«

Guard Your Heart

January 19, 2014

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

See No Evil. The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light (Matthew 6:22). In the Old Testament, King Saul and the people of Israel got incapacitated by fear because they gazed at their problem and only glanced at God (1 Samuel 17). To move ahead, we keep our eyes focused on God—not in denial of circumstances, but knowing that God is mightier than any problem we face.

Hear No Evil. And He [Jesus] was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides” (Mark 4:24). Your brain is not a trashcan. It’s designed to carry the amazing, golden Word of God. This doesn’t advocate naivety, but as you and I feast on the promises and provisions of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, our standard changes to match God’s heart.

Speak No Evil. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness (Isaiah 58:9). As we spend time fasting, murmuring is one of the things that hijack its effectiveness. It’s so easy and habit-forming to grumble. But when you put away the temptation to murmur, your fasting will take on a new dimension of breakthrough and you will be ready for God to lead you and use you for His purposes.

Pray this prayer:
“God, I know You’ve designed me for good works and I renew my determination to guard my heart so I can be alert and ready for the exploits You have for me. When You tell me to pray about something, I will pray. When You tell me to talk to someone, I will do it with boldness. Thank You for fruitfulness in 2014!”

Guard verb – To keep safe from harm or danger; protect; watch over. –Dictionary.com Unabridged

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2014 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Guard” Dictionary.com Unabridged Random House, Inc. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.