Proverbs 4:27 “Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.”
Throughout April, we have highlighted several verses from Proverb 4 as this is one of the most instructive chapters in the Bible on taking actions that bring life and prevent death. It opens with an appeal to hear and be fully attentive to the instruction. Proverbs 4:1-2 says “Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, 2 for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching.” Then comes the strongest advice to acquire wisdom as wisdom is the principal thing. A person needs to get God’s insights and instructions for living life. These insights and instructions are called wisdom! Get wisdom!
As we move toward the end of the chapter, we learn how to stay spiritually healthy. Proverbs 4:23 may be one of the most important verses to be learned and applied as we are told to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it comes the very issues of life. To guard our hearts calls for putting the right things in and keeping the wrong things out.
To be spiritually healthy we must put the Word of God in our hearts.
To be spiritually healthy we must be watching our words, keeping our conversation clean, and telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
To be spiritually healthy we must be watching what we watch. Just as we set a guard on our mouth, we set a guard on our eyes. We make the commitment to set nothing wicked before our eyes. (See Psalms 101:3)
To be spiritually healthy we must be watching where we walk. If we are to have the right practices we will need to be at the right places. Too often, we yield to temptation because we are in the wrong places. Proverbs 4:26 tells us to ponder our path so that we don’t put ourselves in places where we are prone to fall.
The chapter concludes with remove your foot from evil. We have here the call to take personal responsibility for all of our actions. Based on the previous instructions the reader is now informed on what is right. Now is the time to own your decisions. Removing your foot from evil means to stop doing it. It means to cut it out! It means to quit it.
This closing call to take personal responsibility for yourself leaves no room for excuses. Proverbs 4 has told of the damage that evil brings, and you have been told to AVOID the highway to hell. Proverbs 4 has informed us of the benefits of walking on the path of righteousness.
The question now is how do you respond? What actions do you need to take now?
Continue Strong doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong,
And remember to DATE the Word
Bonus: In the 4th month of the year, April, we are extending a 4 x 4 challenge and encouraging you to read a chapter 4 each day of April. For April 27 we challenge you to read Ruth 4.