Walking with the Wise #22: Guard Your Heart

“Keep your heart with all vigilance,
 

for from it flow the springs of life.” 

—Proverbs 4:23

Our hearts are the center of who we are, the seat of the inner man, and a combination of the mind, will and understanding. The proverb says that we are to “keep” our heart with all “vigilance.” The Hebrew word for “keep” also can mean “guard” or “watch.” And the word for “vigilance” can mean “diligence.” We are to guard our heart diligently. Why? Because from it “flow the springs of life.” What are the “springs of life”? The “springs of life” are that which give life to our bones—that make life worth living, the fullness of our desires, appetites, dreams and our aspirations.

We must make sure to guard our hearts. Why? Because, as Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Our hearts can deceive us, so we must make sure to filter the thoughts of our heart. Jesus said that from the heart come…

“…evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride,foolishness”—Mark 7:21-22.

Knowing that the heart can be deceived, and that it is the center of our being, we must make every effort to protect it from sinful desires. Since we are children of God and have God’s Spirit within us, we are able to test our hearts by the Spirit working in cooperation with the Word of God, to see whether or not we are to proceed or refrain from that which our heart is telling us. If we allow ourselves to be deceived, we will inevitably experience pain, sorrow and suffering. Our consciences will condemn us, because we will know that we should have proceeded or acted differently. But, if we force our heart to submit to the Spirit of God, enabling it to prick our conscience through the application of the Word of God, then we will walk in safety and security.

Are you guarding your heart? Or are you following it while ignoring the conviction of God’s Spirit working in cooperation with God’s Word? Don’t do it! Guard your heart! Don’t be foolish! God’s Word will prove true, and every thought and inclination of man will fail. Ignore God’s Word at your own peril!

If you have failed to guard your heart and have given yourself over to sin, know that God’s grace and forgiveness available through Jesus apply to you as well! Run to Christ, confess your sin and ask Him for forgiveness and He will forgive you. He will cleanse your conscience and free you from your guilt. He will help you and give you hope.

May we guard our hearts, submitting them to the Spirit of God working in cooperation with the Word of God so that we might experience God’s grace, forgiveness and freedom. Amen.