The heart is the seed of affections and really the focal point of all spiritual change. In fact, Jesus said that you can tell what is in the heart by what you see is important to a person, and what comes out of a person’s mouth is an indication of what is in the heart.
Matthew 15:18–19 (ESV) — 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
Luke 12:34 (ESV) — 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Therefore, it is imperative to take good care of your heart, guard your heart, and keep your heart from falling prey to the world, the flesh, and the devil. For all temptations are seeking to gain control of your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (ESV) — 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
This is so important that God gave instruction to keep your soul, or your heart, lest you slip into forgetting what God has done for you. Then He even adds the importance of doing so because the way that you keep your heart will influence your children and your grandchildren, which is easy to see how that would happen. When one generation let things of God slip and they drift, their children will follow the trend, and sadly so will their grandchildren. The trend can stop as it stops with you and that is the gist of the word that God spoke.
Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV) — 9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—
It’s wonderful to see how God steps in and gives us great principles for living that have a positive influence on our hearts. Case in point: worry. When we are filled with worry, we are living like an atheist and if we continue in that our heart will be overcome with negativity which will drive us farther and farther away from God and His word. Instead of worrying, God commands us to pray and look what He promises:
Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV) — 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Notice the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds. How good is that. But we are not without responsibility as the following scripture points out the need to be on guard to keep ourselves from idols.
1 John 5:21 (ESV) — 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Before you check that off as not a problem since you do not have graven images around, think about the way that your job, your children, your stuff, etc. has become or can become your source of joy and the place you turn instead of the Lord, Himself. That qualifies as an idol, and we need to be on guard lest we slip into following any idol.
On a positive note, God has given us several places in the book of Proverbs that are important aspects to keeping our hearts in check.
Proverbs 2:1–3 (ESV) — 1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
Proverbs 23:12 (ESV) — 12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.
Proverbs 3:3–4 (ESV) — 3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Again, from the book of Deuteronomy, God gives instruction to make sure He is the focus of our love and affections and in following Him whole-heartily and seeking instruction from His word, we will avoid the trap of being deceived.
Deuteronomy 11:16 (ESV) — 16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;
Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV) — 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Why is this so important? We don’t really know our own hearts as we easily deceive ourselves, which is why God reminds us that He is the only one who truly knows us and can help us avoid the pitfalls of life by not taking good care of our hearts.
Jeremiah 17:9–10 (ESV) — 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
If God is the only One who knows us and He is the One who will test and judge us, doesn’t it make sense we follow His directions and seek His help in keeping our hearts? Of course it is! Don’t try to do it on your own. Seek His help, apply yourself to the counsel and guidance of His word, depending upon Him to give you wisdom, insight, and power to guard your heart and avoid many pitfalls of life.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
