My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.
— Proverbs 7:1–4
What is the apple of your eye? Is it a person, a job, a child, a passion? This term, both today and more than 2,000 years ago, is used to describe something or someone who is cherished or esteemed above all others. Proverbs 7:1–4 tells us that God’s word, his commands and teachings, are to be held to that regard. We should treasure his commands, and his teaching should be the apple of our eyes! Somehow we, as believers of Jesus Christ, can believe the lie that we can get closer to God without even drawing near to him. But the saying almost always holds true: direction, not intention, determines destination. If we want to have peace, freedom, and to walk in step with God, we must move in the direction of his will. We have to draw near to him, and get to know him in order to know what his desire is and what is right and true.
Let’s all start our summer off by deciding what our “win” is in life. At the end of our lives, what do we want to say we fought for? Our fight, our battle to win for what matters, starts with knowing Jesus. Not knowing about him, but really knowing him. Having a relationship with him and being made new. This starts by inviting him into your life.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
— Romans 10:9–10
Let’s fight to know God more each day. Let’s fight to put off our own desires and adopt his desires as our own. Let’s fight to keep him first. Let’s fight to “hide his word in [our] heart that [we] might not sin against him.” (Ps. 119:11) Because that kind of life would be a true win!
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
— Psalm 119:105
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
— James 1:22
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
— Psalm 119:9
“He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”
— Luke 11:28
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
— Matthew 7:24
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
— Matthew 4:4
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.
— John 7:38
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
— Hebrews 4:12
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
— James 1:22