My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. Proverbs 23:26.NKJV
Is that a funny phrase? A given heart? As I was reading this verse in Proverbs it caught my attention. My son–what a joy to have a father that is asking for our hearts. He isn’t taking it, expecting it or demanding it. When children are small, they usually have a natural affinity to their parents. They are their heroes, no matter what. Later, as they grow it is a decision they can make. This father is asking for his sons heart.
The next part, “and let your eyes observe my ways”. As a parent it is so hard to do everything right, and that is ok. “Observe my ways” can also include learning from the father’s mistakes. But our Heavenly Father is a different matter. We can and should observe His ways. How do we do that? First, of course is the Word of God. I love watching how He interacts with His people in both the Old and New Testament. Observing His care, provision and wisdom in the scriptures is something we can all learn from.
Another way we can ‘observe’ His ways is reading about the saints that have gone on before. I recently watched a movie about George Whitfield, so inspiring. The Wesley brothers, William Booth, and Billy Graham are such inspirations. They help me living taller and stronger. I’ve gotten inspiration from reading about Corrie Ten Boom and her family’s courage to put their faith in action by hiding Jews in their home. They were then betrayed by a fellow Dutch folks and the whole family imprisoned. Her struggle to forgive and keep faith while watching the Nazi’s kill and torture so many gives my own struggles a hefty swat of perspective.
There are current heroes to my faith. Sheila Walsh and her openness about dealing mental illness. Joni Eareckson Tada, a 76 year old quadriplegic, who speaks, writes, draws and encourages many to keep their focus on the Lord and trust Him. She was paralyzed in her late teens and I have followed her story since then. The other day I heard to say, “I had to have a very long conversation with the Lord when I lost my ability to feed myself”. She doesn’t think it too hard that she is not only a quadriplegic, but a two time cancer survivor! Observing how our God helps her bear and get through these challenges is aweinspiring.
What about closer to home? I’ve observed His goodness this week, when we thought Becca’s aunt was going home to Jesus…but she has rallied and we get to celebrate her 85th birthday today. At the ER the other day, she was encouraging us not to complain but to praise the Lord in everything. Do you have a community of believers close and personal that you can observe Him in and through? How about yourself? Do you observe His goodness in and through your life? Acts 28:26 Paul wrote: Go and say to this people: when you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes–so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. My friends, let us freely given Him our hearts. Do not harden them, do not close your ears to His words of life or shut your eyes to His faithfulness. He is able to take you through, like He has these others. A given heart is a trusting heart. It is not always easy, but it is always good.
Father, I thank you that you receive our double minded, hard, deceitful hearts and turn them into soft hearts that you can write your words of life upon. Please help us listen to you, observe your ways so we may become more and more like you, in Jesus’ name. amen.
Faith Encounters 