Hello, and warm wishes for a wonderful day. Let's continue in Proverbs, chapter 4. For comments on verses 1-8, search for "Oct 04". Let's back up and consider verses 7-10.

"7 Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom, And with all you acquire, acquire understanding. 8 Highly esteem it, and it will exalt you. It will honor you because you embrace it. 9 It will place an attractive wreath on your head; It will adorn you with a crown of beauty.” 10 Listen, my son, and accept my sayings, And the years of your life will be many."

Prov 4:7 True wisdom is the ability to apply divine knowledge successfully, in harmony with God's right standards, for the benefit of others and ourselves. Understanding sees how to put the pieces together of something, especially something of divine importance. The Scriptures says "Make sure of the more important things." (Phs 1:10). Let's seek God's wisdom and understanding by giving adequate attention and reflection on God's word, including Proverbs.

Prov 4:8,9 Humbly working to grow in divine wisdom, while respecting God's greatness, will in turn bring us honor from God. It will cause our thoughts and words to be more pleasing to God and others of obedient, God-fearing mankind.

Prov 4:10 God's guidance and direction does generally contribute to longer life now, but much more in receiving His reward of endless life in the future.

Let's look at the 4th set of verses from Psalm 119, beginning with verse 25. This psalm is an acrostic, meaning each successive verse or set of verses begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We'll consider 4 of the 8 verses.

"25 I lie prostrate in the dust. Preserve me alive according to your word. 26 I told you of my ways, and you answered me; Teach me your regulations. 27 Make me understand the meaning of your orders, So that I may ponder over your wonderful works. 28 I have been sleepless from grief. Strengthen me according to your word."

May we have sentiments like the psalmist, turning to God for his instruction. In Psal 119:26, he honestly reveals his ways before Jehovah, seeking any correction from God. Then he seeks to understand the meaning and purpose behind God's commands, that he may ponder and deepen his appreciation for God's works, wisdom and greatness. Have you ever been "sleepless from grief?" Roma 15:4 says "4 For all the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope." Thus God's word can infuse us with hope and strengthen us to do what is right, placing trust in God and His ways. Prov 10:22 says "22 It is the blessing of Jehovah that makes one rich, And He adds no pain with it."

In Matt 4, Jesus defends his humble course against God's enemy Satan. In the process, some valuable instruction is provided by Jesus. One of the most important principles he reveals, is at Matt 4:4: "But he answered: “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.’” Do we consider God's word daily, like we take in physical food? Jesus said "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need." (Matt 5:3) We should be ever mindful of our need for spiritual things, never feeling we've come to know enough that we no longer need to study. Some have fallen into that trap, feeling they've learned enough, and fall back into a course of inactivity, no longer serving God. May we treasure good spiritual instruction and reminders on a regular basis, always seeking to learn more or in a better way than previously. Prov 1:5 says "A wise person listens and takes in more instruction." Yes a truly wise person is not a know-it-all, but rather enjoys learning from others.