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Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.
Speaker 1: You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. I'm John Stangey,
Speaker 1: and today we're in Proverbs chapter four, and we'll be
Speaker 1: reading from the New Living Translation. My children, listen when
Speaker 1: your father corrects you, pay attention and learn good judgment,
Speaker 1: for I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away
Speaker 1: from my instructions. For I too was once my father's son,
Speaker 1: tenderly loved as my mother's only child. My father taught me.
Speaker 1: Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you
Speaker 1: will live. Get wisdom, develop good judgment. Don't forget my
Speaker 1: words or turn away from them. Don't turn your back
Speaker 1: on wisdom, for he will protect you. Love her and
Speaker 1: she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing
Speaker 1: you can do. And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
Speaker 1: If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace
Speaker 1: her and she will honor you. She will place a
Speaker 1: lovely wreath on your head. She will present you with
Speaker 1: a beautiful crown. My child, listen to me and do
Speaker 1: as I say, and you will have a long, good life.
Speaker 1: I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in
Speaker 1: straight paths. When you walk, you won't be held back.
Speaker 1: When you run, you won't stumble. Take hold of my instructions,
Speaker 1: don't let them go, guard them, for they are the
Speaker 1: key to life. Don't do as the wicked do, and
Speaker 1: don't follow the path of evildoers. Don't even think about it.
Speaker 1: Don't go that way, Turn away and keep moving. For
Speaker 1: evil people can't sleep until they've done their evil deed
Speaker 1: for the day. They can't rest until they've caused someone
Speaker 1: to stumble. They eat the food of wickedness and drink
Speaker 1: the wine of violence. The way of the righteous is
Speaker 1: like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter
Speaker 1: until the full light of day. But the way of
Speaker 1: the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea
Speaker 1: what they are stumbling over. My child, Pay attention to
Speaker 1: what I say, Listen carefully to my words, don't lose
Speaker 1: sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
Speaker 1: for they bring life to those who find them, and
Speaker 1: healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else,
Speaker 1: for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all
Speaker 1: perverse talk, stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead
Speaker 1: and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark
Speaker 1: out a straight path for your feet. Stay on the
Speaker 1: safe path, don't get sidetracked, keep your feet from following evil.
Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and
Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to
Speaker 1: look at this portion of scripture today. And we thank
Speaker 1: you for giving us these instructions in your word that
Speaker 1: encourage us to obtain wisdom. And Lord, you encourage us
Speaker 1: likewise to guard our hearts so that our hearts aren't
Speaker 1: going in the direction of the things of this world,
Speaker 1: craving after or lusting after things that have no ultimate
Speaker 1: power to satisfy our soul. Lord, we know that our
Speaker 1: souls are only satisfied, we're only made complete, We're only
Speaker 1: made whole through faith in your son Jesus Christ. So Lord,
Speaker 1: we pray that we would be well aware of that,
Speaker 1: and we pray that throughout the course of our lives
Speaker 1: that we would put you first in all matters, in
Speaker 1: all areas. Lord, we love you, We thank you for
Speaker 1: the wisdom that you give to us from your word,
Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.