Proverbs 4:3-5 (ESV)
3 When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Like the son, the wise father depends upon his parents and listens to the sound instruction of his father. The grandfather teaches his son to take hold of and obey his teaching so that the son might experience a good and honorable life. The wise grandfather highly values wisdom. The word translated “get” means “to acquire, gain possession of, or buy.” The son must be willing to sacrifice to become wise. The grandfather’s advice is the same as the father’s advice: do not steer away from wisdom’s path. Although it can seem easier to “go with the flow,” the wise woman diligently persists down the right road, even when it feels difficult. What circumstances or people cause you to veer off the path of the wise? Prayerfully identify what those things are and choose to reduce their influence on your heart and mind today.