Proverbs 4 contains one of my "life" verses. It is verse 23: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." When you guard something, you protect it. When military forces are in enemy territory they post guards around their camps. Why? To be sure that no enemy slips in. A guard house will be set up at the entrance to a mansion or to a particular section of homes. Why? To provide a check point so that no one, who is un-invited, may enter. Do you see the picture? Above everything else in your life ... GUARD YOUR HEART! I don't want anything undesirable to enter there - attitudes, motives, thoughts, visuals. It requires constant vigilance ... because our enemy is subtle and persistent. He would love to slip past the guard and plant hatred ... or bitterness ... or rage ... or apathy ... or judgmentalism into my heart core. How can we guard our hearts? Post the guard of the words of Jesus all around your heart. That is the filter through which all must pass.
What about the junk that is already in my heart? I have to trust the words of 1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." And then we pray with the Psalmist ... "Create in me a pure heart, O God ..." (Psalm 51:10)
Which verse(s) in Proverbs 4 stood out to you? Let us know ...
The same verse always stands out to me in this chapter - it is a perennial favorite of mine, and even more so after reading the book _When Crickets Cry_, by Charles Martin.
ReplyDeleteGail, is this entire chapter the words of David to Solomon? Because if it is, doesn't it give loads of meaning to the phrase "man after God's own heart"?! :)