Guard your heart. How do you guard your heart? If someone asked you to explain to them what this meant, could you explain it and make it clear? It’s important because as King Solomon recorded, “out of our hearts flows everything we do and all the issues of life” Proverbs 4:23.
First of all I asked myself, how do things enter into my heart? There are a couple ways that I know of. The gateways to the heart are what we look at (the eyegate) and what we listen to (the ear gate). Protecting your heart is not shutting others out. It is filtering what is put in with the Word of God as the filter. What we watch and listen to is so important. It all affects our hearts and way of thinking and then our actions.
The Lord, through his Word, the Bible, is the guard and protector of our hearts. His Word is our shield in life. It is the guide and plumbline for what we think and how we act and what we accept. It is truth.
In Ezekiel 36:26 God tells us He gives us a new heart. This happens when we invite His Son Jesus Christ into our lives. It goes like this:
When we get born again we now have a heart that is responsive and open to God and His love. He takes that hard heart of stone and gives us a new way to live. A new life in Him. We guard our hearts by living in the WORD of God and letting it flow through our lives. WE now have eyes that can see and ears that can hear the things of God.
So feed your heart good things. Feed it hope. Feed it faith. Feed it love. Feed it truth. God loves you and accepts you completely. Feed it beauty by appreciating beautiful things around you, both in people and nature. Focus on the good.
Ask yourself –.
- Am I actively setting the Word of God as a watchman over my soul by reading it and hearing it preached?
- Am I filtering my circumstances, decisions, thoughts, and responses through what God’s Word says?
- Do I prayerfully seek the Lord, trusting the One who gave me a new heart to protect it?
- Am I trying to guard myself in my own strength, or am I acknowledging my weakness and trusting the all-sufficient One to be my defender?
Heavenly Father, I pray first of all that the ones that read this would know Jesus Christ as their Savior if they don’t already. Secondly, I pray that those hearts that have been given to You will be refreshed, and strengthened, and healed of all hurt. I ask that we would all be bold in sharing You and telling others that You are the one who can save them and give us a new heart. Thank You, God, for loving us so much that You sent Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth and the Life for us. Amen