TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-8
Observe [God's laws] carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations. - Deuteronomy 4:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Worldwide Challenge magazine, Dan LaGue describes a dramatic moment in Chinese missions: 'On a warm, summer night in 1904, a small hunting party . . . showed up at the door of Methodist missionary Samuel Pollard. Pollard . . . recognized the hunters as MiaoÑa people from the nearby Yunnan mountains who worshiped gods of wood and stone. The Miao wanted to learn to read. They had a burning desire to know the God of the Christians, too, although [Pollard] didn't know it. But he soon understood, for the following Friday five more Miao appeared at his gate, and within a month, nearly 100 tribesmen had visited him.'

Somehow the Miao people had learned about the true God, and they saw enough of His reality in the lives of Christians that they wanted what the Christians had. Samuel Pollard devoted the next eleven years to learning the Miao language, reaching those people for Christ and establishing a thriving church in their villages.

What a blessing it is when the witness of God's people draws unbelievers to Him! Israel had a definite responsibility to its idol-worshiping neighbors. The people's obedience to God was designed to distinguish Israel from the other nations and to be a powerful witness to God's greatness and righteousness.

Moses made God's intent clear in the opening verses of Deuteronomy 4, which marks a new point in his sermon. To

this point, Israel's lawgiver had been reviewing the nation's history. Now he turned to an exhortation based on what the people had heard.

Today's reading divides neatly into two pointsÑtwo motivations for the people to obey God's law.

First, obedience to God produces blessing, the theme of this month's studies (vv. 1-4). The Israelites who 'held fast to the Lord' were the ones who had survived the desert wanderings and were ready to take possession of the Promised Land. If the people needed a reminder of the disaster of disobedience, they needed only to recall God's judgment at Baal Peor (Num. 25:1-9), where 24ꯠ sinning Israelites died in a plague.

Obedience had a second benefitÑa witness to the nations (Deut. 4:5-8). When God's people are faithful to Him, they radiate blessing to those around them wherever they go.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We usually think of our witness as something we doÑor sometimes as what we fail to do.

But the Bible indicates that our witness is primarily a matter of what we are. Both Paul (Phil. 1:27) and Peter (1 Pet. 2:12) urge us to live exemplary Christian lives. One reason for this is that those outside the faith will see our testimony and glorify God. Since that's the case, this weekend would be a good time for us to review the quality of our witness in recent days.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:9-14
Watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart. - Deuteronomy 4:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
The 18th-century actor Charles Macklin once boasted to fellow actor Samuel Foote that he could repeat any speech after hearing it just once. So Foote challenged Macklin to repeat what he was about to sayÑand then launched into a very hard-to-remember series of nonsense sentences. Macklin had to admit defeat.

It's hard to remember perfectly something we have heard only once. That's why God repeated His commands through each generation of His spokesmen and then recorded them so that we might obey Him and be blessed.

Moses knew how forgetful the Israelites were. He was well aware that they had trouble remembering even the amazing miracles of God's grace they had witnessed in the desert. If the generation standing before him was prone to forget, how in the world would their children ever learn and remember the lessons of obedience?

The answer was to instill the decrees of God in each generation of children as if they were the first people ever to receive them. Later on we'll review the great Shema, the confession of Israel's one God, that God commanded the people to teach to their children (Deut 6:4-9).

Moses anticipated that command by cautioning the people not to forget the giving of the Ten Commandments at Horeb, or Mount Sinai. It was such an awe-inspiring visitation of God that it seems impossible that anyone who saw it could forget what happened.

Deuteronomy 4:9 helps us to understand that Moses was not worried about a simple memory lapse on the people's part. He was concerned that God's holy commands would slip from their heartsÑthat is, that they would grow lackadaisical in their obedience. And if the parents became careless in following God, where would their children end up?

The presence of God on Sinai was so terrifying that even Moses trembled with fear (Deut. 9:19). This business of remembering and obeying God's law was serious stuff. Why? Because day-to-day blessing from God depends on obedience to Him even though we have the ultimate blessing of redemption in Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The author of Hebrews cites Israel's experience at Sinai to illustrate the superior covenant we have in Christ (Heb. 12:18-24).

We can thank the Lord that we do not have to stand at the foot of SinaiÑbut we can't afford to forget that we serve the same holy, awe-inspiring God. He still demands that His people reverence His holy name. Hebrews 12 ends with this reminder: 'Our God is a consuming fire' (v. 29). Ask God today to help you give Him the worship and reverence that is due Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:15-24
The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. - Deuteronomy 4:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
Have you ever looked at the stuff in your attic or basement and sighed at your collection? It's amazing how easily most of us seem to accumulate things we once intended to use, or at some point thought too valuable to discard. However good our original purpose, though, most of what we store in our attics, basements, and garages will not be looked at again until the next yard sale or moving day.

The tendency to let once-useful things accumulate seems to be born into most people. It's easier to let the stuff pile up when it's out of sightÑand therefore, out of mind. If we carry this attitude over into our spiritual lives, however, it can be very dangerous.

When this happens, we find a believer who once devoured God's Word now treats it like a discard from the attic. Or spiritual disciplines that were once part of this person's daily walk with the Lord are now laid aside and forgotten.

It may seem as if Moses was belaboring his warning to the Israelites. 'Watch yourselves very carefully,' he warned (v. 15). 'Be careful not to forget,' he cautioned (v. 23).

Why was Moses so concerned that the people not allow God's commands to be shoved back into the attics of their minds and hearts? Because he knew human nature. Moses had forty years' worth of scars on his soul from the complaints and threats of Israelites who couldn't seem to remember God's goodness from one watering hole to the next.

Now the people were entering a land of idolaters who worshiped creatures on earth and the lights in the sky. Again Moses referred to the fact that he would not be allowed to accompany Israel into Canaan. So these messages contained in Deuteronomy were his last chance to warn the people against spiritual failure.

One way God's people could keep from slipping was to remember the day God gave them His commandments. They saw no form representing God, so they were not to make anything to represent Him. Obedience to a 'consuming fire' kind of God is the only path of blessing for His people.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Is there anything in your spiritual attic that needs to be brought out, dusted off, and put to useÑor maybe discarded?

One way to find out is to look back to the early days of your Christian life. Was there a spiritual discipline you used to follow with enthusiasm that has since fallen by the wayside? Maybe it's your prayer life, your desire to tell others about Christ, or a habit you've acquired that you used to have a strong conviction against. This might be a good day to do a little personal attic-cleaning, remembering why it's so important not to put anything between yourself and God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:25-28
You shall have no other gods before me. - Exodus 20:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
During his first term as president, Franklin Roosevelt teased a patriotic group about its obsession with the pedigree of its members. 'Remember, remember always,' Roosevelt said, 'that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.'

Moses made a similar plea to Israel. 'Remember where you came from, and to whom you belong,' was his message in Deuteronomy. For God's people of that day, the first step to disobedience seemed to be forgetfulness.

The passages we will study today and tomorrow are brief but remarkable. Here Moses speaks not only as lawgiver but as prophet, looking far into Israel's future to predict the nation's unfaithfulness and eventual expulsion from the land.

We can imagine the passion and pain in Moses's voice as he spoke of a future day when Israel might forget God and their obligation to worship Him alone. Forgetting God would make the people susceptible to the corruption of idolatryÑa sin Moses had just warned them against committing. Idolatry was the ultimate insult to God and an abomination in His sight.

Moses called heaven and earth as witnesses because they were fixed and permanent, in contrast to the fickle nature of the people's hearts. If, as Moses said, Israel insisted on flirting with idols, God would permit the nation to consummate the unholy union. He would, in fact, send His people into captivity in nations where they would have their fill of idolatry.

The danger Moses warned about in these verses changed the focus from the immediate to the more distant future. Up to this point, his concern had been that the Israelites not fail to obey God and possess Canaan.

But there was also the opposite danger that after the immediate challenge was met, the curse of complacency could set in and cause a massive case of spiritual amnesia.

Once again, Moses tied the issue to the need for each generation to learn about God for itself. If the current generation failed to pass along vibrant faith in God, their grandchildren would be left with only a musty memory of long-ago blessings and warnings from a God they didn't know very well.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Most people don't become excited about hand-me-downs, whether it's clothes, furniture, or faith.

We said earlier that the Christian life can't be lived second-hand. Faith must be a personal possession. But let's turn today's warning around and remember that if our faith is a bright fire, those within our influence will be drawn to the flame. Is your Christian life the kind others would want to imitate? It can be, because if we turn to Him God is ready to do more than we could ask or think.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:29-31
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the horrors of modern-day persecution against Christians is the

practice of child slavery in the north African nation of Sudan. The radical Muslim dictatorship that seized power in 1989 has been sponsoring raids against Christian villages in the south. Thousands of children and other young people have been kidnapped in these attacks and taken north to be sold to Muslim masters. One young man who was recently rescued said that after seven years in bondage, he had almost forgotten his family. Thankfully, his family never forgot him or abandoned their efforts to bring him home.

What a picture of the tragedy that befell Israel hundreds of years after Moses! The people were not innocent victims like the child slaves in Sudan. But their land was attacked and devastated, and they were carried off into bondage in faraway countriesÑall because they allowed themselves to forget God.

On the edge of Canaan, in his final message to God's people, Moses looked far ahead and saw the coming danger. The same spirit of rebellion and disobedience that plagued Israel from the Exodus to the conquest of Canaan manifested itself many years later.

Seven hundred years after Moses, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. More than a century later, Judah would fall to the Babylonians. But even in their exile, the people of God were never far from His heart and mind.

What was this cord of faithfulness that connected God to His people which would give them hope, even in captivity? It was His covenant promise made to Abraham, an oath that was still in force because God is a gracious Father who never forgets His promises or reneges on His Word.

These verses may have seemed like a distant issue to the people listening to Moses. But by proclaiming them, and then later writing them down, Moses planted a seed of hope that would one day come to fruition.

That day was centuries later, when God's people called to Him from foreign places and He heard their pleas. It took defeat and slavery to rid Israel of its love for idols, and it took a gracious God to forgive and restore His chosen ones.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although we may not bear the marks of physical slavery under foreign masters, we were once slaves too.

We were slaves to sin. Jesus said so Himself (John 8:34). We were servants in the 'dominion of darkness' (Col. 1:13), under the control of Satan. But even while we were oblivious to God, He did not forget us. In grace He rescued us from our helpless spiritual condition and transferred us to the kingdom

of Christ.

Do you need a bright spot in your week? Consider where you were and where Christ has brought you!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:32-38
You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God. - Deuteronomy 4:35
TODAY IN THE WORD
Fanny Crosby was the great American hymnwriter who lived in blindness throughout her long life. Dwight Moody once asked this amazing woman what she would ask for if God granted her one request. She replied that she would ask God to allow her to stay blind, so the first thing her eyes saw would be the face of Jesus.

Fanny Crosby was a unique person who 'saw' God in a way that no sighted person could duplicate. In the same way, Israel was a unique people group that had the opportunity to see God as no other nation could. Out of all the nations on earth, only Israel saw God do such amazing works with their own eyes.

The claims Moses made in today's reading were not the gloatings of a human ruler. And they were not limited to a few recent events or a few years of history. All the way from creation itself to the giving of the Law at Sinai, nothing this great had ever happened to anyone but Israel.

With these words Moses turned from Israel's future to her past. Each question Moses asked demanded the same answer: No, this had never happened before. No other nation had seen God's wonders and signs and mighty power the way Israel had seen them. No other people could point to a divine birth for their nation. Israel alone was the apple of God's eye.

Why did Moses want the Israelites to consider their miraculous origin? So that they might understand the greatness and uniqueness of their GodÑthat He alone is God among all the so-called gods of this world.

The knowledge Moses wanted to impart was not merely intellectual, though. This was much more than a history lesson or an attempt to fire up the people for conquest. Moses rehearsed God's greatness toward Israel so that the people would love and fear Him and desire to keep His commandments.

God loved Israel's forefathers and promised by a covenant to love their descendants after them. The Israelites were not the recipients of God's covenant love because they were better or stronger or smarter than anyone else. It was because they had a gracious God who chose to set His love upon them.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Fanny Crosby's fruitful life reflected her deep commitment to Christ.

Can we say the same of ourselves? For example, take a look at your schedule for the month of August. Does it reflect your commitment to serve and to obey Christ, or are your days consumed with 'just getting by?' Obeying Christ means that everything we do should be done in His name (Col. 3:23) and for His glory. Renewing your commitment to this priority would be a great way for you to end the summer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 4:39-40
Keep his decrees and commands . . . so that it may go well with you and your children after you. - Deuteronomy 4:40
TODAY IN THE WORD
Aspiring preachers have long been taught that even the best sermon falls short if the speaker fails to call for a response to the truth that has been presented.

Moses made no such mistake in the first of his sermons to the assembled people of Israel. He called on his hearers to 'take to heart' what they had heard and to 'keep [God's]

decrees and commands.' These are the final words in this first of several powerful messages of warning and encouragement.

The exhortations of verses 39-40 grow out of the previous section in which Moses demonstrated God's unique choice of Israel and His exclusive ability to perform His will. Moses's concern was for Israel's obedience to God, both in their conduct while capturing Canaan and in their manner of life once they had settled in the land.

Moses knew what it would take to keep God's people faithful to Him. They had to constantly remember that there is no God beside the Lord; therefore, no one else could claim their love and loyalty.

The uniqueness of Israel's God was certainly on Moses's mind. 'Besides Him there is no other' (Deut. 4:35). Then, to make sure the people got the point, Moses repeated this reminder (v. 39).

Moses was so fervent in his message because he knew something that few others realized. Israel's future security and stability depended entirely on the nation's ability to remain true to her God.

Canaan would be full of temptations for the people to worship and serve other gods. And sadly, God's chosen nation would eventually succumb to these enticements. Moses had a prophetic sense that Israel was headed for ruin if the people ever took their eyes off the Lord and started worshiping the gods around them.

There was a great deal at stake here. Obedience to God was, and is, the path to long life and blessing from generation to generation. Fearing and obeying God alone was not just a theological requirement for Israel. God had intertwined faithfulness to Him with blessing from Him in such a way that the two rose or fell together.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Providing long-term financial security for one's family is a major industry in America.

The Bible encourages us to provide for tomorrow. But biblical stewardship goes beyond our finances. Have you ever sat down to list the spiritual assets you want to leave to your children or other important people in your life? We encourage you to try itÑand to be specific in your desires. It's an exercise that will help you focus on what is truly valuable in light of Christ's eternal kingdom. Then turn your list into a prayer list, asking God to help you lay up spiritual treasure.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 6:1-5
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. - Deuteronomy 6:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
You've heard the old saying that familiarity breeds contempt. It's debatable how much truth there is in this formula. But after spending time in the Book of Deuteronomy, we can safely assume that at the very least, familiarity can breed complacency.

This was one of the dangers Moses tried to nip in the bud before the Israelites headed off into Canaan. We have fast-

forwarded in the book to chapter 6, because we want to end the month with one of the most important chapters in Scripture.

Some Bible teachers have argued that Deuteronomy 6:4 is the single most indispensable verse in the Bible. This confession of God's true nature is called the Shema, from the Hebrew word that means 'hear.' This verse alone is enough to set the one true God totally apart from any competitor or impostor.

We have learned by now that Moses was intent on establishing the uniqueness of Israel's God in the minds and hearts of His people. None but the true God could claim their complete allegiance and loveÑand that is exactly the response that God wants from His own.

Once again, the context of Moses's message was blessing for those who heard and obeyed. Verses 1 through 3 drip with promised blessing, the way the Promised Land dripped with milk and honey. Obeying God would bring possession of the land, long life, and great increase. There is also the implied blessing, elsewhere stated explicitly, that future generations of the obedient would also enjoy God's abundance.

Moses's concern that God's people enjoy long life is repeated nine times in Deuteronomy, underscoring the fact that God's intent is to bless His people.

Why does God command us to love Him with all that we have and all that we are? Because He deserves no less, and because He pours out His blessing on those who please Him.

God's commands are not too hard for His people to understand or to keep. Jesus said, 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light' (Matt. 11:30). For those who are 'careful to obey'

(Deut. 6:3), and willing to obey from hearts of sincere love for God, the blessings of heaven

are available.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One way children get into trouble is by not listening to what their parents are telling them.

This can happen also to us as adults in our relationships to God. One measure of our love for God is how willing we are to listen to what He wants to tell us. We can listen as we meditate on Scripture and spend time being quiet in God's presence. Find some time this weekend to come before God with a listening ear and an open heart. He will meet you there.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. - Deuteronomy 6:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the late basketball star 'Pistol' Pete Maravich was a youngster, he practiced his dribbling and other

skills so relentlessly that he was able to dribble a basketball out the window of his father's car at thirty miles per hour! Maravich always had a basketball in his hands, and the training paid off in the ball-handling skills that made Pete a legend by the time he had graduated from college.

Transfer that kind of dedication to the spiritual realm, and you get some idea of what Moses had in mind for the training of children in the matters of God.

It's not that parents and children are to walk around all day with a Bible in their handsÑalthough some later Jewish groups took Moses very literally and wore small boxes of Scripture on their foreheads and wrists. God's purpose is always that His Word become a vital part of a family's daily routine.

We usually hear about the family setting when this passage is taught. But we can't afford to pass by verse 6 too quickly. The process begins with the adults, not the children. God's Word must be fully at home in our own hearts before we can transmit it effectively to our children and to others around us.

Only then are we really equipped to impress God's truth on those who are within our sphere of influence. The best setting for this is not necessarily formal instruction, although Deuteronomy 6 certainly does not prohibit that.

But Moses was after something more than intellectual instruction. God's law was given to guide the moral behavior of His people, not simply to enlighten their minds. If something is going to affect the way we live each day, it needs to be deeply ingrained within us.

Every cult leader knows this, which is why false groups practice such intense indoctrination. But a child or other young person who is well-grounded in the Word and can apply it to the issues of life has little to fear from a peddler of lies.

Moses knew that eventually the Israelites would settle in Canaan and build houses for themselves. He was eager to make sure those houses were well furnished with God's truth.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In light of today's lesson, this weekend is a good time for us to make sure our homes are places where God's Word is prominent. We'll talk about this today and tomorrow.

The first step is to minimize distractions, things that keep our minds absorbed with the stuff of this world and that drown out the Word. Think through a typical week around your house. Do the television, radio, CD player, or computer command large chunks of your time and attention? If you see an area of concern, this may be the time for an honest evaluation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 6:10-12
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord. - Deuteronomy 6:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
Few things in life are as unattractive as ingratitude. Failing to be thankful for what we have received, and even forgetting the source of our blessings, is not just bad manners. It is a sin, since everything we have is a gift from God (1 Cor. 4:7).

The Israelites were on the verge of inheriting an incredible windfall of blessingÑthe well-developed and fruitful land of Canaan. The way Moses described what was ahead for the people of God must have made their heads spin.

After all, these were the children and grandchildren of people who had known nothing but slavery in Egypt. Forty years of traveling in circles in a harsh desert didn't do much to upgrade their lifestyle either. Now all of a sudden, they were facing a future of unprecedented prosperity.

All that stood between Israel and this wealth was the people's obedience. Yet once more, Moses set things in their proper context. This was no 'name it, claim it' deal. The land of Canaan was a gift of God's grace in fulfillment of His covenant promises to Israel's forefathers.

That means the people listening to Moses could not go back to their tents and say, 'God is blessing me because of all the wonderful things I've done and the great person I am.'

Don't misunderstand. God's blessing was most definitely an act of goodness to the people He loved. But He did not want the Israelites to go into Canaan with the idea, 'We deserve this for all we've suffered. We've earned a reward. It was our skill in battle and our power that won Canaan for us.'

People who start thinking like this commit a grievous sin, one of forgetting whose hand has provided all they have. If there's one lesson that is written large across the pages of Numbers and Deuteronomy, it is the danger of forgetting and thus the need to remember who God is and what He has done.

A very wise man named Agur once asked God to give him neither poverty nor wealth. The danger of gaining the latter was that too much material gain can lean one to disown God (Prov. 30:9). Does our abundance make us grateful, or forgetful?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
These words from the Proverbs make up one of the lessons that need to be learned at home.

Yesterday we talked about the importance of making God's Word prominent in the daily life of our families. One idea is to look for current events that can become the springboard for a dinnertime discussion of a biblical principle. You might use a Bible story such as Daniel and his commitment to God (Dan. 1:8-16) to ask family members how they would handle a similar situation. The teaching opportunities are there if we are alert to them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 6:13-19
Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you. - Deuteronomy 6:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many years ago, a young hotel clerk in Philadelphia explained to an older couple that no rooms were available for the night. But instead of turning the pair out into the pouring rain, the clerk insisted that they take his own room. The next morning the man thanked the clerk and told him he deserved to be the manager of the finest hotel in America. 'Maybe some day I'll build one for you.' The clerk simply smiled. Two years later, however, he found himself in New York as the first manager of the new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel! The couple he had befriended were Mr. and Mrs. William Waldorf Astor.

Talk about the rewards of service. The Lord lavishes His goodness upon those who serve Him faithfully and obediently. 'No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless,' the Bible says (Ps. 84:11).

Moses drew on all the passion of his heart to warn, teach, and exhort Israel to love and to serve the Lord God faithfully. He realized that if the people stopped following the God of Abraham, they would begin following the worthless idols of the nations around them. As one Bible commentator has pointed out, God created us with the need to worship.

The opposite of serving and obeying God is to put Him to the testÑto doubt His goodness, take for granted His provisions, and provoke Him to anger. The Israelites had just about cornered the market on that sin. Massah (Deut. 6:16) was another name for Meribah, the occasion when the people's temporary thirst caused them to question the eternal God.

That was a painful memory for Moses. The only thing more painful would be for the nation to repeat that sin once they had entered Canaan and had experienced times of need. God's promise of provision did not mean the people would never be in temporary need.

But the key was to remember in those times that God had led His people to Canaan, and He would be their supply if only they would trust Him. He had promised Israel the land and had pushed out all of her enemies. In light of all He had done for them, God had a right to be jealous for the devotion of His people.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Because the week before Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer vacation, it is a perfect time for us to reflect on God's goodness through another season.

We hope your summer has been spiritually refreshing and productive. Perhaps God has taught you new things about Himself, has given you a deeper love for His Word, or has met a special need in your life. Why not draw up a mental checklist of God's goodness to you this summer and then turn your gratitude into praise?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-27
Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm. - Proverbs 1:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
Playing games of chance is not limited to casinos, clubs, and other gambling halls. Many of us can remember simple child's games at the county fair such as the one that involves a row of small plastic ducks floating in a trough of water. Each duck has a number, and the child who picks the duck with the right number wins a prize.

If you ever played that game, or a similar version, you might recall the childish agony of trying to decide which of the dozen or so ducks to select.

There is little at stake in a child's game of chance. Unfortunately, countless numbers of people live their lives like a game of chance. They stand at the world's trough, watching life's choices float by: pleasure, hard work, indulgence, success, fame, material wealth, and so forth. Whichever one appears to offer the prize is what they grab.

Thankfully, there is an infinitely better way to live. We can go to the Creator of life and tap into His wisdom. God has not left our lives up to chance, but has made the path to an eternally fulfilling life plain to us. His wisdom is readily available if we will only have the good sense to listen and accept His guidance (v. 5).

Nowhere is God's wisdom for the good life more succinctly summarized than in the book of Proverbs. The word translated 'proverb' probably comes from a word that means to compare, the way an individual proverb might compare two ways of living or thinking. It can also refer to a pithy saying or a parable.

The pages of Proverbs contain a lifetime's worth of divine guidance, so spending at least the next thirty days in the Proverbs is definitely a good idea!

We'll take a portion of a chapter each day this month, looking to gain the wisdom and blessings God has for us and to avoid the snares that the enemy puts in our paths.

Solomon, the primary author of the Proverbs, does not waste any time in giving us a desire for the insights of God. Look at the list of virtues and benefits outlined in verses 2-6. Who would not want these blessings?

To make sure we don't miss the key to it all, Solomon hangs it on the front door (v. 7). Nothing else will work unless we love and revere God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As you read Solomon's list of the benefits of godly wisdom, you may have read something that touched close to home.

You may need discipline in an area of your life, or guidance in a difficult circumstance. Perhaps you need the strength to do what you know is right. Or you may simply want to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. Whatever the case, bring your desire to the Lord today, praying that He will also help you learn to fear Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 2:1-11
Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be
pleasant to your soul. - Proverbs 2:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
It is said that when warriors from the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta went into battle, they did so singing, willing to fight. In contrast, when the Persians approached a battle, the crack of whips could be heard as officers drove cowards forward to engage the enemy.

The determination of the Spartan soldiers is how God wants us to pursue His wisdom for living. Proverbs 2 leaves us with no doubt about two facts. First, the wisdom that comes from God is what can make us spiritually successful. Second, God reserves the treasures of His Word for those who seek them with their whole hearts.

Solomon directs these verses to his son, commonly done in the Proverbs (see 1:8, 10, 15). This is instruction from a father's heart, given to one whom he loves dearly and wants to have succeed. The frequent references to the family setting suggest the home as the context for much of this teaching.

This is the way God intended His teaching to be. Moses had given Israel a pattern after which to model a homeÑwhere God's truth was to be taught regularly and naturally (Deut. 6:5-9). But notice also that while Solomon was the human teacher (Prov. 1:1), God gives wisdom to His people (Prov. 2:6). God blesses the diligence of those who make His truth a priority in their homes.

What a pattern for us to follow with our families! Christian parents long to see their children seek God with the kind of spiritual determination that Solomon describes here (vv. 1-4).

But if we want others to go after the knowledge of God as if it were silver or gold, we have to evidence that same commitment in our lives. As we saw briefly yesterday, there are tremendous rewards for seeking God and for living by His wisdom.

Solomon puts these benefits in military terms, speaking of 'victory' and 'a shield' (v. 7) and the protection that wisdom brings. Protection from what? From perverse people who would drag us into sin if we let them (see vv. 12-19). The best defense against sin is to run straight into the protection of God's Word.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes devotions can seem like a duty. But today's study takes the discipline of knowing and pursuing God to a new level. The Proverbs tell us that seeking God should be our greatest commitment and delight. If your devotional life needs a little more vitality, why not take a cue from those ancient Spartan warriors? Sing your way into the battle. For the next few days, try beginning your quiet time by singing to the Lord a favorite hymn of devotion.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 3:1-12
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Worldwide Challenge magazine, author Chuck Klein writes, 'On the farm you quickly learn that at harvest time you go to the ripest fields first....The same is true of the spiritual harvest. Teenagers represent one of the most spiritually ripe and responsive age groups in the entire world. The vast majority of people who trust Christ (some studies show more than 80 percent) do so between the ages of 12 and 18.'

The writers of Proverbs understood the value of youthful commitment to the Lord. Solomon, in particular, urged his readers to heed the advice of godly mentors the way a son would follow the advice of a beloved and trusted father.

One of the consistent themes in this book is the blessing of following and obeying GodÑboth in terms of benefits gained and of evil and pain avoided. And the Proverbs stress the importance of living by God's wisdom in one's early years, before sin has had a chance to wreak havoc.

We need to remember that proverbs are not iron-clad guarantees, but truths about life. That is, it is generally true that living in God's favor can prolong life and bring a person prosperity. But we get into trouble when we try to turn these principles into rigid formulas.

Nevertheless, the promises of God are wonderful for those who seek Him. Jesus grew in favor with God and with others (Luke 2:52), and the person who fears God can enjoy the same favor (Prov. 3:4). Guidance is also a blessing we will find when we follow God's path, because He will not lead us astray.

The theme of these verses is the value of trusting the Lord. If we can trust God for long life, blessing, and guidance, we should have no problem trusting Him in our giving and in the choice of discipline that He brings into our lives (vv. 9-12).

Why do you suppose Solomon chose these two areas? Because they are two of the hardest for us to relinquish. Most of us want to control our money, and we want to have a say in shaping our circumstances. But if God is our loving Father, can't we trust that He won't do us any harm?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you remember an incident of discipline from childhood that seemed especially painful at the time?

Chances are you can recall not only the occasion, but the lesson your parent, teacher, principal, or other authority figure was trying to teach you. Those lessons tend to stay with us. Did God put people in your life who were faithful in disciplining you? Thank Him for that training. And if you cannot name anyone like that in your past, thank the Lord that He has promised to fill that need in your life today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 4:10-27
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. - Proverbs 4:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Harry Truman became president, House speaker Sam Rayburn took him aside and said, 'From here on out you're going to have lots of people around you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs. They'll tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't.'

Rayburn wasn't trying to insult Truman. He was simply warning the new president to be on his guard. The Bible tells us to do the same thing. We need to guard our hearts because the heart is the seat of our affections, and therefore of our decisions.

This truth is one more nugget in the gold mine of godly wisdom from the Proverbs. Our goal this month is to learn more about how God wants us to live and to capitalize on the resources He has provided to help us discover the path of life. Proverbs 4 contains much wisdom for us.

Today's reading presents two very clear alternativesÑtwo paths that lead to very different ends. God is eager to lead us along a path that is straight, well-marked by His wisdom, and illuminated by His love.

When we walk along this path, with God's instruction Book in our hands (v. 13), we don't need to worry about stumbling. God is not in the business of putting obstacles in our way.

In contrast, 'the path of the wicked' (v. 14) is a sharp turn in the road. Instead of being straight and well-lit, it is twisted and dark, littered with the stones and potholes of sin.

Solomon could not have been any more plain. If we live according to the standards of God's Word, we will end up in 'the full light of day' (v. 18). But sin produces only darkness and eventual gloom. And no one will be able to say that God did not make the two choices clear.

So how do we make sure we stay on the right path? Verses 20-27 give us all the instruction we need. Solomon tells us to keep a guard on what goes into our hearts and what comes out of our mouths.

At the same time, we need to keep our eyes straight ahead, fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:2), so that we can see where we're going. Anyone can follow a well-marked path by paying attention to the signs.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We used to sing a children's chorus that begins, 'O be careful little eyes what you see.'

The song goes on to urge that we guard what our ears hear, what our hands do, and where our feet go. That's a pretty good spiritual checklist! We suggest you follow the song's biblical advice today and do a head-to-foot checkup on your Christian life.