When I was in my early teens, I remember our church taking the youth group on a hayride. The hayride was hosted by a farm that was a little distance away. To save gas, the adult chaperones decided that it would make sense to car pool, and several drivers offered their vehicles. One of the drivers who volunteered was our pastor. He drove a light blue station wagon with wood grain exterior trim, and I was assigned to ride with him.

During the days when seat belts were considered optional, station wagons were very fun cars for a kid to ride in. You had all the room in the world to roam around the back, but our pastor's car had one additional feature that I had never experienced before. His car had a bench seat in the far back that folded up from the floor and let you face the rear window. I volunteered to sit there and found it very entertaining. It was certainly a new perspective as a passenger.

By the end of the drive, however, the novelty wore off. It became clear to me that I strongly preferred facing forward. I wanted to see where I was going, not where I had already been. Spiritually speaking, I think that's a perspective the Lord wants us to develop as well. He invites us to be looking forward, not staring backward or looking side to side.

In Proverbs 4:20-27, Solomon speaks directly about that very thing. As we prepare to look at that passage together, let me ask, "Do you have a forward facing faith?"

I. Develop a thirst for righteous wisdom

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh." (Proverbs 4:20-22)

During the warm months, I typically mow my lawn on Monday afternoons. I usually take that day off, so if the weather cooperates, it's a good time of the week for me to get that task accomplished. To some people, it's a chore, but for me it's relaxing. I try to stay hydrated while I'm mowing, but I have noticed that when I'm done, there's nothing I seem to crave more than some sort of fruit juice. I suspect that my body is sending my brain signals that the fruit juice has the nutrients or electrolytes that were depleted while I was outside working.

I think we all know what it's like to have an intense thirst for something. We find it difficult to stop thinking about it until we obtain it. In my estimation, it's practical to keep that feeling in mind when we're reading this passage. Solomon is teaching us to develop a thirst for righteous wisdom.

As he makes a pattern of doing, Solomon writes like a father speaking to a son. He instructs the son, or the reader, to be attentive to his words and to have an ear that is inclined to listen to what he's saying because in that teaching, there is life and healing.

I picture the listener here being encouraged to have thirsty ears. We're encouraged to have ears that are highly eager to receive the wisdom of God. I frequently think about this when I'm preaching. I always know that when I'm proclaiming Scripture, I have to compete with cell phones, and I can tell if someone has thirsty ears that are ready to hear the word of God by whether the phone or the passage we're looking at has their attention.

If as followers of Christ we develop a thirst for righteous wisdom, we will experience blessings that are protective in nature. As our eyes and hearts learn to point toward Christ, and our faith continues to grow mature, we will be able to filter out so much worldly confusion. We'll actually begin to see the issues behind the issues, the real problems behind the presenting problems, and the needs behind the facades as we develop a thirst for righteous wisdom.

II. Guard your heart

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

A few months ago, I set up a new home office in my basement that has become the primary place I'm working right now. I like my desk. I like the privacy. I like the solitude that has allowed me to get more work done in less time because I have fewer distractions. But there's one problem with the office that I hope is only temporary. All of a sudden, it's being infested with yellow jackets. I still haven't figured out where these wasps are coming from, but I find myself needing to defend my favorite work environment from being invaded.

In a similar way, there are all kinds of things swarming around in our lives that would love to be able to invade our hearts. There are things that compete for our affections and our attention. There are things that want our full devotion, even though they aren't healthy or wise. Many people in this world, as well as many professing Christians, have allowed their lives to become derailed because they have stopped guarding their hearts.

Solomon encourages us to be vigilant in how we keep, protect, and watch over our hearts. He knew how susceptible our hearts can be to invasion and distraction. From our hearts we will gradually begin to display what we value and what we're prioritizing.

Our hearts, left to themselves, have a big problem. By nature, we struggle with sin, which means that our hearts our diseased and can't be fully trusted. Our hearts are actually quite adept at deceiving us. That's why Jesus chose to intervene on our behalf.

"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person." (Matthew 15:19-20a)

Our hearts reveal what we value. Our hearts reveal what's going on within us. Our hearts demonstrate just how lost we would be without Christ.

Thankfully, through Jesus we receive a new heart. He teaches us to value new things that we didn't value while we were still leaving our hearts unguarded from the arrows of worldly temptation. The new heart He gives us aligns with His eternal desires for our lives.

So how can we avoid veering in an unguarded and unhealthy direction?

III. Don't be diverted from the path God placed you on

"Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.  Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.  Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.  Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil." (Proverbs 4:24-27)

Just the other day, I received a prayer request from someone I don't know personally. Due to a downturn in her industry, she was just informed that she lost her job. I have prayed for her multiple times since hearing that, and I'm sure most of us can sympathize with the emotions she's feeling.

So what should you do if you find yourself in a situation like that? Should you give up or should you press on? I don't know if you're familiar with the name Pat Flynn. He's developed a reputation over the years as someone who has figured out how just about anyone can bounce back from losing a job. Pat lost his job as an architect in 2008, and since that time, he learned how to successfully build an online business that helps people pass the exam needed to become an architect, and has been laser-focused on teaching people how they can build a business based on their expertise as well. He's a great example of the benefits that come from sticking to the right path over the long-term. His consistency is truly paying off.

There is a path the Lord directs us to follow in His word. As those who trust in Jesus Christ, all aspects of our lives are intended to be impacted by Christ's saving presence within us. We're encouraged to be people who do not divert from God's path. Our fidelity to remaining on that path will be visibly demonstrated in our speech, through our eyes, and by observing which direction our feet are walking.

The Bible has much to say about how we use our words. Solomon encourages us to put crooked speech and deception far from us. Elsewhere in Scripture, we're reminded that our words can build up, tear down, communicate the gospel, instruct the unwise, convey love, speak a blessing, and voice a petition before the throne of God.

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34b)

The Bible has much to say about our eyes. Solomon encourages us to be people who look directly forward. Elsewhere in Scripture, we're encouraged not to look longingly toward worldly affections, to avoid feeding the lusts of our eyes, and to fix our eyes on Christ.

The Bible has much to say about how we use our feet. Solomon encourages us to think about where we're walking, to avoid veering off path, and to turn our feet away from evil. Elsewhere in Scripture we're invited to come running to our Heavenly Father who loves us, and to venture out as missionaries who bring the good news where it hasn't yet been heard.

All of this is to be done with a forward looking faith. The way we use our speech, the content we feed our eyes, and the path our feet follow should reflect the new heart Jesus has given us. And of the examples of a forward looking faith, His is the most powerful.

"let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross," (Hebrews 12:1b-2a)

We're called to have a forward facing faith that reflects the example of Christ. Jesus was willing to endure all He experienced on this earth because He could see beyond it. As we run our race on this planet, it can be far too easy to grow weary. But if we keep our eyes on Jesus, and learn to see what He sees, our perspective can drastically change.

Jesus was looking forward to the new family He would establish, the church. Jesus was looking forward to the redemption of billions of lost lives. Jesus was looking forward to the reformation and restoration of His creation. And because He was able to see beyond His momentary pain, He endured the most excruciating form of death imagined in the mind of man.

As those who follow Christ and trust in Him completely, let's remember His example. And keeping our eyes on Him, let's continue to look forward to what He has in store for all who know and love Him.

© John Stange, 2020