| “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” – Proverbs 4:23 |
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| It is HEART AWARENESS DAY for your SPIRITUAL HEART As we look at our verse to DATE on April 23 (4/23) we have one of the strongest statements in the Bible about the need to PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION to a critical area of our life. The verse starts with GUARD and then says what is to be guarded is to be done WITH ALL DILIGENCE. With these bookends, we evidently have something that DEMANDS we WAKE UP and PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO IT. What is so vital that it demands such attention? It is our HEART. Now we have to quickly say this is not a public service announcement for the American Heart Association. We are not talking about guarding with all diligence our physical heart, although I do hope you take care of your physical heart. Proverbs 4:23 is speaking of the seat of our emotions and will. The Bible refers to the heart as where we make our decisions. You might recall, for instance, that Jesus said in Matthew 15:19 that “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Because of how important our decisions are then we must make certain that we have a heart that is clean, not corrupt. Based on what our heart takes in determines what will come out. The old saying goes “Garbage in, garbage out.” In taking care of our (spiritual) heart there are several things that are vital to do. First, we must recognize that we have wicked hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Our wicked heart needs to be clean. David prayed for God to “Create in him a clean heart,” (Ps 51:10) God says through Ezekiel that we “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” (Eze 18:31) For us to get a new heart is to accept Jesus as Savior and He makes us a new man. Friends, the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. In taking care of your heart, getting saved is the most important decision you will ever make! Now let us talk about what it means to guard with all diligence your heart as our very life depends on it. The heart disease that we must avoid is sin. How do we keep our heart from sinning? I am glad you asked. The answer is found in Psalm 119:11. It says, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Solomon will give the instructions to his son, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;” (Proverbs 4:20-21) To guard and protect your heart you will need to fill it, yes, you need to SATURATE it, with the Word of God. Saturating your heart with Scripture is one of the surest ways to stop sin! Someone said, “The Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible!” I must add that hiding God’s Word in your heart is only the first step. With the hiding, there must also be the HEEDING or obeying of God’s Word. Proverbs 3:1 says, “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep or obey my commands.” All the way back in Moses’ day God wanted an obedient heart. Notice Deuteronomy 5:29 as it says, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Taking care of your heart is PRIORITY ONE! Guard it by guarding your eyes for what you look after impacts it. Guard your ears for what you listen to impacts it. Guard your thinking as what you think about impacts it. Regarding your thinking and your heart let me give one more verse for keeping your heart healthy. It is Psalms 19:14. It is a prayer. It says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be ACCEPTABLE to You O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Verse to DATE the Word on April 23 (4/23) is Proverbs 4:23. It says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” What actions do you need to GUARD WITH ALL DILIGENCE YOUR HEART? Continue Strong with a clean heart, And remember to DATE the Word |