(Kent Heaton)

Solomon begins the book of Proverbs with the understanding of man's true relationship with God. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (1:7) As he concluded the book of Ecclesiastes, he declared the whole of man was to "fear God and keep His commandments." The structure of man's happiness can only be found in the word of God. Through a study of God's word, man can see the correct paths to walk and the roads to travel to be found pleasing before the Creator.

In Proverbs 4:23-27, Solomon gives five basic rules for life. In each of these rules, God shows a manner of life that will enhance the relationship men have for each other and especially toward God. These five rules of life are in answer to the statement of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 10:23 when he writes: "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." The following five rules of life are road signs for man to seek after to be found pleasing before God.

Rule number one: "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." (v23) Jesus explained the heart as being the seat of our treasures. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." (Matthew 12:35) The heart must be guarded with great diligence for the feelings we have in our heart will be the basis of our thoughts and words. "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man." (Matthew 15:18-20)

The rule of life we must follow is to guard our hearts from evil influence and anything that would defile our minds. The issues of our lives will be from the kind of hearts we have. Lot failed to guard his heart in the midst of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. The consequence is found in his willingness to give his daughters over to the ungodly men of the city. We can also see the impact of such influence upon his wife (who disobeyed God and looked back) and his two daughters (who committed incest with him).

The following four rules will help determine the manner we guard our hearts. If our hearts are pure, our mouth will be pure. If our hearts are clean, our eyes will not stray to unclean places. With our hearts sober our paths will be established in holiness. With a sound mind, we will not be tempted to wander to the right or left and will keep far from evil.

What type of things harm our minds? What we watch on television, the books we read along with the magazines we enjoy, the music we listen too and the movies we view. These are just a few but have the most influence in our lives. Our hearts must guard against anything that is unclean. "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is clean." (Romans 12:9)

Rule number two: "Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you." (v24) James describes the power of the tongue in James 3. "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." (vv5,6) The Lord chastens us over and over in scripture to watch the tongue and its influence. Ephesians 4:25,31; Colossians 3:8; 4:6; James 1:21,26; 1 Peter 2:1.

The emotions of anger and bitterness come from the heart that is left unguarded. Lying sprouts from the fertile ground of deceit rooted deep in the heart unguarded. Telling dirty jokes come from the mind filled with ungodliness. Gossip is spread thick by a heart void of love. The tongue of guile is born from a heart of deceit. "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." (James 3:10)

Our speech should be pure and clear. The manner men judge us is by the words they hear. The type of character we have as children of God is one of "sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." (Titus 2:8) The rule of life here is to maintain a pure life so that no reproach can be brought against the body of Christ by our words. "All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them." (Proverbs 8:8)

Rule number three: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you." (v25) The eyes are the windows of our heart with which we direct our steps. Sin will be the consequences of wandering eyes and so we must keep our eyes on the focus of our lives - Jesus Christ. The Hebrew writer admonishes us to look to Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith." (12:2)

As we keep our eyes on Jesus, our whole life is filled with His glory. Our hearts are filled with the image of godliness which will keep our mouths from being deceitful and perverse. Jesus shows the presence of our eyes to our heart when he said, "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

The rule of life is to keep our eyes from partaking of evil and to keep them straight before us for sure footing. An example of the power of this rule of life is found in Job 31:1 - "I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?" See Matthew 5:27-30.

Rule number four: "Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established." (v26) The idea of pondering is to "weigh out" or to "make level or smooth." Our mind must consider the paths we choose with careful deliberation. When walking a mountain path on the side of a cliff, we walk with exacting steps so as not to fall to our death. We are to be very diligent in the steps we take and the paths we follow in life.

Life is uncertain and as we choose our paths, this rule of life describes the need to give thoughtful attention to where we are going and where we want to be. The Psalmist reminds us to think about where we are going and what we are doing. (Psalm 119:59) Solomon warns us if we are not careful of our steps in Proverbs 4:14,15: "Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on."

Our ways should be established and ordered by God. We should walk with wisdom (Ephesians 5:15) and by the will of the Lord. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way ... uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip." (Psalm 37:23; 17:5) Our steps must be ordered by the word of God and this is where the weighing out and leveling takes place. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Rule number five: "Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil." (v27) The final rule of life is the commitment of heart to stay the course without swerving to the right or left. With the heart being kept with all diligence, the mouth speaking truth, the eyes looking straight ahead and the steps carefully considered, the child of God will not turn to the right or to the left. Their feet will not walk in the pathway of evil and when temptation overtakes them, they will remove their steps from evil.

The life of the Christian is ordered by the will of God. The only road we should walk is the path of righteousness and holiness. Our eyes are not straying nor our feet wandering off the path. Our rule of life is governed by the desire to enter the narrow gate and the difficult way, which leads to life. (Matthew 7:13,14) " The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul." (Proverbs 16:17) "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray." (Isaiah 35:8)

The way to heaven is a straight path and a road of holiness and purity. The issues of our lives are governed by these five rules of life. In each one we find the strength and power to take one step at a time to that heavenly goal. With each step and with each moment, we draw closer to the final journey ending at the throne of God.

God has blessed us with these five rules of life to give us direction and how to follow those directions. Follow these rules and they will lead you - and me - to the city of God.