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Written by Larry Ollison

Proverbs 4:20 says, "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings."

Loretta and I were on an airplane the other day and this lady near us read a book the entire trip. You could tell by the cover of the book that it wasn't a survey on the Book of John. The picture on the front cover indicated the book was about lust and intrigue.

If we dwell on subjects the world has to offer like adultery, fornication, and big business deals where people are trying to rip you off, that's what you're going to have in your heart. It will also be what's going to come out of your mouth. Personally, what I want to come out of my mouth is something that's going to help me.

Getting Proverbs 4:20 down in your heart can change your life. It can take you from living a life of defeat into living a life of victory. "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings."

When you get into the Word of God, you will start hungering for more Word and your faith will increase. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).

Likewise, if you allow the devil to lure your flesh into the things of the world, you will not be satisfied with just a little bit. Sin is progressive.

I got a letter some time ago from a prisoner who was in the cell next to a nationally known rapist and serial killer. We had sent some Bibles through our prison ministry, Bibles Behind Bars, and he had received one through the prison chaplain. He told us the Bible he received from us was the only thing he had not stolen or gotten through some illegal means. It's amazing there are still people in the United States who don't have a Bible!

In his letter, he made reference to the serial killer in the cell next to him. Later in the week there was a news documentary about this particular serial killer. In the documentary they revealed some interesting details that were confirmed to me in this letter.

The strongest point was this: sin is progressive. The serial killer didn't wake up one day and decide to start murdering women. It was said that he started out looking at newsstand pornographic literature. After a while that wasn't enough to satisfy his lust. It just got worse and worse. A lot of people don't realize that the things of the devil are progressive, just like the things of God are progressive.

It's the same way with our words. We can become so used to hearing things that are bad that we no longer think they're bad anymore. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:2 our consciences become seared because we hear something that's wrong for so long that we don't realize it's wrong anymore. In fact, we think it's right.

Source: Life is in The Blood by Larry Ollison
Excerpt permission granted by Larry Ollison Ministries