"Keep Your Heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life."
Proverbs 4:23
What do you do when your children fight? It is just sibling rivalry, right?
No, it is sin.
It is a manifestation of the heart.
Just as is every sin and form of idolatry.
That is why Solomon so earnestly admonishes us to keep our heart pure, clean, and full of Christ,
leaving no room or invitation for evil, selfishness, pride, bitterness, or the like.
Keep it carefully.
Keep it diligently.
Tend it regularly.
Zealously weed out the rottenness, the junk.
Fill it with the beautiful things of the Lord....
for out of it spring forth ALL the issues of life.
If there is any one thing we teach our children, any one thing we do each day,
it should be to engrave this thought on our hearts,
on our children, impressing it upon them so it is the air they breath.
How?
By instructing them in the Proverbs and faithfully praying for their souls.
By living what we teach.
As our family works through Kevin Swanson Family Bible Study Series on Proverbs,
my husband and I have become more and more convinced this is where it is at.
We cannot possibly disciple our children without teaching the Proverbs.
The Proverbs are the Gospel in practical terms.
It is the Cross centered life layed out in a step by step manual.
Mr. Swanson has done an incredible job of putting together a commentary
that will help your family talk through the wisdom and instruction
in a manner which will enable you to put it right into practice.
Every day, our study convicts our souls and inspires us to walk in wisdom,
to choose that which is godly,
to think biblically.
This three book series is by far the best resource we have ever used in 22 years family devotions
or 15 years of homeschool curriculum.
God bless his soul, Mr. Swanson's third book in the series has just come out,
which I am very excited about because the first book was beyond good,
and the second book equal,
now we have another to continue this life altering study.
And then, I think we will start over and do it again.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father
and forsake not the law of thy mother;
for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,
and chains about thy neck."
Prov. 1:7-9
Clearly, then, only a fool will avoid this study of God's book of wisdom,
and when Kevin has done such a remarkable job of putting together a study guide,
I think it would be foolish not to use it.
I earnestly encourage you and yours to get into the Proverbs today.
"When wisdom entereth into thine heart,
and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,
discretion shall preserve thee,
understanding shall keep thee."
Prov. 2:10,11
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