Somatic Therapy

Somatic: (adj): relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind.

Somatic Therapy, that is what we are going to look at, discuss from our next section, passage Pro4:20-27. So lets read it together and go from there.

Proverbs 4:20–21 NASB95

20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart.

Proverbs 4:22–23 NASB95

22 For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. 23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:24–25 NASB95

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

Proverbs 4:26–27 (NASB95)

26 Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. 27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

Q: What do you notice in this section?

Q: Who is Solomon speaking to?

Q: Put on your thinking caps and look and you should be able to answer, what is he saying to not let them deapart (v.21)?

Q: What is the “they” in (v.22)?

Q: What is the “from it” in (v.23)?

OK, enough with the questions for right at the moment, so now lets see what we can learn from Solomon and his somatic therapy words to his son.

In the recent past we have looked at:

Childhood memories (4:1-9)

Then two paths (4:10-19)

Today we will see Somatic Therapy (4:20-27); Where Solomon makes metaphoric use of body parts

Another definition, explanation of Somatic is: holistic treatment designed to integrate the mental emotional spiritual and physical aspects of one’s being.

Somatic therapy 101

Incline your ear

Give attention to my words, incline your ears to my sayings (4:20)

So be careful to listen for the words have wisdom, have experience for your learning and application. Intentional listening is required.

Lean in and listen, to grasp the words of wisdom for application.

So, the question arises, personally, do we lean in using the ears God has given us to listen carefully for wisdom being imparted, shared with us?

Focus your eyes on wisdom

Do not let them depart from your eyes (4:21)

As we read in Heb12, “Keep your eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.” Here we see we should have our eyes focused, fixed on wise teaching (not the teacher, but the teaching).

Give attention visually through the word the words of wisdom, the teaching being given.

Here is what Paul said to Timothy.

1 Timothy 4:13 NASB95

13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

So, again the question, personally should be do we make good use of our eyes do we lean in to learn from the wisdom put before us in the scripture?

Apply your heart to wisdom

Keep them in the midst of your heart (4:21)

The heart of the bible is to impact the heart of the person. It is to impact our mind and our affections for God and for others.

What are the greatest two commandments given?

Matthew 22:37–39 NASB95

37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Applying your heart can go hand in hand with contemplating, meditating on God’s word. On the things we have read, on the things we have heard.

Philippians 4:8 NASB95

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

So, one more time, personally do we spend time contemplating the wisdom from above that we read, or that we hear?

Benefits of Somatic therapy

Given for life and health (4:22)

According to the believer’s bible commentary

Wisdom’s words are life-given and creative.

International Bible encyclopedia says

And they are health to the whole body because they deliver a person from the sins and the stresses that cause so much body problems and illness.

Consider Jesus words

John 6:33 NASB95

33 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

So, one more time something to think on contemplate. Do we let the wisdom that comes from above, the wisdom that God gives us to give us a better life for both the body and the soul?

Wise living involves more than just the inner man that is strengthen by words of wisdom, but the whole man including the eyes, ears and heart that God gives us as we continue to grow, to progress.

Somatic Therapy 201

For the heart

Keep with all diligence (4:23)

Diligence: (N): careful and persistent work or effort; Diligence is needed to guard the heart, mind and thoughts.

From the heart is the fountain of life

Or one more time think about what Jesus says about the heart

Mark 7:21–23 NASB95

21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

May we be attentive, careful about what we allow, what goes in our hearts and our minds.

For our mouth and lips

Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and perverse lips (4:24) well, since we are at it, babbling words and lies that may mislead others.

Paul says it like this

Ephesians 4:25 NASB95

25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

and then covering the rest of it

Ephesians 4:29 NASB95

29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

So, may we be careful about what comes out of our mouths and our lips, for they can build up or tear down, and we are to build up, to edify one another.

For the eyes and eyelids

Let your eyes look straight ahead, your eyelids look right before you (4:25)

We cannot look in multiple directions at the same time, so this conveys a singleness of purpose, keeping focused on what is before you.

Bible believers commentary says this:

“In the day when the mass media bombard us with publicity designed to arouse our animal appetites, we must learn to keep our eyes on Jesus.

OK, that is nice, but the words of Jesus are better

Matthew 6:22–23 NASB95

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Are we careful about what we allow our eyes to linger on? I know personally I have struggled with that before and each day I ask God to help me keep focused so not to allow my eyes to wander.

For our feet

Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established (4:26)

Q: what does it mean to establish something?

(v): set up (an organization, system, or set of rules) on a firm or permanent basis

Think about what direction your feet are taking you (physically and spiritually) are they drawing you closer to God or to the world?

Work toward walking in established ways, not the unstable ways.

But wait, for the Lord is willing to help us, to guide us, to lead us.

Psalm 37:23 NASB95

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

or

Psalm 40:2 NASB95

2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your feet from evil (4:27)

Follow the Lord and the Lord’s leading and you wont let the allurements of the world distract you.

We do not always do this perfectly, so if we misstep and we are corrected by the Holy Spirit, the word or God’s people, we can change directions and get back on the path.

Again, we do not need to do it alone, God through His word and His spirit wants to help.

Matthew 6:13 NASB95

13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

While that was delivered to the apostles and prior to the glorification of Christ at the ascention we can still learn from that, but let me give you more.

Matthew 26:41 NASB95

41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Or, just one more

2 Peter 2:9 NASB95

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

May we be careful where we allow our feet to take us, if adjustments needed, make them with guidance, power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me sum up everything in a couple of minutes (Lord willing that is)

Use your eyes, your eyes, and your mouths in ways that are wholesome and God pleasing

Fill your heart with God, for it is that which is good that flows from our hearts

Keep your feet on the path, turning away from the ways of the world, things that take us in the wrong direction.

Now some questions to contemplate

Do we listen attentively?

Do we read carefully?

Do we apply diligently?

Are we intentional in what we see, say or hear?

Are we careful about where our feet (physically and spiritually) take us?

These simple words of wisdom given from Solomon to his son are great example of us and can help us live a God pleasing successful life.