CUTTING THE LIGHT ON
Proverbs 6:20-23 NKJV
20 My son, keep your father's command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you roam, they will lead you;
When you sleep, they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
I still remember as a young child how the dark could really work on your mind and imagination. Things you thought were scary looked completely different when the lights were cut on. Our verses for today are a great reminder of how God's Word cuts the light on in our life.
Although verse twenty speaks of the commandment of a father and the law of a mother, we can easily transfer these instructions to God's Word. If the parent's word was so valuable, how much more are God's words to us today? The exhortation was to value the instructions that came from father and mother. Because Solomon wrote the proverbs, we can assume he was talking about his parents. But again, these words are inspired, so we'll look at the instructions as coming from our Heavenly Father.
The instructions are to keep God's Word in our lives. We keep His words in our hearts and in our focus. Bind them on your heart and tie them around your neck imply that these words are valuable. I like how the NLT version describes what God's Word will do for us in verse twenty-two. "When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you." That's valuable stuff! Godly counsel, protection, and advice. And a side note as to protection when we sleep. I find it can be challenging to quiet my mind after a busy day. Giving myself mindless rest by watching YouTube or browsing through the internet is a recipe for more mental busyness. I have found that reading the scriptures before turning out the lights is one of the best ways to quiet my mind and sleep peacefully. God's Word has medicinal qualities that impact our spirits and can bring peace to our minds. Try it. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
The gain comes from putting God's counsel, light, and advice in your heart because God's Word is a lamp and a light. God's Word shines on the path that leads to life. When we think about the time this proverb was written, there were no streetlights or well-lit paths. When it was dark, it was dark. There was no such thing as light pollution. If you were walking down a dark street, having a lamp was vitally important. All kinds of bad things can lurk in the dark, but if you were carrying a lamp, you could avoid danger and keep yourself from stumbling over obstacles that were hidden by the darkness. That makes sense from a physical standpoint, and it makes sense from a spiritual standpoint.
The reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Corrective instruction can be a lifesaver in the sense of what it protects us from. Two of my children read a book about marriage entitled Sacred Search. It is a well-written book that I highly recommend for singles. That book contained some corrective instruction that helped both of them rethink their current relationships and make a change. And both married people who have been wonderful additions to the family. God-based counsel found in His word can protect us from a world of hurt in a hurting world.
All this to say you are not just reading your Bible. You are in the process of cutting God's light on in your life.