Midweek Devotion: Proverbs 3:3

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Proverbs 3:3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3 continues Solomon’s fatherly instruction concerning the pursuit of wisdom and the blessings of a life lived in fellowship with God. The chapter begins by urging the reader not to forget God’s teaching, but to keep His commandments in the heart.

Solomon is not teaching that obedience to God is a means of earning His favor. On the contrary, he is saying that it is the proper response of one who walks according to God’s wisdom. It is in this context that verse 3 says, “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” Having already emphasized obedience to God’s Word, Solomon now turns to the character that should result from that obedience.

Two qualities are highlighted in this verse—kindness and truth. The Hebrew words emphasize faithfulness and steadfastness. Solomon is commending consistent love and mercy toward others, while demonstrating faithfulness and integrity. He is not merely calling for outward acts of kindness or occasional honesty; he is urging his son to nurture a heart formed by God’s truth so that mercy and faithfulness become constant companions.

The imagery of binding these qualities around the neck and writing them on the heart emphasizes that these qualities are to be obvious in one’s behavior. Therefore, Proverbs 3:3 builds upon what has already been said. Wisdom is not simply knowledge, nor is it confined to correct doctrine. True wisdom transforms the whole person.

The one who treasures God’s Word will increasingly display the character of the God who gave it. In this way, kindness and truth become evidence that wisdom is not just a matter of how you think but concerns how you live.