“AND ABOVE ALL, GUARD YOUR HEART”

Post date: Feb 8, 2018 10:27:52 PM

“Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction; do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:10-27. Everything and everyone wants your heart but above all, God also wants your heart for the good things He had planned and destined for you.

The heart is in conflict, it is bombarded with the need for a quick decision; it is often confused, in need of direction, information and guardian. It is the center of all battles and the place where victory or defeat begins. It is a place where sadness and happiness are struggling to possess and control, and it is a place the dictates your state of affairs daily. Your heart is important to you, to the Church, to God, to your family, to your marriage, to your spouse, to your children, to your neighborhood, and to your nation. The devil is seeking your heart to destroy you and use you as his instrument of destruction. When you keep your heart, you will grow in wisdom; you will add years to your life; your steps will not be harmpered by the desires of the devil; you will not stumble when and where all the wicked are stumbling and falling; you will be able to direct your steps on the right path; you will have the peace of God with you and the Holy Spirit of God will direct your steps; it will help you descend rightly and judge rightly; it will guard your lips and fashion your words right; it will enable you to be focused on that which is good accepteable and approved by God; it will bless your thoughts and affects your actions, and it will keep you on the godly path of feedom and joy and mercies and forgiveness; it reminds you of God and of Jesus Christ and of the good things He had in store for you and it will help you pray right and expect right things from God.

The devil is doing everything to sway your heart towards what he is doing now or had done in the past against your wellbeing, against your prayers, against your usefulness and productivity in all the things your heart desires. He is always seeking to pin your heart to the decays in the value of the things you do and own; he desires that you fix your heart in the decay in your neighborhood; the mundane things around you and to have them control your thoughts, actions, and meditations every time. He is trying all he could to keep your heart in his way of thoughts, and in his actions in your life, children, spouse, family, and finances; he is doing all he could to remind you of the bitter past, the failures, the disappointments, and the shame. While Christ Jesus defeated him on the cross on our behalf, we have the duty to guard our hearts daily and to keep it from being overrun by weak emotions and controlled by the works the devil is doing against us. In all things and in every place, we need to guard our heart above all these things. You can keep the devil away from you by guarding your heart always and bringing it under the subjection of the word of God and control of the Holy Spirit. For prayers, Click here