Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7: Guarding God's Word Like the Apple of Our Eye

Proverbs 7 offers a powerful contrast—on one hand, the way of life that God invites us into, and on the other, a seductive pull that feels good in the moment but leads to destruction. This chapter vividly paints the picture of an "adulterous woman" as a symbol of temptation, of sin, of anything that draws us away from God's path. But even more than a warning, this chapter is a call. A call to treasure God’s Word—deeply, consistently, personally.

Treasuring God’s Word: A Life-Giving Discipline

The first few verses of Proverbs 7 jumped off the page for us:

“My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 7:1–3)

This is more than advice. It’s a call to actively treasure, memorize, and live by God’s Word. It matters because we believe Scripture is how God speaks to us, guides us, and equips us. The Bible tells us how to worship, how to love others, and how to find wisdom in the messiness of life. It's both our defense and offense in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6 calls it the “sword of the Spirit”).

We’ve seen this play out in real life. Whether it’s a friend quoting a Psalm in a tough moment or turning to a verse in the middle of anxiety or fear, God’s Word truly is alive. It brings peace. It brings clarity. It gives strength. And those moments remind us that memorizing Scripture isn’t just a spiritual discipline—it’s a lifeline.

Is God’s Word the Apple of Our Eye?

That phrase—the apple of your eye—really stuck with us. Think about how instinctively we protect our eyes. A speck of dust can stop us in our tracks. We wear goggles to mow the lawn, sunglasses in the sun, and even eye drops when they’re irritated. So if Scripture is meant to be that precious—what does that say about how we treat it?

It made us ask: are we guarding God’s Word with that same urgency and care? Are we treasuring it like we treasure our sight? Are we holding it that dear?

The author of Proverbs goes even further—calling us to bind it on our fingers and write it on the tablet of our hearts. The imagery is rich with meaning. In Jewish culture, phylacteries were small leather boxes that held tiny scrolls of Scripture. They were worn on the body—on the arms, fingers, even the forehead—as physical reminders of God’s commands. It sounds strange today, but the heart behind it is beautiful: keep God’s Word with you everywhere.

And maybe we’re not wearing leather straps, but we do hang verses on our walls, wear them on shirts, post them on social media. But are we also taking that next step—to internalize them? To truly know them by heart?

From Memory to Heart: Living the Word

There’s a big difference between knowing something in your head and knowing it by heart. That difference showed up in a simple story from childhood. A young cousin once said, “I don’t have the number memorized, but I know it by heart.” That phrase stuck. There’s a tenderness and trust in knowing something by heart—it’s personal, it’s lived, it’s loved.

It’s the same with Scripture. Posting verses on your wall is great. Wearing them on a shirt? Awesome. But the goal is to live them out. To know them so deeply that they shape our responses, our decisions, our inner peace. That’s when Scripture really becomes a part of us.

And here’s the truth: there’s nothing new under the sun. The struggles we face today—whether it’s pride, lust, fear, comparison—are the same battles people faced thousands of years ago. God’s Word is timeless. Its relevance hasn’t changed. What has changed is how much access we have to it—and how willing we are to let it shape us.

Wrapping It All Up: Know It By Heart

Proverbs 7 begins and ends the same way: “Listen to me. Pay attention.” It bookends a warning with a plea. Because the stakes are high. When we follow the world’s seductive path, it leads to pain, regret, even spiritual death. But when we walk in God’s ways, it leads to life.

So here’s our question for all of us:
What does it look like for us to bind God’s Word to our lives—externally and internally?

Are we holding Scripture as close as the apple of our eye? Are we just memorizing it—or do we know it by heart?

Let’s be people who not only read the Word but treasure it. People who don’t just quote it, but live it.

God bless you as you walk in His way.