By: Erlinda Mejia-Olson
PROVERBS 4:23 ~ "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."
It has been a quiet afternoon, and, I found myself having an intimate conversation with the LORD about things in life which I have been seeking for answers for quite sometime now. As I was walking back and forth in my room, my attention was shifted to this one corner where I placed my wedding picture. I stopped for a moment ... stared at it for awhile ... reminiscing that one blessed significant day of my life ... my heart was beating fast ... it brought a smile to my tired face. I told the LORD, how comforting it is to have been blessed with a lifetime partner who draws me closer to Him and not further away ... who encourages me to walk for Him no matter what. I've learned that when you are truly loved by someone who has the love of Christ in his heart, no distance can keep you apart ... nor can keep your heart from beating for each other.
When my conversation with the LORD continued on, I asked Him to grant me wisdom to finish up this article I was writing about the "heart". I've always been enthralled of how the LORD has created the human body and the way it functions ... and I am most enthralled by the 'human heart'. I've read that the average heart weighs less than a pound, and beats approximately 2.5 billion times during the course of the normal life. Consider it a fact, we need our heart in order to live! For the heart is necessary for life. Countless information and websites have been provided to help us protect our heart.
As I draw myself to the Word of God, I've also learned that God has much to say about the heart. I've learned that the Bible mentioned the word heart over 700 times in Scripture. Evidently, the subject of the heart is important to God as well. Now, I'm not referring to the physical aspect of the heart that is beating hopefully in our chest right now. I'm referring to the very core of our being ... the innermost character ... emotions ... desires ... will. I'm referring to the heart that what makes us REAL.
We live in a very protective society—we guard ourselves against dangers ... against all forces of evil in this world. We spend money and time to secure our personal belongings ... our interests ... our lives. We keep ourselves pre-occupied with security that we neglect the one item that we should be protecting the most—our heart. The Bible warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to ... "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The devil is seeking daily to gain an edge over our lives ... to make us stumble ... to debar us from being used of God.
The above reference Scripture tells us to "Keep your heart", the word keep simply means to guard, to watch over, to defend. We have to be cautious in what we allow to enter into our eargate ... our eyegate, "for out of it spring the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23b). How good are we at guarding our heart against the attacks of the world, the flesh, the devil? Allow me to share with you these practical ideas I've learned from Tim Trieber, a Youth Pastor from North Valley Baptist Church, which helped me to guard my own heart:
PROVERBS 4:23 ~ "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."
It has been a quiet afternoon, and, I found myself having an intimate conversation with the LORD about things in life which I have been seeking for answers for quite sometime now. As I was walking back and forth in my room, my attention was shifted to this one corner where I placed my wedding picture. I stopped for a moment ... stared at it for awhile ... reminiscing that one blessed significant day of my life ... my heart was beating fast ... it brought a smile to my tired face. I told the LORD, how comforting it is to have been blessed with a lifetime partner who draws me closer to Him and not further away ... who encourages me to walk for Him no matter what. I've learned that when you are truly loved by someone who has the love of Christ in his heart, no distance can keep you apart ... nor can keep your heart from beating for each other.
When my conversation with the LORD continued on, I asked Him to grant me wisdom to finish up this article I was writing about the "heart". I've always been enthralled of how the LORD has created the human body and the way it functions ... and I am most enthralled by the 'human heart'. I've read that the average heart weighs less than a pound, and beats approximately 2.5 billion times during the course of the normal life. Consider it a fact, we need our heart in order to live! For the heart is necessary for life. Countless information and websites have been provided to help us protect our heart.
As I draw myself to the Word of God, I've also learned that God has much to say about the heart. I've learned that the Bible mentioned the word heart over 700 times in Scripture. Evidently, the subject of the heart is important to God as well. Now, I'm not referring to the physical aspect of the heart that is beating hopefully in our chest right now. I'm referring to the very core of our being ... the innermost character ... emotions ... desires ... will. I'm referring to the heart that what makes us REAL.
We live in a very protective society—we guard ourselves against dangers ... against all forces of evil in this world. We spend money and time to secure our personal belongings ... our interests ... our lives. We keep ourselves pre-occupied with security that we neglect the one item that we should be protecting the most—our heart. The Bible warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to ... "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The devil is seeking daily to gain an edge over our lives ... to make us stumble ... to debar us from being used of God.
The above reference Scripture tells us to "Keep your heart", the word keep simply means to guard, to watch over, to defend. We have to be cautious in what we allow to enter into our eargate ... our eyegate, "for out of it spring the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23b). How good are we at guarding our heart against the attacks of the world, the flesh, the devil? Allow me to share with you these practical ideas I've learned from Tim Trieber, a Youth Pastor from North Valley Baptist Church, which helped me to guard my own heart:
- Keep your heart close to the Word of God and prayer - a wise preacher once made a statement that distance leads to destruction. If you fail to stay close to God's word and prayer, then mark it down, you will fail. D.L. Moody once said, "This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book." Let me ask you, how are you doing with the Word of God and prayer?
- Keep your heart close to spiritual authorities in your life - Your spouse, parents, pastor, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, and mentors are not the enemy. They are on your side, pulling for you to make it for God. It would be wise for you to spend as much time with them as you possibly can.
- Keep your heart from those who have not given their hearts to God - Proverbs 13:20 tells us that, "he who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." Your closest friends and peers should be those who have a heart to please the LORD. Show me your friends, and I will show you your future. You recall the story of Amnon who, 2 Samuel 13, gave his heart to his friend—a friend who then led him to commit an evil sin.
The Bible commanded us in Mark 12:30 to "...love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment." The LORD values our heart. He wants our heart that He created to beat for Him both spiritually and physically. I'm very grateful to God that the lifetime partner He blessed me also became my best friend for life, who helped to bring my heart closer to God as our hearts beat together as one for Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!
I hope that every beat of your heart is for the LORD.
I hope that every beat of your heart is for the LORD.
