Jump Start # 417 

Proverbs 16:20 “He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

  Proverbs are the practical side of living the righteous life. It’s the manual of how to do it. Our verse today is interesting. The wise man is one who gives attention to the word. It is not specified what the “word” is. In some ways, he may be implying our speech and giving care to what we say and how we say it. Some folks talk without engaging their brain and as a result they always have to apologize. They would do better if they paid attention to the word.

  But some how that explanation doesn’t really seem to fit this verse. “Word” and speech are not the same and the passage ends with trusting in the Lord. We find two positive thoughts—”finding good” and being “blessed.” The connection is the word and the Lord. The wise man is pointing to the word of God. Paying attention to the Bible and trusting the Lord.

  Those two are an easy fit. God gave us the Bible. If a person believes the Bible, follows the Bible, are the not in essence trusting the Lord who wrote it?

  I want to look at the expression, “gives attention to the word.” God’s word demands not only our time and our study, but our careful look, our paying attention. We read the Bible differently than we do other things. I remember a summer school class I took in high school that developed speed reading. A book was propped up and a bright light, just the perfect size of one sentence on a page would move down the book. The student was expected to keep up with the light. As the summer progressed, the speed of the light would move faster and faster, until we could fly through a page. Often to keep up, we’d read the first and last sentence of a paragraph, and parts of the rest. By the end of the summer I could read fast. I still do on some things, but I’ve had to learn to read slowly and carefully. Reading the Bible fast isn’t good. A person can skip words, the order of words and miss the real intention of a verse.

  I read the Bible slow. I usually have a pen in hand so I can underline or circle words. Paying attention to the word is crucial. Don’t skip words, don’t fly through verses. I’m not a huge fan of read the Bible through in a year programs. I’ve done them and it’s important to read all of the Bible, but if you miss a day or two, you get so far behind that a person must read a dozen chapters to get back on schedule and then it’s keep with the schedule not so much grasping what is read.

  I’d rather a person read a few sentences a day. Think about the details. Why is it written this way? What is the passage driving at? How does it fit in the context. Details. Pay close attention to the words. Remembering. Learning. Meditating. These are the steps of knowing God’s word.

  The result is that a person will find good. They will find that God’s word leads them to good. Good behavior. Good attitudes. Good deeds. Above all, the good Lord.

  The book, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” is an interesting thought—doesn’t work with God. Details matter. How you get there is just as important as getting there. Sweat the small stuff, it’ll do you good.

  Peter wanted brethren to “speak as the oracles of God” (4:11). That’s important. Speaking as  God speaks. Using words as God uses them. You listen to folks in a religious conversation and you can quickly tell you has been paying attention to the words. It comes out. They know what the word means. You understand God’s message. They have given time to it.

  Good advice—essential wisdom—pay attention to the details of God’s message!

Roger