Tag: guard your heart
Guarding the heart!
Scripture reading for February 18th: Mark 7, Psalm 35, Proverbs 4
Key Scriptures: Mark 7:18-23 “And He said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart, but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, and out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a person.””
Jesus was responding to the Pharisees question about why His disciples ate with defiled hands, not properly washing. The Pharisees were more concerned with keeping their rules than the inner holiness God demanded. It’s good to wash hands and observe rules, but God wants a change of heart. Defilement is in the heart, not the stomach!
Faith Confession: Lord, I need Your mercy to reveal my need of inner cleansing from besetting sins and attitudes that defile my spirit. I place my trust in Jesus Christ’s shed blood to cleanse my heart and gift me His righteousness.
Proverbs 4:23-24 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.”
Thankful for a new heart!
Scripture reading for July 13th: Proverbs 3-6
Key Scriptures: Proverbs 4:20-23 “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely 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 a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
Solomon knew that his sons would need wisdom and a healthy heart. He knew that God’s Word was to be taught to his sons because that alone would bring them true life and health all the days of their lives. He warned his sons to guard their hearts and the Word of God that was sown there. In this alone would come the wellspring of life! The mouth would flow with what was stored in the heart.
Rejoice in a good heart: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)
Daily encouragement needed!
Scripture reading for October 17th: Hebrews 3
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Hebrews 3:12-14 “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”
The pressures of sin, our flesh and fallen angels can sometimes drag believers back into the world and away from trusting in Christ. Our heart is the ground that must be defended and kept soft to receive truth and encouragement. Believers need to be careful of sin’s deceitfulness and a hardening of our hearts and turning away from God. Encouragement by other believers should be occurring on a daily basis. One day Jesus Christ will appear and only those who are standing firm will be ready to go with Him!
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers watch over each other and encourage each other to stand firm and confident in their faith. “Above all else, guard you heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)