"Watch Over Your Heart"

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." - Proverbs 4:23

You know... I've failed miserably at following this verses instruction...
Have you ever let something play such a large part in your life and then had it taken away from you? I have! I'm guilty of not watching over my heart "with all diligence!" I've let other things be my ultimate concern... other people...

So, why is this such an important concept, to guard our hearts? First, because they should be devoted to God, above all else. Second, because our joy is crippled when we put our trust in the things of this fallen world.

Friends... I never seem to learn this stuff fast enough... It seems like I always begin to understand the concept once I'm already wallowing in the results of my mistakes. Why is that? Is God such a cruel Father that He would cause us to come crawling to Him before He forgives us and receives us into His arms? NO! On the contrary, WE are such fallen beings, such prideful beings, that we do not listen to the instructions that He has given us. God has already given us all of the warnings, all of the instructions, all of the keys to a life of joy and peace... we just don't listen!

Why don't we listen? I'll tell you why I don't listen... it's usually because I settle for the here-and-now, easy solution to my desires. When I'm lonely, I look to friends and entertainment, rather than the Creator of my very being, for comfort! How insane is that??? Instead of the One who wired me with all of my desires, knowing that He would be enough to fulfill all of my needs (Psalm 23), I turn to that oh-so-fallible thing or person who has just as many faults as me. Where is the logic in that???

Here's the truth... I struggle, sometimes, with acceptance. I long to be accepted by people... I desire to be a part of something bigger than myself. But for whatever reason, I overlook the fact that God is the ultimate fulfillment of "something bigger!" What kind of club or circle of friends could I join in on that could ever be anywhere near as big as being a part of God's redemptive plan for this world??? Come on people! Answer that question for yourselves, today! What is God calling you to do? In what way can you be a part of the biggest "something bigger" that has EVER been?

God has given each of us, me and you, our own spiritual gifts, which we are to use to bring Him glory. Now... this brings us back to Proverbs 4...

You will never have joy if you do not learn to guard your heart and make God your ultimate concern and desire. If you chase the things of this world, they will let you down. Look at the second part of verse 23 "For from [the heart] flow the springs of life." LIFE! It flows from the heart! The heart which was meant, from the very beginning of time, to belong wholly to God!

Friends, let me ask you this question, in closing... Who or what holds the keys to your heart? There is only One who is worthy or capable of this position in your life. Your husband or wife, if you are married, is not the correct answer. You should be devoted to them so deeply that you never forsake them for another... but they should never be THE ultimate love in your life... they are still fallible...
Christ is the only one who has proved Himself a trustworthy caretaker of our hearts. The Father is the only One who understands the deepest longings of our hearts... because He put them there.

With that... "Watch over your heart with all diligence..." Try to understand... it's for your GOOD. God doesn't give us these Proverbs to rob us of our joy, but to be the ultimate fulfillment of it.

If you have a need for prayer or questions about what I've said today, please... e-mail me and let me know what's going on. I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I do have Christ, and I know that when I've failed to guard my heart... others have been used by Him to point me back into His arms. It's only in the arms of Christ that you will find healing and fulfillment.

Dear Friends, this is my prayer for you... my hope.... Watch over your hearts, and have LIFE!

Grace and Peace!

Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com .