“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you
do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)
“In
the Old Testament, the ‘heart’ is more than the seat of emotion. It represents
the basis of character, including the mind and the will.”* While we are under God’s grace or unmerited
favor, that is not a license to do as we please. Rather, it gives us the freedom to be
obedient and serve the one true living God.
We are no longer slaves to sin,
but now are slaves to righteousness. We
are to operate under a whole new set of standards. Instead of thinking of ourselves first, we are
to think of ourselves last. Instead of
judging those around us, we are to dispense mercy and grace in the measure it
has been given to us.
Everything that enters our hearts
migrates to our minds and at one point or another comes out of our mouths or
shows up in our actions. So guard your
heart. Protect it by feeding it the
spiritual nourishment that comes from God’s word. Be mindful of Him day and night and seek to
please the Lord in all you think, say and do.
By guarding your heart you will ward off temptation and steer clear of the
resulting sin. Until next time, walk with
the King and be a blessing!
* From the Reformation Study Bible; P & R
Publishing; 2nd Edition w/maps edition (November 1, 2010).
