Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. Take the words as those of a greater than Solomon. I. WHY DOES GOD MAKE ANY REQUEST OF MAN? God loves a voluntary offering, a willing surrender from such a creature as man. A man is able to disobey. God is pleased when man yields Him a hearty and willing obedience. II. WHAT IS THE REQUEST GOD MAKES OF MEN. "Give Me thine heart." Heart is another name for the affections, and the affections are as essential a part of every man as his intellect or his will. God says, "Give Me thy supreme love." Here is a demand which few men comply with, which none in their natural state comply with. Men will give God everything except their hearts. This is a request concerning which some people stand in doubt whether they ought to comply with it. III. WHY DOES GOD MAKE THIS REQUEST OF MAN? 1. Because the heart is the most valuable thing we have. 2. Where the heart is given, everything else will follow. 3. The heart can never be happy until it is given to God. So that God makes this request not for any selfish reason, but in the greatest goodness, and the most God-like loving-kindness. IV. HOW DOES GOD MAKE THIS REQUEST OF MAN? In various ways. He does it by all the comforts of our present life. He does it by experience of the sorrows of life. In the Cross of Jesus this request is uttered. (Francis Tucker, B.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.WEB: My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways. |
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