Proverbs 4:22

Proverbs 4:22

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

a. ASV:  For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: For life they are to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: For they are life to he who finds them, and healing to all his flesh. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

e. NLT: For they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1.”For they are life unto those that find them…”

a. For [Strong: 3588 kîy, kee; a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:—and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

b. they [Strong: 1992 hêm, haym; or (prolonged) הֵמָּה hêmmâh; masculine plural from H1931; they (only used when emphatic):—it, like, × (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, × so, × such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.]

c. [are] life [Strong: 2416 chay, khah'-ee; from H2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively:— age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, merry, multitude, (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.]

d. [unto those who] find them [Strong: 4672 mâtsâʼ, maw-tsaw'; a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:— be able, befall, being, catch, × certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), × have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with), × occasion serve, (be) present, ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.]

1). This stage is one of revelation & illumination. It is at this point we become responsible for doing what God has revealed to us. The first three stages do not change the circumstances, but change us so that we can believe God for them to be changed.

a). Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

b). Psalm 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law.

c). Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2). In Ephesians 1:17, 18 the Apostle Paul prayed, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the 

Knowledge of him: the eyes of your Understanding being enlightened; that you 

may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his 

inheritance in the saints,”

3). It is also at this point where the trial of  faith begins: 1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”.

a). World Outreach Church Daily Devotional 12/16/13 God is telling us how to find health and abundant life. But these benefits don’t work for everyone; God’s promises are conditional. What’s the condition? He said His words are life to those who find them. I used to think when God said, “unto those that find them,” He meant unto those who look up three or four Scriptures in a concordance and read them a few times and maybe even make some notes. But you won’t qualify as one who has grasped the Word just by reading a few verses a few times and making lists of Scriptures. To find doesn’t mean just to locate. Actually, it means everything but locate. To find means “to attain or acquire, to get a hold upon, to have, to take hold on.”1 God is telling you to do more than just locate Scriptures. He said His words are life to those who attain or take hold of them. In other words, God wants you to stick with His Word until His Word sticks with you. Jesus desired the same thing for His disciples. In Luke 9:44, He instructed them, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears….” God’s Word begins to work for you when it becomes rooted and grounded in your heart. So gain possession of the Word and watch it come to pass.

2.  “…and health to all their flesh.”

a. [and] health [Strong: 4832 marpêʼ, mar-pay'; from H7495; properly, curative, i.e. literally (concretely) a medicine, or (abstractly) a cure; figuratively (concretely) deliverance, or (abstractly) placidity:—(in-)cure(-able), healing(-lth), remedy, sound, wholesome, yielding.]

b. [to] all [Strong: 3605 kôl, kole; or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל kôwl; from H3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):—(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

c. [their] flesh [Strong: 1320 bâsâr, baw-sawr'; from H1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man:—body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, nakedness, self, skin.]

1). Impartation & Action

a). Faith demands action, James 2:14-20.

b). Walking in faith involves speaking: 2 Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same 

spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we 

also believe, and therefore speak.”

c). Mark 11:22-24 is conditional upon the word already being illuminated in my heart.

2). Endurance

a). Resistance by faith: 1 Peter 5:8-10 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, Make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

b). Fight the fight of faith: 1 Timothy 6:12-14.

c). Cast not away your outspokenness: Hebrews 10:35-39.

d). Hold fast to your confession: Hebrews 10:23.

3). World Outreach Church Daily Devotional 1/3/12 In the original Hebrew, this Scripture literally says God’s Word is medicine to our flesh. (A marginal note in my King James Version Bible substitutes the word medicine for the word health.) So think about this: What if someone invented a medication that could cure anything wrong with the human body? He’d be rich overnight! People would take that medicine diligently. And yet, if we’d just give God’s promises on healing the same credibility we give the medicines developed by medical science, we would have 100 times the results! (Now, I’m not against medical doctors. In fact, I have several doctors in my close family. Thank God for doctors! They keep people alive until people discover there’s a better way.) God’s words may be medicine to all our flesh, but like any other medicine, we have to take it. If we just put it on the shelf and look at it, it won’t do any good. How do we take God’s medicine? We hear it and hear it and hear it. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When we continually hear God’s Word, our faith hooks up and releases God’s power—and we rise up healed!

4). World Outreach Church Daily Devotional 1/6/12 I know a lady who learned after she became pregnant that a childhood case of rheumatic fever had permanently damaged her heart. Her doctor put her on heart medication indefinitely. Later the woman discovered Mark 11:24 that says, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” She fed on that Scripture until faith rose in her heart, and she believed she received healing for her damaged heart. For two whole years every time she took her medicine she’d say, “Thank God, I’m healed by Jesus’ stripes. Medicine doesn’t heal me; it just keeps my heart beating right while God does the healing.” She kept standing on the Word. One day the lady went to her medicine cabinet when suddenly the Holy Ghost spoke to her: “You don’t need the medicine now. Throw it away.” (Notice that she didn’t stop taking her medicine until she knew God told her to.) Later she went to another heart specialist who conducted more tests and concluded, “There must have been a mix-up in the original diagnosis because your heart is fine!” Now, heart damage doesn’t just disappear. No, this woman supernaturally received her healing. We all want quick results to our prayer of faith—and at times we receive them. But if our answers don’t come quickly, we must do as Ephesians 6:13 says, “having done all, to stand.” Take hold of God’s Word, stand in faith—and then keep standing.