Reflecting God –
Embrace Holy Living - “Protect Your Heart” – Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Scripture: Proverbs 4:
14 Don’t enter into the path of the
wicked.
Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, and don’t
pass by it.
Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they don’t
sleep, unless they do evil.
Their sleep is taken away, unless they make
someone fall.
17 For they eat the
bread of wickedness,
and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the
righteous is like the dawning light,
that shines more and more until the perfect
day.
19 The way of the
wicked is like darkness.
They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 My son, attend to
my words.
Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart
from your eyes.
Keep them in the center of your heart.
22 For they are life
to those who find them,
and health to their whole body.
23 Keep your heart
with all diligence,
for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away from
yourself a perverse mouth.
Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look
straight ahead.
Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make the path of
your feet level.
Let all of your ways be established.
27 Don’t turn to the
right hand nor to the left.
Remove your foot from evil.
“Protect Your Heart”
by Judith A. Schwanz
Many people use the
words “guard your heart” as advice about dating and romance. In the context of
Proverbs 4, this phrase takes on a much deeper meaning. The heart is the very
source of life, out of which everything we do flows forth. To guard one’s heart
is to protect the very center of one’s being. Our attitudes, our words and our
action (and our romance!) flow out of our hearts, so the wise person will heed
this command.
How do we guard our
hearts? The writer of Proverbs suggests two key guidelines. First, our mouths
are to be free from perversity. Ugly speech would include swearing, taking
God’s name in vain or using hate-filled words. Lies and half-truths also
corrupt our speech. Jesus spoke of the link between pure words and a guarded
heart, saying “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34).
Second, we keep our
eyes gazing straight ahead. The best way to make forward progress is to
determine our goal or target, then focus on the goal while we move toward it.
The disciplines of
pure speech and focused attention will keep our hearts pure and our lives
pleasing to God.
Hymn for Today:
“O for a Heart to
Praise My God” by Charles Wesley
1. O for a heart to
praise my God,
a heart from sin set
free,
a heart that always
feels thy blood
so freely shed for me.
2. A heart resigned,
submissive, meek,
my great Redeemer's
throne,
where only Christ is
heard to speak,
where Jesus reigns
alone.
3. A humble, lowly,
contrite heart,
believing, true, and
clean,
which neither life nor
death can part
from Christ who dwells
within.
4. A heart in every
thought renewed
and full of love
divine,
perfect and right and
pure and good,
a copy, Lord, of
thine.
5. Thy nature,
gracious Lord, impart;
come quickly from
above;
write thy new name
upon my heart,
thy new, best name of
Love.
Thought for Today:
“Through embracing
wisdom . . .with all of our hearts, we are made whole in God” (Michael G.
VanZant).
Prayer Needs:
Many people in Korea
will come to know Jesus the Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) and receive the
fullness of the Holy Spirit.
WordAction Publishing
Company
Beacon Hill Press
Nazarene Publishing
Company
2500 Troost Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64108
United States
Embrace holy
living…visit reflectinggod.com.
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