November 8

My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice. — Prov 23:15 BSB

Every loving father is deeply invested in the lives of his children. His joy in later years depends a lot on how they live. He finds happiness in seeing them make something good and noble out of their lives, living honorably and righteously.

Notice the importance of the heart in shaping a person’s life. We are never better than our hearts. If our hearts are filled with evil thoughts, wrong attitudes, and bad temper, our character will reflect that. "Beautiful thoughts make a beautiful soul." As we think in our hearts, so we become.

This has a powerful message for parents. If they want to find happiness in watching their children live good and beautiful lives, they must do more than just give wise advice. Solomon was great at giving advice. His words are full of wisdom, and if followed, they will build a life filled with truth, purity, and beauty. But we also know how Solomon lived. It’s no surprise that his son didn’t turn out well. Parents today need to be careful not to make the same mistake. No matter how wise their advice may be, if they don’t live godly lives themselves, their children will likely follow their poor example instead of their words.