an M John Deere tractor and another tractor called a Cockshutt. Your grandpaa does not know anyone else who has owned either one of these kinds of tractors. Every other farmer who farmed near where your grandpaa grew up on a farm in South Dakota would have another more common type of tractor – such as a Farmall. When your grandpaa’s dad was young, your dad’s grandpaa had a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The first new car that your grandpaa remembers your grandpaa’s dad buying was a Nash Ambassador. Your dad’s grandpa also bought a Nash Rambler. Your grandpaa does not know anyone else where your grandpaa lived as a kid who owned either a Nash Ambassador or a Nash Rambler. Your grandpaa’s dad taught your grandpaa a lot of things. Your grandpaa sometimes would like to have the chance to start all over again to teach your dad and your Aunt Lynn but . . . that is not how it works. Your grandpaa had only one chance to teach your dad and your Aunt Lynn. Your grandpaa knows that he made mistakes in how he taught your dad and your Aunt Lynn. Your dad will make mistakes in how he teaches you but . . . you still need to pay attention to what your dad teaches you so that you can learn wisdom. Your grandpaa had the responsibility of filling your dad’s heart and your Aunt Lynn’s heart with right things. Your dad is now responsible to fill your hearts with right things. Please do not ever forget that mistakes are teachers, too.
Verse 23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Wellspring means fountain. A wellspring can be the source of water. Your heart as a wellspring is where you will store what you are taught and from where you will find the wisdom to pour out for others to hear. Your mind is another place where you store things but it is in your heart where life begins. When you ask Jesus into your life, Jesus will live in your heart. You want your heart to be a clean place for Jesus to live. You can easily make your heart a dirty place. There are things that you can watch on TV or which you can look at on the computer which are not good for the heart. There are books or magazines that you can read which are not good for the heart. There are words that you can use which are not good for the heart. It is your dad who has the responsibility of helping you to know what is good and what is not good for your heart. Solomon had one of the best teachers ever in his dad. Solomon’s dad’s name was David. In spite of having in his dad a teacher who was called a man of God, Solomon did not learn everything that he needed to learn. Solomon was a sad, old man when he died. Your grandmaa and your grandpaa are really glad that they both had a dad who wanted them to know what the Bible teaches. Your grandmaa and your grandpaa were taught by their dads to store right things in their hearts. Your grandpaa – with God’s help, taught your dad. Now it is your dad’s turn to teach you. You can help your dad by really listening every day to what God is leading your dad to teach you.
Proverbs 4 (10)