Guarding The Heart

It really took me a lot to sit and write… But here we are and I’m glad we are here…

Today, I write about something that we commonly talk about “Guarding the heart”. I pray you’re blessed by this post.

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

The heart of man is really valuable, you see. Your most valued car doesn’t go everywhere with you. Your most valued accessory doesn’t go to every occasion, it is often times hidden in a chest and passed down from one generation to another. Yet, the heart of a man is more valuable than all the possessions you may own.

Let me throw this out there… Sadly, people guard their bank accounts more than their hearts. It’s not just about guarding but the word of God says with all diligence.

The heart is actually a treasure house. You don’t dump garbage in your treasure store, do you? Do you even take garbage from the kitchen into your room where you sleep? The heart is so important because just like a king shows off his wealth by the artifacts in his treasure store, so a man shows his value in what he stores up in his heart.

The heart used in the scripture above speaks of where the will, intellect and emotions are.

You are so conscious of our emotions, how you feel, more than we guard what forms our will or motive…more than what forms your life.Today’s focus will be on what guards all. beginning from the will which eventually affect the emotions.

One thing about guarding your heart that you’ve been doing wrong, which I intend to correct with this post, by the help of the Holy Spirit, is paying so much attention to keeping things out and paying less or no attention to what you allow in.

It’s not about what you keep out, it’s about what you let and keep in. I’ll show you what I mean by that statement from the scriptures.

Proverbs 4:20-21 (KJV)
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

The heart there is the mind and it makes me understand that the mind is the door to the heart (will, emotions and intellect).

When I read down that passage, I saw that it only speaks about what should be in. It only speaks about what should be kept in and not what should be kept out. So let me come from another direction… We pay attention to the external things and we forget that the scriptures say that the heart of man is wicked. The heart of man doesn’t need to watch a movie to device a wicked act… It’s just the mind.

So we are charged to keep our hearts, we are charged to diligently guard our hearts.

I’m so tempted to use the word mind because truly, they are used interchangeably.

So now, how do you guard your heart?There are two ways you guard your heart (no it doesn’t include avoiding some kind of songs although that is very very important and I don’t believe you should be told that) The first way is found in Proverbs 4:20

Proverbs 4:20 (KJV)
“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.”

It is by giving yourself to “hearing” the word. Joshua received instructions, thus, “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, you shall meditate on it day and night”. Listen, I don’t see how you think you’re guarding your heart because you don’t “do secular songs” or because you don’t see some kind of movies or you don’t move with some kind of people.

Don’t get me wrong, these things are good instructions to a person whose heart lacks heavenly longing but they don’t completely secure your heart. What really secures the heart is the word. The word sanctifies you. The word changes your thought pattern, it gives you a new spirit (will) and you live like Christ. The word is the most trusted keeper of your heart.

Keep the word in your heart…. Hallelujah!!! It doesn’t just protect the external things that find their way in, it transforms and keeps the heart that is naturally wicked.

The second way is by prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Prayer guards your heart against worry.

Let me tell you something about worry. It comes in legally, it comes in as a solution, it comes in legitimately and holds your heart down in a prison called confusion. It is so subtle but has a very strong grip and the heart.
This is to be fought strongly in prayer so that you can be led through times of trouble, in peace and not confusion of the mind.

To conclude this week’s post, Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

For me, nothing meets this criteria more than the WORD OF GOD in whatever form it comes.

Thank you for joining me this week. God bless you.

I’d appreciate it if you shared this, a comment will be great and a like is satisfying.

God Bless You.

Photo Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/LyfPtVm2LNKKdTXP8

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